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Research has been found that OPN interacts with multiple cell surface receptors which are ubiquitously expressed making it an active player in many physiological and pathological processes including wound healing, bone turnover, tumorigenesis, inflammation, ischemia and immune responses. Therefore studies have shown that manipulation of plasma OPN levels may be useful in the treatment of autoimmune diseases, cancer metastasis, osteoporosis and some forms of stress.

Osteopontin has been implicated in autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune hepatitis, and multiple sclerosis. According to current research Osteopontin has also been associated with allergic inflammation and asthma, plays a number of roles in the diseases of skeletal muscles and has been found to be overexpressed in a variety of cancers such as lung cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, stomach cancer and ovarian cancer.