Two recent studies have trialed GDF-11 as a neuroprotectant in middle cerebral artery occlusion models, and both showed that recombinant GDF-11 administration reduced neurobehavioural deficits through the augmentation of angiogenesis, endothelial cell proliferation and increased neural precursor proliferation out to 14 days post-stroke (10, 11). The gene discussed is GDF11; the disease is stroke disorder.