Follistatin-344
Also known as · FS-344 · FST
Overview
A naturally occurring protein that binds and neutralises myostatin and activin, studied extensively in gene-therapy models of muscular dystrophy and muscle hypertrophy.
Research profile · for clinicians
Based on research: the best-characterised myostatin antagonist. Nearly all robust data come from viral gene-delivery studies rather than injected peptide, a distinction often blurred in popular sources.
Mechanism of action
High-affinity binding sequesters myostatin (GDF-8) and activin A, releasing their brake on the Smad2/3 pathway and permitting muscle-fibre hypertrophy and satellite-cell proliferation.
Research record
- [01]AAV-follistatin gene therapy produced durable muscle-mass increases in primates (Kota et al., 2009).
- [02]Injected recombinant follistatin is cleared rapidly; systemic activin blockade carries endocrine considerations.
Selected references
Follistatin gene delivery enhances muscle growth in mice and non-human primates
Sci. Transl. Med., 2009
Research deep dive
Every cited study, explained
Plain-language walkthroughs of each reference, with direct PubMed links and dosing-literature context.