GDF-11/GDF-8 Products

Growth Differentiation Factor 11, also known as BMP-11, is a member of the TGF-beta superfamily and is closely related to GDF-8. GDF-11 is expressed in diverse regions of the mouse embryo: tailbud, somitic precursors, limbs, mandibular and branchial arches, dorsal neural tube, odontoblasts, nasal epithelium, and particular regions of the brain. Targeted deletion of GDF-11 results in palatal malformation, vertebral defects, elongated trunks with a reduced or absent tail, missing or malformed kidneys, and an increased number of neurons in the olfactory epithelium.

Systemic GDF-11 levels decline with age, and administration of higher levels of GDF-11 can reverse age-related cardiac hypertrophy. In addition, systemic administration of recombinant GDF-11 protein restores genomic integrity and health of muscle stem cells and neurovasculature and also enhances neurogenesis. GDF-8/Myostatin is a secreted protein that is expressed in developing and adult skeletal muscle. It controls myoblast proliferation and is a potent negative regulator of skeletal muscle mass. It is upregulated in mechanically-stressed cardiomyocytes and induces skeletal muscle wasting which is common in heart failure. The GDF-8 propeptide is cleaved from GDF-8 but remains associated and functions as an inhibitor of mature GDF-8. GDF-8 activity can also be inhibited through its association with Follistatin, FLRG, Decorin, or GASP-1.