Osteopontin at the Crossroads of Inflammation and Tumor Progression

Figure 3

Schematic representation of the role of OPN in tumor patients. OPN is involved in many different biological functions as well as in tumor maintenance and progression. Besides its local effect, OPN is also secreted in the blood stream, and its levels are increased in patients with different tumor types. Since measurement of OPN from plasma or serum is readily accessible and noninvasive, it is likely that OPN might become a useful marker for the diagnosis, treatment, and tumor relapse monitoring of a number of carcinomas.