Peptide LibraryGDF-11
GDF-11 is a TGF-beta superfamily growth factor. GDF-11 signals through activin type II receptors and ALK4/5, activating SMAD2/3, and shares roughly 90% sequence identity in its mature domain with myostatin — which is why early studies using non-selective reagents could not reliably distinguish the two.
For research use only.
Key Facts
- CAS
- —
- Molecular Weight (MW)
- —
- Half-life
- —
- FDA status
- Not Approved
- Evidence level
- Insufficient Evidence
- Human dose established
- No
- Administration Route
- Not established in humans
- Frequency
- Not established in humans
- Last updated
- Nov 7, 2026
- Reviewed
- Nov 7, 2026
Research summary
Circulating member of the TGF-beta superfamily that became prominent in ageing research after parabiosis experiments, and whose reported rejuvenative effects have since been actively disputed. Not FDA-approved; no human trials.
Research evidence
- Regulatory review (FDA label)None in reviewed sources
- Controlled human trialsNone in reviewed sources
- Early or uncontrolled human studiesOnly in 1 review or summary
- Lab & animal studies3 reviewed sources
How it works
Each step shows whether the sources Peptide Library has reviewed include that kind of research. Counts are reviewed sources, not every study ever published. Reviews and programme summaries that describe human use are shown as "reported", not as trials, and registered trials without published results are listed but not counted. A higher step means research has progressed further; it does not mean a compound works better or is safer. Compounds whose evidence has not been reviewed yet show "Not reviewed" instead of a guess.
Peptide Library's GDF-11 profile summarises 5 cited studies listed in the Science section, the compound's regulatory status, and research-protocol parameters reported for it. It is a research reference, not medical advice.
GDF-11 dosage: no established human dose
GDF-11 has no established human dosage. No trial that gives it to people is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov and no human study of it as a treatment is indexed in PubMed; the human literature measures the body's own GDF11 in blood. The published dosing is in rats and mice, for example 0.1 to 4 mg/kg given to rats after a stroke, which is a weight-based animal dose and not a human one.
No established human dosage.
Human clinical evidence: None identified.
Preclinical research: GDF-11 (growth differentiation factor 11) is a circulating protein of the TGF-beta family, closely related to myostatin (GDF8), studied as a possible rejuvenation factor after young-blood experiments in mice. All administration is in rodents, using recombinant protein at weight-based doses, and effects differ sharply between tissues and ages. No human study has given it, so no human dose, route or interval exists. It is not sold as a research vial in the listings this site tracks, so no reconstitution arithmetic is shown.
Animal dosing is not converted into a human dose anywhere on this page. Where research figures appear below, they are reported as studied, not recommended.
| Human dosing established | No |
|---|---|
| Route | Not established in humans |
| Evidence level | Insufficient Evidence |
| Last reviewed | 2026-11-07 |
Human research reported
Doses as studied, one row per regimen. Different trials used different regimens; they are listed separately rather than averaged.
| Study / context | Population | Dose | Route | Frequency | Duration | Outcome studied | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Human study — the body's own GDF11 measured with age (2022)Research-reported · Observational human study of blood levels | Healthy adults across a range of ages | No dose given: nothing was administered | Not applicable | — | — | Describes how blood levels of GDF11 and myostatin change with age | Age Trends in Growth and Differentiation Factor-11 and Myostatin Levels in Healthy Men, and Differential Response to Testosterone, Measured Using Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2022. |
Preclinical and analog research
Not human dosing evidence. Listed for completeness and never extrapolated to a human dose.
| Study / context | Population | Dose | Route | Frequency | Duration | Outcome studied | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preclinical — recombinant GDF11 in a rat stroke model (2025)Preclinical · Animal study | Young adult male Sprague-Dawley rats with a permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion | 0.1 to 4 mg/kg, as single or repeated doses (non-human) | Systemic | Single or multiple doses given from 24 to 72 hours after the injury | — | Better sensorimotor scores across six blinded studies, more cortical blood vessels, and a dose-dependent fall in C-reactive protein | Recombinant GDF11 Promotes Recovery in a Rat Permanent Ischemia Model of Subacute Stroke. Stroke. 2025. |
| Preclinical — recombinant GDF11 and body weight in young and aged mice (2020)Preclinical · Animal study | Young and aged mice on standard, short-term high-fat and long-term high-fat diets | Not stated in the indexed abstract | Not stated in the indexed abstract | — | — | Body weight fell by 3 to 17% and glucose tolerance improved; the related protein GDF8 had much less or no effect | Exogenous GDF11, but not GDF8, reduces body weight and improves glucose homeostasis in mice. Sci Rep. 2020. |
| Preclinical — GDF11 and lung injury in mice (2024)Preclinical · Animal study | Mice | Not stated in the indexed abstract | Not stated in the indexed abstract | — | — | Caused lung injury, inflammation and fibrosis through activin receptor signalling | Growth Differentiation Factor 11 Evokes Lung Injury, Inflammation, and Fibrosis in Mice through the Activin A Receptor Type II-Like Kinase, 53kDa-Smad2/3 Signaling Pathway. Am J Pathol. 2024. |
Where sources disagree
- The animal literature does not agree on whether GDF11 helps or harms. The same protein is reported to aid stroke recovery and lower body weight in some models, and to cause lung injury and fibrosis, mild liver fibrosis, impaired liver regeneration and bone loss in others.
