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DOI: 10.1055/s-0039-3402135
Growth differentiation factor 11 mitigates liver fibrosis via expansion of liver progenitor cells
Publication History
Publication Date:
03 January 2020 (online)
Liver fibrosis and cirrhosis resulting from long-standing liver damage represent a major health care burden worldwide. Members of the transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) family have been shown to play a pivotal role in fibrogenesis of the liver as well as multiple other organs. Growth differentiation factor (GDF) 11, a member of TGF-β family, has been recently investigated for its role in rejuvenation of aging organs. However, the function of GDF11 in liver fibrosis has remained elusive. Here, we investigated the expression and function of GDF11 in chronic liver disease. We show that expression of GDF11 is upregulated in patients with liver fibrosis and in experimentally induced murine liver fibrosis models. Furthermore, we found that therapeutic application of GDF11 mounts a protective response against fibrosis by increasing the number of leucine-rich repeat-containing G-protein coupled receptor 5 (LGR5)+ progenitor cells in the liver. Collectively, our findings uncover a protective role of GDF11 in liver fibrosis and suggest a therapeutic application of GDF11 for the treatment of chronic liver disease.