Title:Multiple Roles of Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 in Metabolism
Volume: 21
Issue: 21
Author(s): L i Li and Liling Tang
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Exercise, fibroblast growth factor 21, half-life, high-fat-diet, hormone, metabolism, pharmacology, therapeutic agent.
Abstract: It is necessary to use more effective and safer therapies to treat the increasing prevalence of metabolic
diseases. The evidence from several studies indicates that FGF21 which acts as an endocrine hormone can induce
beneficial influence to metabolism without apparent adverse effects. Thus, the pharmacologic and physiologic actions
of FGF21 play a key role in controlling substrate utilization and energy balance. Recently, the developments
in the understanding of FGF21 have contributed to make FGF21 a viable and promising therapeutic agent. This review
discusses the functions of FGF21 in the high-fat-diet response, the relationship between exercise and the expression
of FGF21, the interaction between FGF21 and some important hormone, the potential of FGF21 pharmacology
in human and the methods to prolong the half-life of FGF21. These perspectives about FGF21’s therapeutic
potential highlight the importance of this molecule which could be a novel and attractive drug for metabolism disorder.