VCAN (versican) encodes a large extracellular matrix proteoglycan with diverse roles in tissue homeostasis and disease pathogenesis. VCAN functions as a structural component of the extracellular matrix, binding hyaluronic acid and contributing to tissue organization 1. The protein demonstrates significant therapeutic potential in cardiac regeneration, where cardiac fibroblast-derived versican promotes cardiomyocyte proliferation through integrin Ξ²1 and downstream ERK1/2 and Akt signaling pathways, enhancing neonatal heart regeneration and adult cardiac repair following myocardial infarction 2. However, VCAN also plays pathological roles in cancer progression, particularly in bladder cancer where it mediates epithelial-mesenchymal transition through the TGF-Ξ²1/FAP/VCAN axis and PI3K/AKT1 signaling 3. In renal cell carcinoma, VCAN participates in an oncogenic ADAMTS1-VCAN-EGFR cyclic axis that drives anoikis resistance and invasion 4. VCAN expression correlates with poor prognosis in gastric cancer and serves as a diagnostic biomarker for diabetic kidney disease 56. The protein also functions in neuroinflammation, where neutrophil-derived VCAN interacts with BAX to promote cell survival and contribute to traumatic brain injury progression 7. Additionally, VCAN shows promise in hair regeneration therapy through adipose stem cell-derived exosomes 8.