Growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF15) is a circulating protein that has been implicated in multiple biological processes, including energy homeostasis, body weight regulation, and cachexia driven by cancer and chronic disease. The potential to target GDF15 in the treatment of energy-intake disorders, including obesity and anorexia, is an area of intense investigation, but has been limited by the lack of an identified receptor, signaling mechanism, and target tissue. GDNF family receptor α-like (GFRAL) was recently identified as the neuronal brainstem receptor responsible for mediating the anorectic actions of GDF15. Herein, we provide a brief overview of GDF15 biology with a focus on energy homeostasis, and highlight the implications of the recent receptor identification to this field and beyond.

中文翻译：

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联合 GDF15 和 GFRAL：肥胖及其他疾病的治疗机会

生长分化因子-15 (GDF15) 是一种循环蛋白，与多种生物过程有关，包括能量稳态、体重调节以及由癌症和慢性疾病驱动的恶病质。靶向 GDF15 治疗能量摄入障碍（包括肥胖和厌食症）的潜力是一个深入研究的领域，但由于缺乏已识别的受体、信号机制和靶组织而受到限制。GDNF 家族受体 α 样 (GFRAL) 最近被确定为负责介导 GDF15 厌食作用的神经元脑干受体。在此，我们简要概述了 GDF15 生物学，重点是能量稳态，并强调了最近的受体鉴定对该领域及其他领域的影响。