Insights Into Mechanisms of GDF15 and Receptor GFRAL: Therapeutic Targets

Growth and differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) belongs to the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) superfamily proteins. GDF15 acts as an inflammatory marker, and it plays a role in pathogenesis of tumors, ischemic diseases, metabolic disorders, and neurodegenerative processes. GDF15 is not normally expressed in the tissue; it is prominently induced following `injury'. GDF15 functions are critical for the regulation of endothelial adaptations after vascular damage. Recently, four research groups simultaneously identified glial-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF)-family receptor a-like (GFRAL) in the brain, an orphan receptor as the receptor for GDF15, signaling through the coreceptor RET. In this article, new aspects of the biology of GDF15 and receptor GFRAL, and their relationship with various pathologies, are commented on.