Resumen:
Aortic stenosis is one of the most common heart valve diseases, as well as one of the most common causes of heart failure in the elderly. Currently, there are no medical therapies to prevent or slow the progression of the disease. When symptoms develop alongside severe aortic stenosis, there is a poor prognosis unless aortic valve replacement is performed. Aortic stenosis is a heterogeneous disease with a complex pathophysiology involving structural and biological changes of the valve, as well as adaptive and maladaptive compensatory changes in the myocardium and vasculature in response to chronic pressure overload. Galectin-3 serves important functions in numerous biological activities including cell growth, apoptosis, differentiation, inflammation and fibrosis. With evidence emerging to support the function of Galectin-3, the current review aims to summarize the latest literature regarding the potential of Galectin-3 as therapeutic target in aortic valve and cardiovascular alterations associated with aortic stenosis.