Midkine: an emerging target of drug development for treatment of multiple diseases.
Midkine is a multifunctional factor and has anti-apoptotic, migration-promoting, angiogenic, anti-microbial and other activities. Midkine ameliorates ischemic injury in the heart and brain, enhances oocyte maturation, and is involved in neurogenesis. On the other hand, midkine is an important factor in the etiology of various diseases, especially those with inflammatory backgrounds. Furthermore, midkine is overexpressed in most malignant tumors and plays roles in their invasive phenotypes as well as in their resistance to chemotherapeutics. Therefore, midkine itself is expected to be useful for the treatment of brain and heart diseases, while midkine inhibitors are promising for the treatment of malignant tumors, multiple sclerosis, restenosis, renal diseases, hypertension and osteoporosis. Blood levels of midkine are also expected to be helpful as disease markers, especially as cancer markers.


BACKGROUND
This article is part of a themed section on Midkine. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2014.171.issue-4.
Department of Health Science, Faculty of Psychological and Physical Science, Aichi Gakuin University, 12 Araike, Iwasaki-cho, Nisshin, Aichi, 470-0195, Japan.
Takashi
T
Muramatsu
Kenji
K
Kadomatsu
D000818:Animals; D016723:Bone Remodeling / Q000502:physiology; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000378:metabolism; D016207:Cytokines / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D055808:Drug Discovery; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000378:metabolism; D000078792:Midkine; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism
D016207:Cytokines; D000078792:Midkine
bone remodeling; cancer; cardiovascular diseases; immune system; inflammatory diseases; midkine; neural diseases; neurogenesis; oocyte maturation; renal diseases