Thiodigalactoside to help you breath

Could you imagine having known, you had just few breaths to live? Chemists at Galecto Biotech had successfully  developed TDG-139 as a cure for IPF, scary lung disease. What is it and how it

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis


IPF is a type of chronic lung disease that gradually and irreversibly leads to decline in lung function. Scar tissue (fibrosis) is formed heavily in lungs, making it much harder for oxygen to pass to a bloodstream. This leads to a shortness of breath, dry coughing which rapidly escalates in scarring of ones’ lungs. Such affected people with IPF cannot provide oxygen for their bodies’ tissues and organs. They simply die of suffocation. No chance …


Are thioglycosides the ultimate answer?


Research in the field of galectins, which are proteins that bind to beta-galactoside sugars, revealed that galectines are largely involved in disease mechanisms. Galectin-3 is a member of galactosides binding family that initiates inflammatory and fibrotic activity. When successful in knocking out galectin-3 expression, the amount of fibrotic tissue is reduced along with the prevention of fibrosis.

Solving the X-ray structure of galectines-1, 3 led to strategies what molecules could stop the protein from overproducing. Disaccharides substituted in 3, 3’ positions were suggested among the pioneering molecules.


Over time and largely thanks to efforts of chemists working at Lund University, Sweden and Edinburgh University, Scotland, series of thio-galactosidase molecules were synthesized and proven to work.

TD-139 is a thiodigalactoside which features sulphur bridging atom of 2 symmetrical galactose units substituted on C3 and C’3 with a triazol extended through benzene with fluorine atom in meta position. Take a look at it! Isn’t it a beautiful molecule!?! Sure it is. At the same time, TD-139 is already approved by FDA and is currently in the last stage of clinical testing.


The miracle of substituted disaccharides is that it binds to the galactoside binding pockets of galectines. It blocks it from further overproduction, therefore causing no further harm to lungs … unless the patient willingly continues to smoke one cigarette after another.

Life-saving medicines from scratch cost millions


In order to pursue the last stage of clinical testing, Galecto Biotech, Denmark-based company raised $90 million to lead the production of a drug treatment to IPF. Patients are impatiently waiting as this disease affects 12 people in 100 000. Fingers crossed and perhaps even more promising  molecules are soon in the hands of chemists that build up life-saving medicines literally from a scratch. In this case … galactose 😊

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