Periostin in cardiovascular disease and development: a tale of two distinct roles

Tissue development and homeostasis are dependent upon the concerted synthesis, maintenance, and degradation of extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules. Cardiac fibrosis is now recognized as a primary contributor to incidence of heart failure, particularly heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, wherein cardiac filling in diastole is compromised. Periostin is a cell-associated protein involved in cell fate determination, proliferation, tumorigenesis, and inflammatory responses. As a non-structural component of the ECM, secreted 90 kDa periostin is emerging as an important matricellular factor in cardiac mesenchymal tissue development. In addition, periostin’s role as a mediator in cell–matrix crosstalk has also garnered attention for its association with fibroproliferative diseases in the myocardium, and for its association with TGF-β/BMP signaling. This review summarizes the phylogenetic history of periostin, its role in cardiac development, and the major signaling pathways influencing its expression in cardiovascular pathology. Further, we provide a synthesis of the current literature to distinguish the multiple roles of periostin in cardiac health, development and disease. As periostin may be targeted for therapeutic treatment of cardiac fibrosis, these insights may shed light on the putative timing for application of periostin-specific therapies.