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Updated: Jun 2, 2026

Development of a Human Preclinical Model of Osteoclastogenesis from Peripheral Blood Monocytes Co-cultured with Breast Cancer Cell Lines
Published on: September 13, 2017
Pre- and post-translational regulation of osteopontin in cancer
Pieter H Anborgh1, Jennifer C Mutrie, Alan B Tuck
1London Regional Cancer Program, 790 Commissioners Road East, London, ON, N6A 4L6, Canada.
Abstract:
Osteopontin (OPN) is a matricellular protein that binds to a number of cell surface receptors including integrins and CD44. It is expressed in many tissues and secreted into body fluids including blood, milk and urine. OPN plays important physiological roles in bone remodeling, immune response and inflammation. It is also a tumour-associated protein, and elevated OPN levels are associated with tumour formation, progression and metastasis. Research has revealed a promising role for OPN as a cancer biomarker. OPN is subject to alternative splicing, as well as post-translational modifications such as phosphorylation, glycosylation and proteolytic cleavage. Functional differences have been revealed for different isoforms and post-translational modifications. The pattern of isoform expression and post-translational modification is cell-type specific and may influence the potential role of OPN in malignancy and as a cancer biomarker.
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