question: What is the correlation between SPARC expression and growth inhibition in human cancer?
answer: Secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) is a multi-faceted protein-modulating cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. SPARC seems to act as a tumour suppressor, as it has been found that loss of SPARC accelerates the development of certain types of cancer, whereas its expression impairs tumor growth. However it has also been associated with a aggressive phenotypes of some tumours. The role of SPARC may depend on its subcellular localization.