In other studies on ovarian cancer cells, GDF-15 was found to signal via PI3K/mTOR, MAP kinases, phosphorylation of p38, Akt, and 4EBP1 to promote proliferation, anchorage-independent growth, invasion and up-regulation of matrix metalloproteinases MMP2/9 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) (167). This evidence concerns the gene VEGFA and ovarian carcinoma.