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Cell biology

GDF11 (Growth Differentiation Factor 11)

DEGDF11 (Wachstumsdifferenzierungsfaktor 11)

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GDF11 (growth differentiation factor 11) is a TGF-β superfamily ligand that plays an established role in axial patterning and organogenesis during embryonic development by signalling through activin type II receptors and SMAD2/3 transcription factors. Its role in adult ageing attracted intense interest following 2013–2014 parabiosis studies that reported circulating GDF11 levels decline with age and that supplementation reversed features of cardiac hypertrophy and muscle and brain ageing in mice; however, subsequent work raised significant questions about assay specificity, with some studies finding GDF11 levels actually increase with age, and others failing to replicate the rejuvenating effects. The current consensus is that GDF11's role as a systemic pro-youthful factor in adult mammals remains unresolved and contested, pending studies with validated, isoform-specific assays.

Sources

  1. Loffredo et al.. (2013). Growth differentiation factor 11 is a circulating factor that reverses age-related cardiac hypertrophy. *Cell*doi:10.1016/j.cell.2013.04.015
  2. Brun et al.. (2015). Reduced Circulating GDF11 Is Unlikely Responsible for Age-Dependent Changes in Mouse Heart, Muscle, and Brain. *Cell Metabolism*doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2015.08.011