Biomarker
GDF-11 (Growth Differentiation Factor 11)
Last updated 2026-07-02· Last reviewed 2026-07-02· 1 min read
Reviewed by the Ultimate Longevity Bible editorial team. Educational reference — not medical advice. See disclaimer.
The controversy
- Original studies used assays that could not fully distinguish GDF-11 from myostatin (GDF-8), which is >90% homologous.
- Newer specific assays give conflicting results on whether GDF-11 actually declines with age.
- Cardiac hypertrophy reversal claims (Rubin 2013) have been contested by follow-up studies.
Current state
- Actively studied in cardiac and skeletal muscle biology.
- Some mouse studies still show rejuvenation effects at low doses; higher doses cause cachexia (via myostatin-like activity).
- Not a validated clinical biomarker.
Longevity relevance
The archetypal example of a candidate rejuvenation factor whose story turned out to be more complex than the initial parabiosis papers suggested — worth tracking for both the mechanistic and the scientific- process reasons.
- Partial Epigenetic Reprogramming — Concept.
- Therapeutic Plasma Exchange (TPE) — Intervention.
- TGF-β Signalling — Pathway.
- Irina & Michael Conboy — Researcher.
- Tony Wyss-Coray — Researcher.
Related entries
Heterochronic parabiosis, Altered intercellular communication.