Extracellular matrix protein periostin is highly expressed in various tumors and plays a critical role in tumor development and progression. Periostin is mainly secreted by stromal cells such as cancer-associated fibroblasts, myofibroblasts, osteoblasts and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells. But in some cases, tumor cells, especially cancer stem cells, can also produce periostin. Periostin has been shown to regulate multiple biological behaviors of tumor cells, including proliferation, survival, invasion, angiogenesis, metastasis and chemoresistance. Moreover, an excessive periostin deposition exerts a pivotal role in remodeling various tumor microenvironments, such as cancer stem cell niche, perivascular niche, premetastatic niche, immunosuppressive microenvironment, bone marrow microenvironment and other tumor growth-supportive microenvironments. In this review, we provide an update understanding of the multifaceted functions and mechanisms of periostin in tumor development and progression.
Keywords: Bone marrow; Cancer stem cell niche; Fibrotic microenvironment; Metastatic niche; Periostin; Perivascular niche; Premetastatic niche; Tumor microenvironment.