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Osteopontin Takes Center Stage in Chronic Liver Disease
Author(s) -
Song Zhuolun,
Chen Wei,
Athavale Dipti,
Ge Xiaodong,
Desert Romain,
Das Sukanta,
Han Hui,
Nieto Natalia
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.488
H-Index - 361
eISSN - 1527-3350
pISSN - 0270-9139
DOI - 10.1002/hep.31582
Subject(s) - osteopontin , fatty liver , context (archaeology) , liver disease , steatosis , fibrosis , hepatocellular carcinoma , chronic liver disease , disease , extracellular matrix , biology , pathology , medicine , cirrhosis , cancer research , immunology , genetics , paleontology
Osteopontin (OPN) was first identified in 1986. The prefix osteo‐ means bone; however, OPN is expressed in other tissues, including liver. The suffix ‐pontin means bridge and denotes the role of OPN as a link protein within the extracellular matrix. While OPN has well‐established physiological roles, multiple “omics” analyses suggest that it is also involved in chronic liver disease. In this review, we provide a summary of the OPN gene and protein structure and regulation. We outline the current knowledge on how OPN is involved in hepatic steatosis in the context of alcoholic liver disease and non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease. We describe the mechanisms whereby OPN participates in inflammation and liver fibrosis and discuss current research on its role in hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiopathies. To conclude, we highlight important points to consider when doing research on OPN and provide direction for making progress on how OPN contributes to chronic liver disease.