Osteopontin monoclonal antibody (53)

Osteopontin (OPN) is an acidic extracellular matrix cell adhesion protein that is relatively abundant not only in bone matrix, plasma, urine, and milk, but is also found in malignant and atherogenic tissues. Phosphorylation, glycosylation and calcium modifications allow intact and fragmented Osteopontin to direct a variety of diverse responses including tissue remodeling, inflammation and cell survival. Plasma Osteopontin has been shown to provide prognostic information in breast, prostate, colon, and lung cancers as well as metastatic carcinomas. The notable presence of Osteopontin in a variety of tumors is strongly correlated to pathological stage, suggesting its critical role in tumor invasiveness, progression and metastasis. In addition, Osteopontin inhibits inducible nitric oxide synthase activity, thereby protecting tumor cells from NO-mediated macrophage cytotoxic attack. Osteopontin is found in atherosclerotic plaques and may drive a number of diabetic vascular pathologies.