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Home/Muscle Building & Performance/Follistatin 344

Follistatin 344

Natural glycoprotein isoform (344 amino acids) that neutralizes myostatin; research interest centers on gene-therapy delivery to increase muscle mass.

Overview

Follistatin is a natural glycoprotein that binds and neutralizes myostatin and other members of the activin/TGF-beta family; follistatin-344 refers to one of its primary protein isoforms (344 amino acids). Scientific and clinical interest centers on gene-therapy delivery of follistatin to increase muscle mass in muscle-wasting conditions.

Products labeled Follistatin 344 in research-peptide catalogs vary in nature: some are recombinant protein, while others are loosely labeled peptide preparations with little documentation. Follistatin is a large protein, not a small research peptide.

Mechanism

By binding myostatin and activins, follistatin prevents their engagement with cell-surface receptors, reducing the Smad signaling that normally limits muscle growth. This mechanism underlies the increased muscle mass seen when follistatin is overexpressed in animal models.

Dosing

No validated dosing exists. In research, recombinant follistatin protein is used experimentally in vitro and in animals; human studies of follistatin have used local gene transfer to muscle rather than protein administration.

  • Recombinant protein used in laboratory and animal studies
  • Human studies of follistatin have used local gene transfer to muscle
  • Research-vendor Follistatin 344 products are not standardized

Expected Effects

  • Increased muscle mass in animal models of follistatin overexpression
  • Early-phase gene-therapy reports describe increased muscle fiber size in treated participants
  • Effects on functional strength require further study

Side Effects & Tolerability

In early gene-therapy studies, local delivery has been reported as generally well tolerated, but long-term safety data are limited. Nothing is known about the tolerability of uncharacterized vendor preparations.

Storage

Recombinant protein should be stored per supplier instructions, typically refrigerated or frozen with repeated freeze-thaw avoided. Undocumented preparations carry no reliable storage guidance.

Related peptides

ACE-031Soluble ActRIIB-Fc decoy receptor for myostatin studied as a muscle-mass candidate; a protein biologic, not a peptide, with a discontinued clinical program.GDF-8 (Myostatin)Myostatin (GDF-8), a TGF-beta-family protein that limits skeletal muscle growth; a research target for muscle-loss conditions.IGF-1 LR3Engineered 83-amino-acid analog of insulin-like growth factor 1 with reduced binding-protein affinity, used in growth research.IGF-DES (1-3)Naturally occurring truncated IGF-1 variant lacking the first three amino acids; high receptor potency with a very short half-life.Muscle Fiber Type Conversion AnalogsCatalog heading about shifting muscle fiber types; no defined peptide product with published evidence under this name.Myostatin Inhibitor Fragments (Expanded)Catalog category for short peptides claimed to block myostatin; myostatin biology is real, but these fragment products are not characterized.