The combined mRNA sequencing data from the 325 and 694 datasets of CGGA showed that the mRNA levels of POU5F1, LIF, BMP8B, ROR2, CXCR4, IFITM3, ITGB1 and GDF15 were extremely low in almost all glioma samples with 1p19q codeletion (1p19q-codel) compared to glioma samples without 1p19q codeletion (1p19q-noncodel) (Fig. 5A–C, and Additional file 1: Table S6). This evidence concerns the gene GDF15 and central nervous system cancer.