Glioma Pathogenesis and Treatment Modality: Novel Insights From Midkine Research

Gliomas, the most common and aggressive primary tumors in the central nervous system, are characterized by high invasiveness and resistance to therapy, making them a major focus of neuro-oncology research. Although substantial progress has been achieved in elucidating their molecular underpinnings in recent years, effective treatment modalities remain limited owing to their complex pathogenesis and tumor microenvironment. Midkine (MDK), a multifunctional growth factor, has increasingly been implicated in glioma pathogenesis and biology. MDK not only contributes to tumor cell proliferation, migration, and therapy resistance, but also plays a pivotal role in modulating the tumor microenvironment. Notably, MDK functions as both an intrinsic oncogenic driver and an extrinsic modulator of the tumor microenvironment, in to the molecular mechanisms underlying glioma pathogenesis that is critical to the formulation of effective treatments, have not comprehensively reviewed. This review summarizes the roles of MDK in various signaling pathways and summarizes recent advances in unraveling the expression patterns and functional roles of MDK and their therapeutic implications and potential as treatment targets for gliomas.