Weight-loss hormone GDF15 may protect the liver independently of weight loss
McMaster University researchers found that GDF15, a hormone already used in weight-loss treatments, activates a previously unknown brain-to-liver pathway that reduces inflammation and slows scarring in mouse models of fatty liver disease. The protective effect occurred even without weight loss. The study, published in Cell Metabolism, targets MASH, a liver disease that can progress to cirrhosis and liver failure.
Researchers at McMaster University, led by Gregory Steinberg and Dongdong Wang, discovered that the hormone GDF15, best known for suppressing appetite and supporting weight loss, also activates a brain-to-liver signaling pathway that suppresses liver inflammation and slows fibrosis. Using mouse models of MASH (metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis), the team found these protective effects occurred independently of changes in food intake, body weight, or liver fat. The findings, published in Cell Metabolism on August 10, 2026, could inform future combination therapies for MASH, which affects millions worldwide and can progress to cirrhosis, liver cancer, and liver failure. Novo Nordisk $NVO supplied the GDF15 hormone used in the study and supported the research alongside Canadian public funders NSERC, CIHR, and Diabetes Canada.