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GDF15 analogs are significantly more effective at inducing weight loss in mice housed at standard room temperature (22°C) compared to thermoneutrality (30°C), with efficacy dropping by half at higher temperatures.

If developing GDF15-based therapies, preclinical data from cold-housed mice may overestimate efficacy compared to thermoneutral conditions. The drug's effectiveness is halved when mice are not cold-stressed.

GoodQualifiesHIGH confidence
growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) was more effective at 22°C (13% vs. 6%).
Julie Jacobsen et al. · Cell Reports · 2024

Why this rating

Clear statistical difference reported.

Source

Housing mice near vs. below thermoneutrality affects drug-induced weight loss but does not improve prediction of efficacy in humans

Julie Jacobsen et al. · Cell Reports · 2024

DOI 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114501

mechanism_only · n=160Cited 19×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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