GDF15: a heart hormone linked to heart failure and weight loss
Growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF15) as a novel myocardial hormone in heart failure
Researchers are looking at whether a hormone called GDF15 from the heart causes muscle and weight loss in people with dilated cardiomyopathy and heart failure.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Emory University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Atlanta, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11289398 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
They will measure GDF15 and related signals in heart tissue and blood from people with dilated cardiomyopathy and use laboratory animal models to study effects. The team will trace how heart-produced GDF15 acts on a specific brain receptor (GFRAL) that controls appetite and body weight. By combining human samples, animal experiments, and molecular analyses, they aim to map the pathways that lead to cardiac cachexia. This approach is meant to identify points where treatments could stop or reverse wasting in heart failure.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people with dilated cardiomyopathy or chronic heart failure, especially those experiencing unintentional weight loss or signs of cardiac cachexia.
Not a fit: People without heart failure or whose weight loss is due to other conditions like cancer or advanced lung disease are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to therapies that prevent or reduce the muscle wasting and weight loss seen in some people with heart failure.
How similar studies have performed: Work in cancer patients and animal models has linked GDF15 to appetite loss and wasting, but treating cardiac cachexia as a heart-driven GDF15 problem is largely novel.
Where this research is happening
Atlanta, United States
- Emory University — Atlanta, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Burke, Michael a — Emory University
- Study coordinator: Burke, Michael a
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.