Research Progress In Growth Differentiation Factor-15(GDF-15)

Growth differentiation factor-15(GDF-15), a distant member of the transforming growth factor-β cytokine superfamily, is a stress response protein. GDF-15is highly expressed in the prostate and placenta in physiological conditions, while weakly expressed in most other tissues, including heart.However, in pathological and environment stress conditions, such as ischemia/reperfusion injury, heart high pressure load, heart failure, arteriosclerosis and so on, GDF-15is abundantly expressed in myocardial cells which plays regulatory role in myocardial cell structure and apoptosis procedure. Under some special physiological pathology circumstances, such as myocardial cell, kidney, pulmonary, liver injury caused by surgery, ischemia, anoxia, GDF-15is expressed significantly. In prostate cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, GDF-15also highly expressed.Plenty of clinical and basic research confirms that GDF-15is an important cardiovascular protective factor. As a brand new marker, the expression of GDF-15has close relationship with varieties of diagnosis, risk stratification and prognosis of cardiovascular diseases. The basic research states the relationship of GDF-15and cardiovascular diseases from the following aspects:1. GDF-15in ischemia reperfusion injury;2. GDF-15suppresses myocardial cell apoptosis and cardiac protection;3. the anti-inflammatory effect of GDF-15;4.antihypertrophic of GDF-15;5. the role against heart failure of GDF-15.The expression of GDF-15has close relation with several tumors. Although opinions differ in the level change of GDF-15in tumorigenesis, most research shows GDF-15is highly expressed in many tumors. GDF-15has been confirmed the inhibition function of tumor cell growth, invasion and metastasis and also promotes tumor cell apoptosis from gene and cell level.GDF-15can promote the survival and differentiation of rat embryos dopaminergic neurons. In recent year, researchers pay more and more attention on the relationship of GDF-15level and cerebrovascular diseases. Level of serum GDF-15rises in cerebrovascular diseases and brain injury.it can prognoses the diseases severity,but its protective function has remained a question which requires clinical and basic researches.The article introduces GDF-15biological characteristics and its relationship and function with cardiovascular diseases, tumor and nervous system diseases. The possible mechanisms and existing problems are also analyzed.