Recent advance in mechanism of Hevin/SPARC in central nervous system synaptogenesis/reorganization / 中华神经医学杂志

Hevin is one of the extracellular matrix proteins secreted by astrocytes. Under physiological conditions, Hevin plays an important role in synaptogenesis in the central nervous system (CNS); secreted protein, acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) is its homologue and antagonizes the synaptogenic effects of Hevin. In pathological conditions, the expressions of Hevin and SPARC are altered, suggesting their possible roles at synaptic reorganization in various disease process, such as brain injury, Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy and brain tumors; however, the specific mechanism is not totally understood yet. So this paper reviews the mechanism of Hevin/SPARC in CNS synaptogenesis, reorganization and diseases to provide ideas for further research.