Galectin-1 as a marker for microglia activation in the aging brain.

Microglia cells, the immune cells residing in the brain, express immune regulatory molecules that have a central role in the manifestation of age-related brain characteristics. Our hypothesis suggests that galectin-1, an anti-inflammatory member of the beta-galactoside-binding lectin family, regulates microglia and neuroinflammation in the aging brain. Through our in-silico analysis, we discovered a subcluster of microglia in the aged mouse brain that exhibited increased expression of galectin-1 mRNA.