High Profile Papers Identify GFRAL as a GDF-15 Receptor and Novel Target for Obesity and Anorexia/Cachexia

Growth Differentiation Factor 15 (GDF-15) has long been recognized as a circulating biomarker for a range of human disorders, and elevated levels have been associated with suppression of appetite. The receptor for this affect was recently revealed in several publications to be GDNF receptor-alpha-like (GFRAL), a distant member of the GDNF R family of proteins (1-4). The full receptor complex is composed of both Ret tyrosine kinase and GFRAL dimers. This newly discovered role for GFRAL places it in a position to act as a drug target for appetite regulation and obesity. This is an exciting finding given the great impact obesity-related disorders have on economic and social well-being. GFRAL could also be targeted to treat suppressed appetite often associated with chronic disease.

R&D Systems is pleased to offer purified Recombinant Human GFRAL with both His and Fc tags to assist in studies designed to gain a further understanding of GFRAL activity. These new proteins bind to Recombinant GDF-15 in the pg/mL range.

1. Emmerson, P.J. et al. (2017) Nat. Med. 23:1215.
2. Mullican, S.E. et al. (2017) Nat. Med. 23:1150.
3. Yang, L. et al. (2017). Nat. Med. 23:1158.
4. Hsu, J.Y. et al. (2017) Nature 550:255.