Skip to main content
An official website of the United States government
Government Funding Lapse
Because of a lapse in government funding, the information on this website may not be up to date, transactions submitted via the website may not be processed, and the agency may not be able to respond to inquiries until appropriations are enacted.

The NIH Clinical Center (the research hospital of NIH) is open. For more details about its operating status, please visit cc.nih.gov.

Updates regarding government operating status and resumption of normal operations can be found at opm.gov.

galactomannan derivative

A carbohydrate polymer composed of mannose and galactose, with chemotherapeutic enhancing activity. Galactomannan derivative binds to galectins on cell surfaces and may promote the transport of certain chemotherapeutics, such as 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), into tumor cells. This may increase the antineoplastic effect of 5-FU when administered concomitantly. Galectins are carbohydrate-binding proteins, upregulated on the surface of certain types of tumor cells, and may mediate cell association, survival and metastasis.
Synonym:1,4-beta-D-galactomannan
US brand name:DAVANAT
Abbreviation:GD
Search NCI's Drug Dictionary