The multifaceted role of periostin in priming the tumor microenvironments for tumor progression

Tumor microenvironment consists of tumor cells, stromal cells, extracellular matrix and a plethora of soluble components. The complex array of interactions between tumor cells and their surrounding tumor microenvironments contribute to the determination of the fate of tumor cells during tumorigenesis and metastasis. Matricellular protein periostin is generally absent in most adult tissues but is highly expressed in tumor microenvironments. Current evidence reveals that periostin plays a critical role in establishing and remodeling tumor microenvironments such as the metastatic niche, cancer stem cell niche, perivascular niche, pre-metastatic niche, fibrotic microenvironment and bone marrow microenvironment. Here, we summarize the current knowledge of the multifaceted role of periostin in the tumor microenvironments.