Figure 2.

As a negative regulator of muscle mass, multiple methods to inhibit myostatin are in development or clinical testing. These approaches include antibodies that neutralize myostatin itself or its receptor. Alternative approaches include ligand traps like follistatin or soluble receptors. Antibodies and ligand traps typically target the active domain of myostatin, which has high homology to GDF11. Alternative approaches include antibodies that antagonize the myostatin receptor, the activin type II receptor.