Introduction to GDF-11

Hello everyone! 

I wanted to get the discussion about GDF-11 started with an intro and other basic information. 

GDF-11 stands for "growth/differentiation factor 11". Strangely enough, it has another name in the scientific literature: "bone morphogenetic protein 11", or "BMP-11. 

From my understanding, GDF-11 became an interesting candidate for age-reversal when it was shown by one research group in 2013 to reverse age-related cardiac hypertrophy (heart swelling) in mice.

This same group reported that GDF-11 declined during aging in mice, suggesting that the supplementation corrected this age-related decline. However, there has been considerable controversy over that in the past several years. For example, a different research group reported that in humans, GDF-11 did not decline with age. In fact, in their study reported in 2016, higher GDF-11 was associated with a greater likelihood of frailty or having diabetes

Still, GDF-11 supplementation hasn't been studied rigorously in humans, so we don't know what it will do to people. Steve Perry has created a consulting service focused on helping people supplement with GDF-11, and measure some biomarkers that may be affected by supplementation. GDF-11 supplementation is more complicated than many other supplements because it must be administered intravenously. Steve's consulting information can be found at GDF11Rejuvenation.com

Has anyone contacted Steve Perry about GDF-11 supplementation, or otherwise tried it for themselves? 

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  • Hey Maximus! I haven't tried GDF-11 but I did contact Steve Perry a while back, wondering, specifically, whether he was going to be pursuing more formal trials. He said he is very much interested in doing so, but of course getting a trial up and running is a long and complicated process. I'll try to check back with him to see what the status is.

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    • djmichel
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    • djmichel
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    • dantheman
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    I believe Steve said in a talk that the main benefit from GDF 11 is cardiac related, so I wonder whether it's worth pursuing based on your cardiovascular health which is easily controlled via other means (diet, exercise, etc). Steve has measured other improvements (cognitive, etc) but I haven't dug into that to see how significant the results are. 

    The peptide is cheap but Steve's consult service is a steep $7500 suggested donation. If you can't afford that I suspect it's possible to 'roll your own' based on public data. Otherwise I fully agree with Steve's testing methodology which I've adopted on a daily basis. 

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    • DanMcL But I'm just a layperson!

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  • I'm taking C-60 which I make myself.   I'd like a source for GDF-11.   Any ideas.   I just completed a course of Russian peptides for adrenals.   Seem to have more energy, but have to beware the placebo effect.   I have some stable angina from one spot that I've dealt with for a decade but wonder if GDF-11 might help me avoid a stint.  I'm 69.

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    • JGC
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       I feel that having to Inject GDF11 (because it is such a huge molecule) is a show stopper that I would prefer to avoid.  Therefore, I was somewhat interested in doing a self-experiment test involving getting properly diluted GDF11 into the bloodstream using home-made rectal suppositories. The first step would be obtaining, processing, diluting, and storing some GDF11.

        I looked at what the suppliers have to say about how to reconstitute GDF11, how long GDF11 keeps, and how to store it.  For example, Shenandoah Biotechnology of Warwick, PA, which sells 5 ug of GDF11 for $63, says the following:

    Preparation and Storage of GDF11
        Country of Origin:  USA
        Shipping:  Room temperature
        Storage Prior to Reconstitution:  -20°C
    Product Reconstitution:  Sterile 10 mM HCl at 0.1 mg/mL
    Instructions:  Centrifuge vial before opening. Suspend the product by gently pipetting the above recommended solution down the sides of the vial.
        DO NOT VORTEX. Allow several minutes for complete reconstitution.
        For prolonged storage, dilute to working aliquots in a 0.1% BSA (bovine serum albumin) solution, store at -80°C and avoid repeat freeze thaws.
    Expiration Date:                     
        12 months from date of receipt when stored at -20°C to -80°C as supplied.
        1 month when stored at 4°C after reconstituting as directed.
        3 months when stored at -20°C to -80°C after reconstituting as directed.

        It sounds as if reconstituting the freeze-dried GDF11 they sell requires hydrochloric acid, a centrifuge, bovine serum albumin, and is rather complicated.  It also sounds as if storage for a year needs a -80°C freezer, and that the final product, diluted GDF11 stored in a kitchen freezer at 4°C will last only a month.

