GDF10 (growth differentiation factor 10) is a member of the TGF-β superfamily that functions as a critical regulator of tissue homeostasis and pathological processes. The protein acts primarily as an autocrine inhibitor of hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation, preventing liver fibrosis by binding to BMPR2/ALK3 receptors and activating SMAD1/5/8-SMAD7 signaling, which suppresses the pro-fibrotic TGF-β/SMAD2/3 pathway 1. GDF10 also competitively inhibits TGF-β signaling by binding TGF-β receptor 2, blocking SMAD2/3 phosphorylation and maintaining HSC quiescence 2. Beyond liver function, GDF10 serves as a tumor suppressor in multiple cancers, including nasopharyngeal carcinoma and non-small cell lung cancer, where it inhibits cell proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and migration through TGF-β/SMAD and NF-κB pathways 34. In muscle physiology, mesenchymal expression of GDF10's homolog BMP3B maintains skeletal muscle integrity and decreases with age-related sarcopenia 5. Clinically, GDF10 expression is downregulated in fibrotic liver disease and various cancers due to promoter hypermethylation, making it a potential therapeutic target and diagnostic biomarker 342.