Galectins are a family of soluble β-galactoside-binding animal lectins that modulate cell-to-cell adhesion and cell-to-extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions and play a role in tumor progression, pre-mRNA splicing and apoptosis. Galectin-7, expressed mainly in stratified squamous epithelium, is activated by p53 and repressed by retinoic acid. It is a pro-apoptotic protein that functions intracellularly upstream of JNK activation and cytochrome c release. The galectin-7 gene maps to chromosome 19.