Filippou et al. (2020) recently reported that Midkine modulates the activity of the protein kinase B (Akt)/mTOR axis, via the ALK receptor, to prevent cell death mediated by cannabinoid-induced autophagy. Autophagy is a useful mechanism against viral infection. Autophagy plays a role in innate immunity, in the degradation of viruses or intracellular pathogens, and in the presentation of pathogens to the immune system (Fecchi et al., 2020). Viruses evolved mechanisms to escape the autophagic process (Carmona-Gutierrez et al., 2020). This evidence concerns the gene AKT1 and viral infectious disease.