Overview of growth differentiation factor 15 in metabolic syndrome

• Published in: Journal of cellular and molecular medicine Vol. 27; no. 9; pp. 1157 - 1167
• Main Authors: Asrih, Mohamed, Wei, Shibo, Nguyen, Thanh T., Yi, Hyon‐Seung, Ryu, Dongryeol, Gariani, Karim
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.05.2023; John Wiley and Sons Inc
• Subjects: Amino acids; Animal models; Animals; Body weight loss; Cancer; Cardiovascular diseases; Cytokines; Diabetes; Food intake; Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Receptors; Glial cells; growth differentiation factor 15; Growth Differentiation Factor 15 - genetics; Growth factors; Hindbrain; Homeostasis; inflammatory state; Insulin resistance; Investigations; Kinases; Liver; Metabolic Syndrome; Neuronal-glial interactions; Neurotrophic factors; Obesity; Obesity - metabolism; Phosphorylation; Polymorphism; Protein-tyrosine kinase receptors; Proteins; Ret protein; Review; Reviews; Transforming growth factor-b; Weight control; Weight Loss; metabolic syndrome; growth differentiation factor 15; obesity; inflammatory state
• ISSN: 1582-1838; 1582-4934; 1582-4934
• DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.17725

Growth and differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) is a member of the transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β) superfamily. GDF15 has been linked with several metabolic syndrome pathologies such as obesity and cardiovascular diseases. GDF15 is considered to be a metabolic regulator, although its precise mechanisms of action remain to be determined. Glial cell‐derived neurotrophic factor family receptor alpha‐like (GRAL), located in the hindbrain, has been identified as the receptor for GDF15 and signals through the coreceptor receptor tyrosine kinase (RET). Administration of GDF15 analogues in preclinical studies using various animal models has consistently been shown to induce weight loss through a reduction in food intake. GDF15, therefore, represents an attractive target to combat the current global obesity epidemic. In this article, we review current knowledge on GDF15 and its involvement in metabolic syndrome.