VGF

5 papers5 findings

C, W, M, H: cells, worms or flies, mice, humans. Dark: independent labs found the same change there. Light: one lab or one study. Outline: nothing yet.

Labs are independent when their papers share no last author and no institution.

Against: findings that point the other way from most findings on the same outcome.

On aging: the drug’s trials ARN judged to be about aging, of every trial that tests it for any use.

No results posted: trials that ended more than a year ago with no results on ClinicalTrials.gov and no paper in ARN’s record.

Company ties: findings with an author at a company, or from a paper whose competing-interests statement declares ties to one.

A gene’s or a process’s line counts the gene with the processes named after it, as NLRP3 with the NLRP3 inflammasome, and the trials of drugs aimed at it.

1 lab in 1 country

Funder: National Institute on Aging

Humans4
Animals1

Effects

Brain atrophy

downin humans1

1 study

VGF decreases brain atrophy in humans.
“higher levels of VGF and DPP6 were also associated with less atrophy over time in AD‐signature regions”
Humansaccounting for covariates and baseline AD biomarker levelscerebrospinal fluidmean follow‐up = 16.3 yearsn = 213
CSF synaptic proteins are associated with risk of MCI symptom onset and long‐term brain atrophy
AAIC 2025 abstract7 Jan 2026

Associations

White matter microstructure

upin humans2

2 studies

VGF is associated with white matter microstructure in humans.
“Higher CSF levels of synaptic markers NPTX2, GluA4, and VGF were associated with better white matter integrity”
Humanscognitively unimpairedbrainn = 126
Cerebrospinal fluid synaptic markers are associated with global white matter microstructure in cognitively unimpaired participants
AAIC 2025 abstract25 Dec 2025
VGF is associated with white matter microstructure in humans.
“Higher values of all three synaptic proteins were associated with better DTI microstructure (i.e., higher FA, lower MD) across all regions”
Humanscognitively unimpairedbrainn = 126
Cerebrospinal fluid synaptic markers are associated with global white matter microstructure in cognitively unimpaired participants
AAIC 2025 abstract23 Dec 2025

Mild cognitive impairment

downin humans1

1 study

VGF lowers the risk of mild cognitive impairment in humans (p < 0.04).
“higher baseline levels of both neurosecretory protein VGF and dipeptidyl peptidase‐like protein 6 (DPP6) were associated with a lower risk of MCI symptom onset (both p <0.04”
Humansafter accounting for covariates and baseline AD biomarker levelscerebrospinal fluidmean follow‐up = 16.3 yearsn = 268
CSF synaptic proteins are associated with risk of MCI symptom onset and long‐term brain atrophy
AAIC 2025 abstract7 Jan 2026