Research Article Details
Article ID: | A51867 |
PMID: | 33575433 |
Source: | Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev |
Title: | Visceral adipose tissue-directed FGF21 gene therapy improves metabolic and immune health in BTBR mice. |
Abstract: | Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is a peptide hormone that serves as a potent effector of energy homeostasis. Increasingly, FGF21 is viewed as a promising therapeutic agent for type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, and other metabolic complications. Exogenous administration of native FGF21 peptide has proved difficult due to unfavorable pharmacokinetic properties. Here, we utilized an engineered serotype adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector coupled with a dual-cassette design to selectively overexpress FGF21 in visceral adipose tissue of insulin-resistant BTBR T+Itpr3tf/J (BTBR) mice. Under high-fat diet conditions, a single, low-dose intraperitoneal injection of AAV-FGF21 resulted in sustained benefits, including improved insulin sensitivity, glycemic processing, and systemic metabolic function and reduced whole-body adiposity, hepatic steatosis, inflammatory cytokines, and adipose tissue macrophage inflammation. Our study highlights the potential of adipose tissue as a FGF21 gene-therapy target and the promise of minimally invasive AAV vectors as therapeutic agents for metabolic diseases. |
DOI: | 10.1016/j.omtm.2020.12.011 |

Strategy ID | Therapy Strategy | Synonyms | Therapy Targets | Therapy Drugs | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
S17 | Genetic therapy | Genetic approaches; genetherapy; Gene therapy | HSD17B13 inhibitor; PNPLA3-rs7 38409 (I148M) variant inhibitor; PNPLA3 expression down-regulator | INI-678; Momelotinib | Details |
S05 | Anti-inflammatory | inflammatory | Bile acid; TNF-a inhibitor; Dual PPAR-α and -δ agonists; Toll-Like Receptor; (TLR)-4 antagonist; Caspase inhibitor; ASK-1 inhibitor | Ursodeoxycholic Acid; Pentoxifylline; Elafibranor; JKB-121; Emricasan; Selonsertib; | Details |
Diseases ID | DO ID | Disease Name | Definition | