GDF15 and malignant colon neoplasm: GDF15, also termed macrophage-inhibiting cytokine-1 (MIC-1), is a growth factor belonging to the TGF-β superfamily which has been revealed to accelerate G1-S phase transition, to stimulate angiogenesis and to promote colon cancer metastasis via epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (94–97).