Role and underlying mechanisms of the interstitial protein periostin in the diagnosis and treatment of malignant tumors (Review)

Invasion and metastasis are the major characteristics of malignant tumors and are complex processes involving multiple genes. Gene regulation is a precise, large and complex biological control system, and its underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. Mesenchymal-specific genes are expressed primarily by mesenchymal cells, and the expression products of these genes are molecules with various structures and functions, including secreted proteins and extracellular matrix proteins. The periostin gene has been newly identified as a mesenchymal-specific gene and an extracellular-matrix secreted protein. Periostin is able to bind to various subtypes of integrin receptors on the surface of the cell membrane. This triggers relevant signal transduction pathways to alter the microenvironment of cancer cells in order to facilitate their survival, invasion, metastasis and angiogenesis as well as enhance the tolerance to hypoxia and chemicals. Therefore, periostin is associated with the grade of malignancy, level of invasion and prognosis of malignant tumors. The in-depth study of periostin may provide an effective marker for tumor diagnosis and prognosis, as well as a novel treatment target.