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World J Diabetes. Mar 15, 2024; 15(3): 392-402
Published online Mar 15, 2024. doi: 10.4239/wjd.v15.i3.392
Roles of fibroblast growth factors in the treatment of diabetes
Chun-Ye Zhang, Ming Yang
Chun-Ye Zhang, Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, United States
Ming Yang, Department of Surgery, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, United States
Ming Yang, NextGen Precision Health Institution, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, United States
Author contributions: Zhang CY and Yang M designed, collected data, wrote, revised, and finalized the manuscript, contributed equally, and shared the first authorship.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Ming Yang, DVM, PhD, Research Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery, University of Missouri, Room 2203, NextGen Precision Building, 1030 Hitt Street, Columbia, MO 65212, United States. yangmin@health.missouri.edu
Received: November 18, 2023
Peer-review started: November 18, 2023
First decision: December 8, 2023
Revised: December 16, 2023
Accepted: January 25, 2024
Article in press: January 25, 2024
Published online: March 15, 2024
Processing time: 117 Days and 15.8 Hours
Abstract

Diabetes affects about 422 million people worldwide, causing 1.5 million deaths each year. However, the incidence of diabetes is increasing, including several types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes (5%-10% of diabetic cases) and type 2 diabetes (90%-95% of diabetic cases) are the main types of diabetes in the clinic. Accumulating evidence shows that the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family plays important roles in many metabolic disorders, including type 1 and type 2 diabetes. FGF consists of 23 family members (FGF-1-23) in humans. Here, we review current findings of FGFs in the treatment of diabetes and management of diabetic complications. Some FGFs (e.g., FGF-15, FGF-19, and FGF-21) have been broadly investigated in preclinical studies for the diagnosis and treatment of diabetes, and their therapeutic roles in diabetes are currently under investigation in clinical trials. Overall, the roles of FGFs in diabetes and diabetic complications are involved in numerous processes. First, FGF intervention can prevent high-fat diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance and reduce the levels of fasting blood glucose and triglycerides by regulating lipolysis in adipose tissues and hepatic glucose production. Second, modulation of FGF expression can inhibit renal and cardiac fibrosis by regulating the expression of extracellular matrix components, promote diabetic wound healing process and bone repair, and inhibit cancer cell proliferation and migration. Finally, FGFs can regulate the activation of glucose-excited neurons and the expression of thermogenic genes.

Keywords: Fibroblast growth factors; Type 1 diabetes; Type 2 diabetes; Metabolic disorders; Treatment; Clinical trials

Core Tip: Diabetes affects about 422 million people worldwide, causing 1.5 million deaths each year. However, the incidence of diabetes is increasing, including both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. New therapies are needed to treat diabetes and manage its complications. The fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family members play important roles in many metabolic disorders, including diabetes. To date, a total of 23 family members (FGF1-23) have been found in humans. Some FGFs, such as FGF-15, FGF-19, and FGF-21, have antidiabetic functions in preclinical studies, and they are under investigation in clinical trials for examining the therapeutic effects in patients.