Fibroblast growth factor 21: a novel metabolic regulator from pharmacology to physiology.
Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is a member of the fibroblast growth factor family. It actually functions as endocrine hormones but does not regulate cell growth and differentiation. It is demonstrated that FGF21 acts on multiple tissue to coordinate carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, including enhancing insulin sensitivity, decreasing triglyceride concentrations, causing weight loss, ameliorating obesity-associated hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia. Moreover, FGF21 also plays important roles in some physiological processes, such as fasting and feeding, growth hormone axis and thermogenic function of brown adipose tissue. Clinical relevance of FGF21 in humans is still unclear, and the basis and consequences of increased FGF21 in metabolic disease remain to be determined. Both the pharmacological actions and physiological roles make FGF21 attractive drug candidates for treating metabolic disease, but some questions remain to be answered. This article concentrates on recent advances in our understanding of FGF21.
Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital; Shanghai Diabetes Institute; Shanghai Clinical Center of Diabetes, Shanghai, 200233, China.
Huating
H
Li
Jing
J
Zhang
Weiping
W
Jia
D002001:Adipose Tissue, Brown / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D050260:Carbohydrate Metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D048708:Cell Growth Processes / Q000502:physiology; D055808:Drug Discovery; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D053858:Metabolic Networks and Pathways; D051379:Mice; D009747:Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D009765:Obesity / Q000378:metabolism*; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology
C414620:fibroblast growth factor 21; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors; D013006:Growth Hormone