Endodontic infections are polymicrobial infections resulting in bone destruction and tooth loss. The host response to these infections is complex, including both innate and adaptive mechanisms. Osteopontin (OPN), a secreted, integrin-binding protein, functions in the regulation of immune responses and enhancement of leucocyte migration.
A study assessed the role of OPN in the host response to endodontic infection using a well-characterized mouse model.
Study concluded that OPN has a protective effect on polymicrobial infection, at least partially because of alterations in phagocyte recruitment and/or persistence at the sites of infection, and that this molecule has a potential therapeutic role in polymicrobial infections.
For further ddetails refer ., ., Immunology-Volume 129 Issue 1, Pages 105 – 114