Osteopontin: A Promising Therapeutic Target in Cardiac Fibrosis
Osteopontin (OPN) is recognized for its significant roles in both physiological and pathological processes. Initially, OPN was recognized as a cytokine with pro-inflammatory actions. More recently, OPN has emerged as a matricellular protein of the extracellular matrix (ECM). OPN is also known to be a substrate for proteolytic cleavage by several proteases that form an integral part of the ECM. In the adult heart under physiological conditions, basal levels of OPN are expressed. Increased expression of OPN has been correlated with the progression of cardiac remodeling and fibrosis to heart failure and the severity of the condition. The intricate process by which OPN mediates its effects include the coordination of intracellular signals necessary for the differentiation of fibroblasts into myofibroblasts, promoting angiogenesis, wound healing, and tissue regeneration. In this review, we discuss the role of OPN in contributing to the development of cardiac fibrosis and its suitability as a therapeutic target.
Other Information
Published in: Cells
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
See article on publisher's website: https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/cells8121558
Funding
Open Access funding provided by the Qatar National Library.
History
Language
- English
Publisher
MDPIPublication Year
- 2019
License statement
This Item is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.Institution affiliated with
- Qatar University
- College of Engineering - QU
- Biomedical Research Center - QU
- Qatar University Health - QU
- College of Pharmacy - QU HEALTH
- Hamad Medical Corporation
- Interim Translational Research Institute - HMC