Follistatin 344 news and clinical trials

Researchers published a pilot study finding that cutaneous follistatin expression was reduced by approximately 225.59-fold in the lesional skin of patients with striae gravidarum compared to control skin, suggesting a role in the condition's pathogenesis.

An editorial in the journal Hypertension discusses how follistatin-mediated browning of adipose tissue can contribute to improved cardiometabolic health.

A cross-sectional study of 55 women with PCOS and 50 with idiopathic hirsutism compared to 50 controls found that AMH levels were higher in PCOS patients than in the hirsutism group. Inhibin A and inhibin B levels were significantly higher in both patient groups compared to controls.

Researchers analyzing K14-Cre-mediated follistatin (Fst) knockout mice found that Fst regulates tooth root furcation by modulating Shh and Wnt signaling. Mutant mice exhibited molar root abnormalities, including enlarged pulp chambers and partial furcation defects.

Researchers studied mice fed a high-fat diet and found time-dependent, discordant regulation of the activin-follistatin axis and GDF15 in fatty liver disease. The findings highlight a mismatch between hepatic mRNA levels and circulating protein levels over 30 weeks.

Researchers comparing emergency care protocols in 116 patients with acute chest pain found that an optimized protocol reduced serum levels of S100A12 and follistatin-like 1 (FSTL1). Patients in the optimized group also showed improved clinical outcomes and higher osteocalcin levels.

A study identified follistatin (FST) as a key driver of treatment resistance in advanced prostate cancer. The researchers developed FST-Trap, which neutralizes FST and resensitizes resistant tumors to androgen receptor-targeted therapy.

New paper in Frontiers in cell and developmental biology: Retraction: GDF8 promotes the cell invasiveness in human trophoblasts by upregulating the expression of follistatin-like 3 through the ALK5-SMAD2/3 signaling pathway.

A study in Aging Cell identified an SFRP2-FSTL1 axis that worsens androgen-driven cellular dysfunction in hair follicles. Researchers found that knocking down SFRP2 improved hair regeneration and reduced mitochondrial dysfunction in androgenetic alopecia model mice.

Antalya Training and Research Hospital registered an observational study to evaluate the frequency of sarcopenia and its effects on functional status, muscle strength, and quality of life in 120 patients with primary Sjögren syndrome.

Researchers published a study demonstrating that follistatin treatment in spontaneously hypertensive rats restores vascular function by reducing reactive oxygen species and promoting browning in perivascular adipose tissue via AMPK phosphorylation.

Researchers resolved the crystal structure of the activin B:Fst288 complex at 2.7 Å resolution. The data suggest that the broad inhibitory potency of follistatin 288 arises from a dynamic interplay between ligand flexibility and antagonist conformational plasticity.

Researchers studied 31 patients with reperfused STEMI to assess the relationship between early serum follistatin and heart function. Patients with follistatin levels above the median of 438 pg/mL showed more favorable left ventricular systolic function at 6 months.

Science translational medicine published an erratum for the research article titled Follistatin gene delivery enhances muscle growth and strength in nonhuman primates.

Researchers in a rat model of pre-leukemia found that combined treatment with melatonin and vitamin C offered the strongest protection against benzene-induced genotoxicity and oxidative stress. This treatment significantly upregulated activin A and follistatin gene expression.

Researchers evaluated follicular fluid concentrations of activin-A, follistatin, and inhibin-B in 86 women undergoing IVF cycles. Findings indicate that follicular fluid activin-A levels were inversely associated with implantation, clinical pregnancy, and live birth.

Scientific reports published a correction to the article titled Testicular activin and follistatin levels are elevated during the course of experimental autoimmune epididymo-orchitis in mice.

Investigators delivered Fst via AAV1-FST344 in Ldlr -/- mice and observed reduced aortic lesion area and improved metabolic health. The findings identify Fst as an anti-atherogenic regulator that protects against vascular disease by promoting adipose browning.

A case-control study compared 40 Behçet's disease patients with 40 healthy individuals. Median serum FSTL1 concentrations were significantly elevated in patients compared to controls, with higher levels correlating to increased disease activity.

Researchers analyzed cerebrospinal fluid from 11 participants to identify proteins associated with hydrocephalus. They found that calcyphosine levels were higher in post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus, while follistatin-like 1 (FSTL1) levels were increased in idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus.

New paper in The Journal of physiology: Human multi-tissue transcriptomics identifies galectin-1 and follistatin-like 1 as exerkines with distinct transcript-to-serum coupling after exercise.

A study of 134 participants found that plasma follistatin levels were significantly higher in diabetic patients with β-thalassemia major compared to non-diabetic or healthy controls. These levels correlated with poor glycemic control and markers of iron-induced metabolic stress.

Minicircle completed a pilot phase study evaluating the safety and efficacy of an injectable combination klotho and follistatin plasmid gene therapy in 14 healthy adult volunteers.

Scientists found that microRNA-769-5p (miR-769-5p) is downregulated in the serum of patients with endometriosis. In vitro experiments showed that this microRNA targets follistatin (FST) to suppress the proliferation and migration of ectopic endometrial stromal cells.

Researchers compared protein levels in 45 women with ovarian endometriosis and 45 healthy controls. Activin A and follistatin levels were significantly elevated in patients, suggesting their potential use as diagnostic biomarkers.

An analysis of 78 hepatocellular carcinoma patients identified follistatin (FST) as an independent prognostic factor for poor overall survival. High FST expression correlated with aggressive tumor features, including larger tumor size and microvascular invasion.

Investigators determined that follistatin-like protein 1 (FSTL1) levels are reduced in postmenopausal osteoporosis patients. Treating ovariectomized mice with recombinant FSTL1 protein attenuated bone loss by promoting osteogenesis and inhibiting osteoclast activity.

A study using murine bone marrow-derived cells found that Follistatin-like 1 (FSTL1) suppresses osteoclast differentiation while promoting mesenchymal stem cell migration and osteoblast differentiation. These findings suggest that FSTL1 regulates osteoclast-osteoblast cellular interactions.

Researchers treating diabetic apolipoprotein E (APOE)-/- mice with puerarin observed reduced aortic plaque and lipid accumulation. Puerarin administration alleviated atherosclerosis progression by downregulating follistatin-like 1 (Fstl1) and associated inflammatory markers.

Researchers published a 12-week randomized controlled trial showing that combining resistance exercise with essential amino acid intake was superior to either intervention alone for increasing muscle mass, improving fitness, and optimizing the follistatin/myostatin ratio in 96 older women.

An observational study of 22 healthy young men demonstrated that plasma follistatin follows a significant 24-hour rhythm. Levels peaked at 11:50 Am with a relative amplitude of 18% around the daily average.

In a study of male C57BL/6J mice with spinal cord injuries, researchers found that bladder dysfunction coincided with significant changes in the expression of activin-follistatin-inhibin axis genes. This remodeling suggests the axis plays a role in the molecular signature of neurogenic bladder.

Unlimited Biotechnology LLC registered a phase 1/2 trial to evaluate the safety and tolerability of AAV9-Follistatin gene therapy, administered alone or with a VEGF-encoding plasmid, in 12 participants with age-related muscle decline.

Minicircle registered a pilot phase study to investigate the safety and efficacy of an injectable combination klotho and follistatin plasmid gene therapy in 14 healthy adult volunteers.