Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

FGF21 and metabolic disease in 2016

A new frontier in FGF21 biology

  • Year in Review
  • Published:

From Nature Reviews Endocrinology

View current issue Sign up to alerts

In 2016, four studies were published that provided crucial new information on the endocrine actions of the hormone fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21). These studies provide a framework for the nutritional stimuli that regulate FGF21 expression and demonstrate a major role for FGF21 in primates and humans in regulating food intake, macronutrient preference and central reward pathways.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1: Liver-to-brain hormonal axis regulating energy homeostasis.

References

  1. Markan, K. R. & Potthoff, M. J. Metabolic fibroblast growth factors (FGFs): mediators of energy homeostasis. Semin. Cell Dev. Biol. 53, 85–93 (2016).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Talukdar, S. et al. A long-acting FGF21 molecule, PF-05231023, decreases body weight and improves lipid profile in non-human primates and type 2 diabetic subjects. Cell Metab. 23, 427–440 (2016).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Gaich, G. et al. The effects of LY2405319, an FGF21 analog, in obese human subjects with type 2 diabetes. Cell Metab. 18, 333–340 (2013).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. von Holstein-Rathlou, S. et al. FGF21 mediates endocrine control of simple sugar intake and sweet taste preference by the liver. Cell Metab. 23, 335–343 (2016).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Chu, A. Y. et al. Novel locus including FGF21 is associated with dietary macronutrient intake. Hum. Mol. Genet. 22, 1895–1902 (2013).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Tanaka, T. et al. Genome-wide meta-analysis of observational studies shows common genetic variants associated with macronutrient intake. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 97, 1395–1402 (2013).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Talukdar, S. et al. FGF21 regulates sweet and alcohol preference. Cell Metab. 23, 344–349 (2016).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Schumann, G. et al. KLB is associated with alcohol drinking, and its gene product β-Klotho is necessary for FGF21 regulation of alcohol preference. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1611243113 (2016).

  9. Solon-Biet, S. M. et al. Defining the nutritional and metabolic context of FGF21 using the geometric framework. Cell Metab. 24, 555–565 (2016).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Laeger, T. et al. FGF21 is an endocrine signal of protein restriction. J. Clin. Invest. 124, 3913–3922 (2014).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The author's laboratory is supported by the NIH (grant R01DK106104) and the Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacology and the Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, 169 Newton Road, 3322 PBDB, Iowa City, 52242, Iowa, USA

    Matthew J. Potthoff

Authors
  1. Matthew J. Potthoff
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Matthew J. Potthoff.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The author declares no competing financial interests.

PowerPoint slides

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Potthoff, M. A new frontier in FGF21 biology. Nat Rev Endocrinol 13, 74–76 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrendo.2016.206

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrendo.2016.206

  • Springer Nature Limited

This article is cited by

Search

Navigation