NPJ Regenerative Medicine · Oct 26, 2026
Midkine as a context-dependent molecular rheostat in tissue regeneration and aging
By Leong KS, Chua D, Tan NS et al.
Midkine (MDK) is a dynamic molecular rheostat that operates differently depending on tissue context. It is widely induced after injury across multiple systems, including cardiovascular, neural, musculoskeletal, liver, and kidneys, yet its regulation often becomes disrupted with aging. MDK is also linked to fibrosis, immune aging, and tumor development. In this review, we discuss MDK effects in three tissue injury models and emerging therapeutic approaches to leverage MDK’s rheostat function.