Growth differentiation factor 15

Recent Findings on Growth differentiation factor 15

• Engineered GDF15 delivery for obesity and metabolic regulation. A preclinical study evaluated CircRNA-GDF15@LNP in diet-induced obese mice. The system was optimized from established lipid nanoparticle formulations and combined an engineered circular RNA encoding mutant GDF15 with LNP delivery. The approach was designed to exploit the stability and prolonged expression of circular RNA for sustained GDF15 protein replacement, with the objective of producing long-lasting weight loss and metabolic regulation 42323019Jun.

• GDF15 and HIV reservoir markers. In people with HIV receiving antiretroviral therapy, a study assessed associations among plasma GDF-15 levels, inflammation, and markers of the HIV reservoir. The investigation specifically addressed whether relationships between circulating GDF-15 and HIV reservoir measures were independent of inflammatory status 41966981Apr.

• Associations with depressive and anxiety symptoms. A population-based cohort study examined cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships between GDF-15 concentrations and symptoms of depression and anxiety. The analysis further considered whether these associations varied with age, extending the investigation of GDF15 beyond metabolic and cardiovascular conditions into neuropsychiatric outcomes 42025637Apr.

• Liver inflammation and neuroendocrine signaling. A study of MASH investigated whether GDF15 promotes or protects against liver injury, an unresolved issue given the strong association between GDF15 and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis. The work reported that GDF15 suppresses liver inflammation independently of weight loss and linked this effect to neuroendocrine glucocorticoid signaling 42575092Aug.

• MASH and liver fibrosis in severe obesity. In patients with severe obesity undergoing bariatric surgery, investigators evaluated preoperative serum GDF15 levels in relation to biopsy-defined MASH and liver fibrosis. The study used liver histology to examine whether circulating GDF15 was associated with tissue-defined steatohepatitis and fibrosis rather than relying only on clinical or biochemical indicators 42489816Jul.

• Dementia risk and neuroimmune signaling. A study examined the relationship between plasma GDF15 and long-term dementia risk, while also investigating changes in neuroimmune signaling. GDF15 was described as a secreted cytokine strongly associated with dementia risk, placing it at the intersection of systemic stress biology, aging, and neuroimmune processes 42361163Jun.

• Diabetic kidney and cardiovascular disease. A review addressed whether GDF15 functions as a pathogenic driver, a protective modulator, or both in diabetic kidney disease and cardiovascular disease. It characterized GDF15 as a stress-inducible cytokine of the transforming growth factor-β superfamily and discussed its emerging role as a biomarker and putative modulator of metabolic inflammation. The clinical context included type 2 diabetes, heart failure, and related cardio-renal disease markers such as N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide and soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor 42149139May.

• Metformin-associated induction of GDF15. A human study investigated the effects of metformin on glycolysis and circulating stress-related hormones. It reported that metformin increased glycolysis and GDF15, but not fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21). The findings were considered in relation to the possibility that metformin lowers glucose through effects on the liver and gastrointestinal tract and may reduce body weight partly through increased circulating GDF15 41928890Apr.

Together, these publications extend the systemic GDF15 research theme across metabolic regulation, MASH and liver fibrosis, diabetic cardio-renal disease, neuroimmune signaling, dementia, mental-health outcomes, and HIV reservoir biology. They also illustrate two complementary directions: measuring circulating GDF15 as a biomarker alongside variables such as body mass index, hemoglobin A1c, inflammation, and cellular senescence, and manipulating GDF15 activity through pharmacological or engineered approaches such as metformin and CircRNA-GDF15@LNP.