        I asked Steve Perry how he did the reconstitution and storage, and he said this:
    "I’m not supposed to give GDF11 dosing/mixing, etc. advice to people outside our study since we had legal problems last year.  But I will say this – if you decide to go DIY, please don’t even think about the suppository option.  GDF11 is hard enough to work with as an injectable and you do not want to OD on it, trust me."

        My conclusion is that this is not a project that I'm interested in taking on at this time.

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  • I built my own house, make my own C-60 and run my own business so I'm not afraid to make and administer GDF-11.  I just need some information to get started.  Seems that Perry is the consultant to the elite so we will just have to share what info we can come up with.  I understand that the biggest mistake is taking too much.  And I don't see why you can't reconstitute it with bacteriostatic water just like other peptides I've taken.

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      • JGC
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      Robert Olin 

      One could certainly just dump the freeze-dried GDF11 in bacteriostatic water, go through multiple dilutions, and store it in the frige.  However, the molecule is apparently rather fragile, and how would you know that you hadn't destroyed the GDF11 or how ling you can keep a given batch?  Biochemistry is a black art to me.

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  • I'm not in a position to pay 6k for the proper information so all we can to is keep pooling what information we can come up with.  Of course, I just paid for a quadruple cardiac bypass operation - but I blame that on 69 years of a high carb/high sugar diet. I doubt GDF11 can keep you from oxidizing your LDL with high glucose and insulin blood levels.  I wonder if GDF11 helps your body get rid of senescent cells.   They appear to have a lot to do with diseases of aging.

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  • For Gdf11 support other than Steve there is a Facebook group to figure out dilution and dosing. 

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      • JGC
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      Fred Cloud 

      If there are reliable instructions for dissolving, diluting, and storing GDF11 on Facebook, It would be nice if they could be re-posted here.

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    • Fred Cloud 

      Do you have a link?

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    • JGC
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    Needle-free Injection and GDF11

         On reading an article by Reason on his FightAging site about another kind of self-experimentation, I learned that one can now buy needle-free injection devices that use a high-pressure jet for sub-cutaneous injections.  For me, that would make administering GDF11 more interesting and accessible (provided one can deal with the dissolving, diluting, and storing problems that I discussed above.)

        The most interesting needle-free injection device supplier seems to be Comfort-In located in Australia.  Their Comfort-in™ Needle Free Injector Kit – ALL PURPOSE is listed for  $349.95 AUD.  At the current exchange rate that is $234 US plus shipping.  That's in the right ballpark.

        Has anyone had any experience with needle-free injection?  Wikipedia has some discussion on the pros and cons of jet injectors.

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  • I will admit I was a little fearful about injecting at first, well ok, maybe a bit more than a little fearful but then I realize little kids with diabetes do it without issue, so I realized I was being silly and sure enough once you get over the hump it is no big deal. Now I inject testosterone, b-12, epitalon, gdf11 CJc-1295, Ipamorelin bpc157 etc. and its no big deal.

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  • I had to do self injections after breaking my hip. It’s no big deal after the first one

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  • Purchased some GDF11 from Bucky Labs. $80 for a vial with enough doses for a year.

     

    there are dilution instructions in the Facebook GDF11 group. 
     

    plan on giving it to my 15 year old dog to start. He’s been getting 2 mg rapamycin for 3 months now. May have slowed his decline but not reversed anything we can see.

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  • dilution instruction from Facebook 


    buy some 10 ml vials and 30 ml of bacteriostatic water. Put 10 ml water into each vial. Put 2ml water into the vial you got with the 10 ug of GDF11. That gives you 5 ug/ml. Take 10 units (0.1 ml) of that (500 ng) and put it into 10 ml of water that you've put into the first empty 10 ml vial. That then gives you 50 ng/ml. Take 10 units of that (5 ng) and put it into the second 10 ml vial of water. That then should give you approximately 500 pg/ml. 

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  • That's great information.  Thanks you.    My wife has continuing nerve pain after having had ocular shingles.   I wonder if GDF-11 might have any effect?  It's horrible pain and she has to take anti seizure medicine to get any relief.

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