Repair of large bone defects remains a challenge for surgeons, tissue engineering represents a promising approach. However, the use of this technique is limited by delayed vascularization in central regions of the scaffold. Growth differentiation factor 15(GDF15) has recently been reported to be a potential angiogenic cytokine and has an ability to promote the proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVECs). Whether it can be applied for promoting vascularized bone regeneration is still unknown. In this study, we demonstrated that GDF15 augmented the expression of cyclins D1 and E, induced Rb phosphorylation and E2F-1 nuclear translocation, as well as increased HUVECs proliferation. Furthermore, we also observed that GDF15 promoted the formation of functional vessels at an artificially-induced angiogenic site, and remarkably improved the healing in the repair of critical-sized calvarial defects. Our results confirm the essential role of GDF15 in angiogenesis and suggest its potential beneficial use in regenerative medicine.