Gremlin-1 is a secreted cytokine that may play a role during carcinogenesis and metanephric kidney organogenesis, as a BMP antagonist required for early limb outgrowth and patterning in maintaining the FGF4-SHH feedback loop. It down-regulates the BMP4 signaling in a dose-dependent manner. It also acts as inhibitor of monocyte chemotaxis. It is highly expressed in small intestine, fetal brain and colon. Weakly expressed in brain, ovary, prostate, pancreas and skeletal muscle. In brain found in the region localized around the internal capsule in the large subcortical nuclei, including caudate, putamen, substantia nigra, thalamus and subthalamus. Predominantly expressed in normal cells including neurons, astrocytes and fibroblasts. Gremlin-1 is induced through TGF-beta 1-mediated pathways in Mesangial cell and it is down-regulated in tumor cell lines.