Increased FGF21 May Spur Greater Liver Regeneration

Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) has been the focus of some interest in the research community in recent years. Raised levels of FGF21 have been shown to notably increase mean life span in mice, most likely primarily by interfering in mechanisms related to growth hormone. After more than a decade of earnest research into the mechanisms of aging and longevity in mammals, the longest lived mice are still those in which growth hormone or its receptor are disrupted, a comparatively early discovery in the field. There are numerous ways to influence these biochemical pathways, and altering levels of FGF21 is one of them. Some researchers classify manipulation of FGF21 as a calorie restriction mimetic treatment given that mice engineered to have more FGF21 show some of the same changes as produced by the practice of calorie restriction. In the other direction, calorie restriction increases circulating FGF21 levels. Restricting only dietary methionine intake also seems to increase FGF21 levels at the same time as it extends healthy life spans in mice. However, other studies have shown that FGF21 isn't required for the production of these benefits. It is probably best to think of any area of metabolism as a machine with many interconnected levers and dials. You can achieve similar results by changing different settings, but not all of the options or the machinery are required for any given outcome, and it is far from straightforward to determine what is actually happening under t...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Medicine, Biotech, Research Source Type: blogs