Periostin family of proteins: Therapeutic targets for heart disease

The common features between periostin and PLF are their shared homologies and their expression as isoforms generated from a single gene. The biological significance of alternative splicing in the heart has recently become apparent in the studies by Xu et al. (2005) and Cooper (2005). The difference between the isoforms of periostin lies in their temporal and spatial pattern of expression, reflecting possibly different functions for each. Upregulation during development and/or in response to damage and their role in cell adhesion possibly through integrins suggests a function in tissue remodeling (Markwald et al., 2005). Modulating their expression and/or interaction with the integrins may lead to therapeutic alternatives during cardiovascular disease and/or oncogenesis.