Table 1.

Roles of Galectin-3 in viral infections.

Role	Description	Examples of Viruses Involved
Viral entry	Facilitates virus attachment and entry into host cells through binding to viral and host cell surface glycoproteins	HIV [15], SARS-CoV-2 [16], HSV [17], Influenza [18]
Viral replication	Modulates key cellular signaling pathways that influence viral replication processes	Influenza [19], Enterovirus [20]
Immune response modulation	Regulates both innate and adaptive immune responses, influencing the balance between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses	Influenza [21], SARS-CoV-2 [22], HBV [23]
Potential therapeutic target	Development of novel Gal-3 inhibitors and their application in antiviral therapy	SARS-CoV-2 [24]