Growth/differentiation factor-15 inhibits differentiation into osteoclasts—A novel factor involved in control of osteoclast differentiation

Survival and capability of cancer cells to form metastases fundamentally depend on interactions with their microenvironment. Secondary tumors originating from prostate carcinomas affect remodeling of bone tissue and can induce both osteolytic and osteocondensing lesions. However, particular molecular mechanisms responsible for selective homing and activity of cancer cells in bone microenvironment have not been clarified yet. Growth/differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15), a distant member of the TGF-β protein family, has recently been associated with many human cancers, including prostate.