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GDF15

Meaning

GDF15, or Growth Differentiation Factor 15, is a circulating stress-responsive cytokine belonging to the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) superfamily of proteins. It is constitutively expressed at low levels but is rapidly and dramatically upregulated in response to conditions of cellular stress, tissue injury, and various pathological states, including metabolic disease, mitochondrial dysfunction, and cancer. GDF15 functions as an endocrine factor that acts on a specific receptor in the hindbrain, the Glial-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Receptor alpha-like (GFRAL), to potently induce aversion to food and reduce overall body weight. It serves as a potent circulating indicator of underlying cellular and mitochondrial stress and a key, adaptive regulator of energy balance.