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From top to bottom: midkine and pleiotrophin as emerging players in immune regulation
Noah Sorrelle1, Adrian T A Dominguez1, Rolf A Brekken2,3
1Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA; and.
Abstract:
Cytokines are pivotal in the generation and resolution of the inflammatory response. The midkine/pleiotrophin (MK/PTN) family of cytokines, composed of just two members, was discovered as heparin-binding neurite outgrowth-promoting factors. Since their discovery, expression of this cytokine family has been reported in a wide array of inflammatory diseases and cancer. In this minireview, we will discuss the emerging appreciation of the functions of the MK/PTN family in the immune system, which include promoting lymphocyte survival, sculpting myeloid cell phenotype, driving immune cell chemotaxis, and maintaining hematopoiesis.