Osteopontin Plays Diverse Roles in Degenerative Aging

Osteopontin levels are higher in blood samples taken from older people than in those taken from young people. It is a component of the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) produced by senescent cells, disruptive to tissue function. Osteopontin acts as a regulator in a number of tissues, and appears to be relevant to the age-related decline, such as of hematopoiesis and muscle function. Here, researchers review what is known of the role of osteopontin in aging. Osteopontin (OPN) is a multifunctional noncollagenous matrix phosphoprotein that is expressed both intracellularly and extracellularly in various tissues. As a growth regulatory protein and proinflammatory immunochemokine, OPN is involved in the pathological processes of many diseases. Recent studies have found that OPN is widely involved in the aging processes of multiple organs and tissues, such as T-cell senescence, atherosclerosis, skeletal muscle regeneration, osteoporosis, neurodegenerative changes, hematopoietic stem cell reconstruction, and retinal aging. However, the regulatory roles and mechanisms of OPN in the aging process of different tissues are not uniform, and OPN even has diverse roles in different developmental stages of the same tissue, generating uncertainty for the future study and utilization of OPN. Numerous research results have shown the dual roles of OPN in the aging process. For example, in the nervous system, OPN not only causes neurotoxicity but also acts as a ne...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs