Weight-Loss Hormone GDF15 Also Fights Liver Inflammation, Study Finds

A naturally occurring hormone that helps regulate appetite and weight loss may also offer a powerful defense against liver inflammation and scarring, according to new research. The hormone, GDF15, has been found to reduce liver inflammation and slow the formation of scar tissue, even without causing a drop in body weight.

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GDF15 can reduce liver inflammation and fibrosis through brain signals; a diagram shows it can suppress liver inflammation without weight loss.

Scientists at McMaster University in Canada discovered that GDF15 activates a signaling pathway from the brain to the liver. This pathway prompts the body to release glucocorticoids, a type of hormone that helps lower liver inflammation. The study, published in "Cell Metabolism," observed that the progression of liver fibrosis, a condition where scar tissue gradually forms due to chronic liver damage, was inhibited.

Liver fibrosis can lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer, or liver failure. The research team also noted that GDF15 appears to shift immune cells within the liver to a less active state, thereby reducing damage caused by persistent inflammation.

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This study, published on August 10 in the international academic journal 'Cell Metabolism,' was conducted by a team at Canada's McMaster University.

While previous studies linked GDF15 to appetite and energy expenditure, this new research highlights its role in influencing liver inflammation via the brain and nervous system. This suggests GDF15 has a significant physiological function beyond weight regulation. The findings open a new avenue for research into treatments for MASH, a more advanced stage of fatty liver disease characterized by inflammation and scarring. Current treatments often focus on weight reduction and lowering liver fat, but this study proposes a method to directly control liver inflammation.

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The research subject is GDF15, a natural hormone known to suppress appetite and participate in weight regulation.

It is important to note that this research is currently based on experiments with mice. The same protective effects of GDF15 in humans have not yet been confirmed. While it provides a novel biological mechanism and a direction for therapeutic research, it is not yet a treatment for MASH.

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Researchers tested GDF15 on mice simulating 'metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH)' and found its effects in reducing liver inflammation and fibrosis did not depend on reduced appetite, weight loss, or decreased liver fat.