Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15), also known as PDF, MIC-1, PLAB, NAG-1 or PTGF-(beta), is a member of the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) superfamily. Synthesized intracellularly, the protein is secreted as a dimer linked by disulfide bonds. Epithelial cells and macrophages are the sites of strongest GDF-15 expression, although it is widely expressed in adult tissue. In the brain, GDF-15 expression occurs in the choroid plexus, from which the protein is secreted into the cerebrospinal fluid. The gene for GDF-15 is responsive to p53 tumor suppressor protein, and in cultured cerebellar granule neurons GDF-15 can prevent cell death by the activation of Akt and inhibition of ERK. GDF-15 acts as a trophic factor for certain classes of neurons, promoting cell survival and differentiation. Overexpression of GDF-15 occurs in prostate cancer, and may be a means of diagnosis.