October 14, 2011Open Access
Periostin expression and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in cancer: a review and an update
Key Result
Periostin is upregulated in various cancers and promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition, tumor invasion, and metastasis, highlighting its potential as a target for stroma-targeted anticancer therapy.
Structured PICO
P
Population
Cancers including lung, kidney, prostate, liver cancer, malignant pleural mesothelioma, colon, pancreatic, ovarian, breast, head and neck, thyroid, gastric cancer, and neuroblastoma
Periostin plays an important role in tumor development and epithelial-mesenchymal transition, highlighting its potential as a target for stroma-targeted anticancer therapy.
Abstract
Periostin, also called osteoblast-specific factor 2, is a secreted cell adhesion protein, which shares a homology with the insect cell adhesion molecule fasciclin I. It has been shown to be an important regulator of bone and tooth formation and maintenance, and of cardiac development and healing. Recent studies revealed that periostin plays an important role in tumor development and is upregulated in a wide variety of cancers such as colon, pancreatic, ovarian, breast, head and neck, thyroid, and gastric cancer as well as in neuroblastoma. Periostin binding to the integrins activates the Akt/PKB- and FAK-mediated signaling pathways which lead to increased cell survival, angiogenesis, invasion, metastasis, and importantly, epithelial-mesenchymal transition of carcinoma cells. In this review we summarize recent clinicopathological studies that have investigated periostin expression in lung, kidney, prostate, liver cancer, and malignant pleural mesothelioma and discuss the role of periostin isoforms in tumorigenesis and their potential as targets for stroma-targeted anticancer therapy.