- Human GDF11 studies measure how much of it a person's own blood contains, sometimes as a marker in disease. They are not evidence of a dose.
- Elritercept and similar activin receptor ligand traps appear in GDF11 searches. They block signalling by GDF11 and related proteins rather than supplying it, so their trial doses are not doses of GDF11.
- GDF11 and myostatin (GDF8) are distinct proteins with different potency in the same assays, and figures for one are not figures for the other.
- Several key GDF11 papers come from authors with patents or company interests in developing it, which the papers disclose.
Science
Mechanism of Action
GDF-11 signals through activin type II receptors and ALK4/5, activating SMAD2/3, and shares roughly 90% sequence identity in its mature domain with myostatin — which is why early studies using non-selective reagents could not reliably distinguish the two. Reports of age-related decline in circulating GDF-11 and of muscle and cardiac rejuvenation were subsequently contradicted by studies finding the opposite direction of effect. The literature remains genuinely unresolved and should be read with that in mind.
Studies
- GDF11: An emerging therapeutic target for liver diseases and fibrosis
- The regulatory effect of growth differentiation factor 11 on different cells
- Role of growth differentiation factor 11 in development, physiology and disease
- Growth differentiation factor 11 reprograms M2-like macrophages: Targeting immunometabolism for cancer therapy
- Growth Differentiation Factor 11 Attenuates Photoaging through Ferroptosis Pathway in SZ95 Sebocytes
Research statistics
457 PubMed publications · 14.7% human clinical research · 0 registered trials
Counts of published research through 2026-11-01, not evidence that it works. Publications by year, study types and trials · How publications are counted
Regulatory & research status
GDF-11 is not an FDA-approved product. It is sold for laboratory research and has no approved medical use.
| FDA status | Not Approved |
|---|---|
| Research status | Research-only compound; no approval pathway listed |
| Availability | Research-Only |
| WADA (sport) | Unknown / Not Listed |
| Library classification | Research-Only |
How FDA approval, compounding and research-only status differ
Benefits
—
GDF-11 side effects
No side effects listed yet for this entry.
Storage & stability
This compound is not supplied as a powder to be mixed, so the freeze-dried powder and reconstitution handling described for research peptides does not apply. Storage conditions are product-specific: follow the label or packaging of the product itself.
GDF-11: frequently asked questions
What is GDF-11?
Circulating member of the TGF-beta superfamily that became prominent in ageing research after parabiosis experiments, and whose reported rejuvenative effects have since been actively disputed. Not FDA-approved; no human trials.
How does GDF-11 work?
GDF-11 signals through activin type II receptors and ALK4/5, activating SMAD2/3, and shares roughly 90% sequence identity in its mature domain with myostatin — which is why early studies using non-selective reagents could not reliably distinguish the two. Reports of age-related decline in circulating GDF-11 and of muscle and cardiac rejuvenation were subsequently contradicted by studies finding the opposite direction of effect.
Is GDF-11 FDA approved?
No. GDF-11 is not approved by the FDA for any indication and is categorised as research-only. It has not been reviewed for safety or efficacy as a medicine, and published research should be read as investigation rather than established use.
What peptides are similar to GDF-11?
Compounds most often compared with GDF-11 include Follistatin-344, ACE-031, MGF and AICAR. They are grouped by shared mechanism or research area rather than by equivalence, and their regulatory status and evidence base differ.
References
- GDF11: An emerging therapeutic target for liver diseases and fibrosis — J Cell Mol Med, 2024External reference
- The regulatory effect of growth differentiation factor 11 on different cells — Front Immunol, 2023External reference
- Role of growth differentiation factor 11 in development, physiology and disease — Oncotarget, 2017External reference
- Growth differentiation factor 11 reprograms M2-like macrophages: Targeting immunometabolism for cancer therapy — World J Gastroenterol, 2026External reference
- Growth Differentiation Factor 11 Attenuates Photoaging through Ferroptosis Pathway in SZ95 Sebocytes — Am J Pathol, 2025External reference
Related research, comparisons & guides
Related peptides
Compiled by Peptide Library Editorial · Reviewed Aug 30, 2026 · Updated Nov 7, 2026 · Version 2
This GDF-11 profile is compiled from published literature (5 cited studies linked above), public regulatory records and chemical registries. It describes what research reports; it is not medical advice, and nothing here is a dosing recommendation for humans. Peptide Library does not sell peptides. Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled · Report an error
Track GDF-11 research, inventory and reconstitution in the free Peptide Library app. Get the app for iOS or Android →