Myoglobin in disease: the good and the bad

Myoglobin is a member of the globin family, which was the first protein to have its crystal structure resolved, and is predominantly located in the skeletal and cardiac muscles. Its function is integral to various physiological processes, including oxygen storage and transport, nitric oxide (NO) metabolism, lipid metabolism, and mitochondrial respiration. Myoglobin has a dual role in various diseases, serving both as a pathogenic factor in acute kidney injury (AKI), diabetes and its complications, myoglobinopathies, and other conditions, and as a therapeutic factor in cancer, obesity, liver fibrosis and other conditions. Despite ongoing research, the significant function of myoglobin in these diseases remains unclear. This review aims to discuss the different functions of myoglobin, with a particular emphasis on reviewing its role as a pathogenic factor and therapeutic factor in various diseases. Additionally, we have also explored the related mechanisms to provide theoretical support for further investigation into myoglobin's function in disease contexts.