Cellmid holds the world’s largest and most comprehensive patent portfolio around the embryonic growth factor midkine. The portfolio consists of 20 patent families (~70 patents) covering the use of midkine and anti-midkine agents to prevent or treat autoimmune, ischemic and vascular diseases, to diagnose cancer and arthritis, as well as the production of midkine and anti-midkine antibodies. To learn more about Cellmid’s patent portfolio, click here.
Midkine
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A novel, validated therapeutic and diagnostic target
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Well understood structure and function with over 450 peer reviewed scientific publications since 1990
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High expression levels are associated with diseased state only hence targeting midkine results in no damage to healthy tissues
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Highly conserved amongst the species making it easier to validate in animal models (human MK is ~95% homologous to mouse MK)
Discovered in 1988 by Cellmid scientists Professors Takashi Muramatsu and Kenji Kadomatsu, midkine is a multifunctional growth factor that is highly expressed during embryonic development. Midkine modulates many important biological interactions such as cell growth, cell migration and cellular adherence. These functions are relevant to cancer, inflammation, autoimmunity, ischemia, nerve growth/repair and wound healing. Midkine is usually not detectable in healthy adults and only occurs as a consequence of the pathogenesis of a number of different disorders. Midkine expression is often evident very early in disease onset, sometimes even before any apparent physical symptoms. Accordingly, midkine is an important early marker for diagnosing cancers and autoimmune diseases. Moreover, it is well understood how midkine contributes to the development of a number of these diseases. Therefore midkine is also an attractive novel target for the treatment of conditions including inflammation, autoimmune diseases and a number of solid tumours and carcinomas. Finally, because midkine is only present in a disease context, targeting midkine should not result in side-effects from bystander damage or harm to normal healthy tissues.
Cellmid’s scientists have published over 200 peer-reviewed journal articles describing midkine’s structure, functions, receptors and methods of action. Midkine represents a well understood, validated target for treating and diagnosing many significant human diseases. A full list of Cellmid’s publications on midkine can be found here.
