Effects of Age, Diabetes, and Vascular Disease on Growth Differentiation Factor 11: First-in-Human Study

Growth differentiation factor 11 (GDF11), a member of the transforming growth factor-β superfamily, has been recently described as a soluble rejuvenation factor for the heart, muscle, and brain. In fact, GDF11 declines in aged mice, while its replenishment improves vascular, brain, muscle, and cardiac function (1–3). As type 2 diabetes (T2D) increases with age and is characterized by accelerated aging (4), we cross-sectionally explored the...