Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) in cancer cell metastasis: from the cells to the patients

Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15), a member of the transforming growth factor β superfamily, has been postulated to be implicated in cancer cell metastasis although its role has not been fully elucidated yet. The purpose of this review is to clarify the role of GDF-15 in cancer cell metastasis based on current advances in the field. The studies were divided into those involving evaluation of GDF15 expression in the serum or tissue of cancer patients, and those involving in vitro experiments in cancer cell lines or in vivo experiments in animal models. GDF15 was shown to be elevated in the serum or tissues of cancer patients with its expression being correlated with decreased survival. Moreover, most in vitro and in vivo studies also corroborated a metastasis-promoting role for GDF15. However, there were a few studies, where GDF15 was shown to suppress the metastatic properties of cells. As, GDF15 has been known for its pleiotropic effects, it is not surprising to behave differently in different types of cancer. Thus, GDF15 has the potential of not only being a useful metastasis biomarker, but also a promising therapeutic target against cancer cell metastasis in many cancer types.