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. 2025 Feb 28;16:1520777. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1520777

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Copyright © 2025 Leung, Qu, Ye and Zhong

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

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Complex network interactions between the OPN protein and immune cells. The OPN protein can be expressed by renal tubular epithelial cells, immune cells, and tumor cells. After the intact OPN protein is cleaved by thrombin or matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), the RGD and SVVYGLR domains are revealed and bind to specific receptors on immune cells. This interaction regulates the chemotaxis, differentiation, or polarization of immune cells and mediates the expression of other proinflammatory factors by immune cells. Consequently, OPN plays a role in promoting the formation of an immunosuppressive microenvironment or proinflammatory immune responses. Th1, T helper 1 cell; Tregs, regulatory T cells; TEC, tubular epithelial cells; FL-OPN, full-length OPN; CL-OPN, cleaved OPN; PTGER, prostaglandin E receptor; MMPs, matrix metalloproteinases.