Publisher's Synopsis
Osteopontin is a GRGDS-containing phosphoprotein secreted by most epithelial cells, many cancer cells, and stimulated or activated cells of various types including smooth muscle cells, fibroblasts and macrophages. It is a ligand for the avb3 integrin, promoting cell adhesion and triggering a signal transduction pathway that can influence gene expression. Binding multiple Ca++ ions, osteopontin is involved in the formation and remodelling of mineralised tissues and Ca++ homeostasis; it has also been implicated in host defence mechanisms.;These papers were presented at a conference held by the New York Academy of Sciences in New Brunswick, New Jersey, on 21-23 October 1994.