The Advantages and Disadvantages of Sfrp1 and Sfrp2 Expression in Pathological Events

Invited Review for the 90^th Anniversary

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Sfrp1 and Sfrp2 Expression in Pathological Events

PILAR ESTEVE¹ and PAOLA BOVOLENTA¹

¹Departamento de Neurobiología Molecular, Celular y del Desarrollo, Instituto Cajal (CSIC) and CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain

Secreted Frizzled Related Proteins (Sfrps) are a family of secreted proteins that can bind both to Wnt ligands and Frizzled receptors, thereby modulating the Wnt signalling cascades. Recent studies have shown that Sfrps can also interact with Wnt unrelated molecules such as RANKL, a member of the tumor necrosis factor family, Tolloid metalloproteinases or integrin-fibronectin complexes. Alterations in the levels of Sfrp expression have been recently associated with different pathological conditions, including tumor formation and bone and myocardial disorders. Here, we summarise the evidence that relates Sfrps with these diseases and discuss how the proposed multiple Sfrp interactions with Wnt related and unrelated pathways may explain their implication in such diverse pathologies.

keywords —— Secreted Frizzled Related Protein; Wnt signalling; cancer; bone repair; myocardium

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Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2010, 221, 11-17

Correspondence: Pilar Esteve and Paola Bovolenta, Departamento de Neurobiología Molecular, Celular y del Desarrollo, Instituto Cajal (CSIC) and CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Avda. Dr. Arce 37, Madrid 28002, Spain.

e-mail: PilarEsteve@cajal.csic.es or bovolenta@cajal.csic.es