Galectins constitute a family of ß-galactoside binding proteins that translate sugar-encoded signals of cell surface glycoconjugates into biological effects. The expression pattern of different human galectins changes during tissue development and is altered at sites of inflammation and tumor. Galectins have been known to be involved in colorectal cancer development, progression and metastasis. Galectin-4 has already been reported to function as tumor suppressor in this type of malignancy. However, its detailed impact on the tumor phenotype is still unknown. Our previous work indicates that galectin-4 inhibits cell proliferation and induces morphological changes in analyzed human colon cancer cell lines, including LS 180.