title: GDF11 decreases bone mass by stimulating osteoclastogenesis and inhibiting osteoblast differentiation.
abstract: Osteoporosis is an age-related disease that affects millions of people. Growth differentiation factor 11 (GDF11) is a secreted member of the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) superfamily. Deletion of Gdf11 has been shown to result in a skeletal anterior-posterior patterning disorder. Here we show a role for GDF11 in bone remodelling. GDF11 treatment leads to bone loss in both young and aged mice. GDF11 inhibits osteoblast differentiation and also stimulates RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis through Smad2/3 and c-Fos-dependent induction of Nfatc1. Injection of GDF11 impairs bone regeneration in mice and blocking GDF11 function prevents oestrogen-deficiency-induced bone loss and ameliorates age-related osteoporosis. Our data demonstrate that GDF11 is a previously unrecognized regulator of bone remodelling and suggest that GDF11 is a potential target for treatment of osteoporosis.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oral diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
authors.forename: Weiqing
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oral diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
authors.forename: Liyan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oral diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
authors.forename: Chenchen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oral diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
authors.forename: Shiwen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oral diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
authors.forename: Junjun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jing
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oral diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oral diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
authors.forename: Ningyuan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oral diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
authors.forename: Xiaobo
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oral diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jing
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oral diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
authors.forename: Xing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oral diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
authors.forename: Hu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oral diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oral diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
authors.forename: Qianming
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oral diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
authors.forename: Quan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yuan