Secreted frizzled-related proteins control a multitude of biological phenomena throughout development and adult life in humans. In parallel, aberrant gene expression and abnormal secreted protein levels accompany a wide range of pathologies in humans. In this review, we provide a brief introduction to sFRP4, an update of the pathways it's involved, its various physiological actions that are reported to contribute to diseases, outlining the importance of its wider research and specific modulation by pharmacologic interventions. First recognized as a novel molecule that co-purified with a disparate protein, its identity was based on its sequence homology to the frizzled receptors. Once multiple members of the family were cloned, their genetic loci, tissue and subcellular distributions were located. Nucleotide and amino acid sequences were characterized and homology to different organisms was found to be present that helped elucidate their actions. Following subsequent experimental studies, they were found to be secreted proteins with an affinity to bind to the Wnt ligands, participating in different developmental and adult homeostatic pathways by the virtue of their regulatory function to the Wnt signal transduction system. Secreted frizzled related protein 4 has garnered considerable attention in the recent years following breakthrough discoveries implicating them in the pathogenesis of various diseases. Studies investigating them can provide information not only regarding their association with a disease but can also help use them as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

分泌的卷曲相关蛋白控制着人类整个发育和成年生活中的多种生物学现象。同时，异常的基因表达和异常分泌的蛋白质水平伴随着人类的多种病理。在这篇综述中，我们简要介绍了sFRP4，它涉及的途径的更新，据报道其促成疾病的各种生理作用，概述了其更广泛的研究和通过药物干预进行特定调节的重要性。最初被公认为与异种蛋白共纯化的新型分子，其身份基于与卷曲受体的序列同源性。一旦克隆了该家族的多个成员，就可以确定其遗传基因座，组织和亚细胞分布。鉴定了核苷酸和氨基酸序列，发现与不同生物的同源性有助于阐明它们的作用。经过随后的实验研究，发现它们是具有与Wnt配体结合的亲和力的分泌蛋白，凭借其对Wnt信号转导系统的调节功能，参与了不同的发育和成人体内稳态途径。近年来，在突破性的发现将其与各种疾病的发病机制联系起来之后，分泌的卷曲相关蛋白4引起了相当大的关注。研究它们的研究不仅可以提供有关它们与疾病的关联的信息，还可以帮助将它们用作潜在的生物标志物和治疗靶标。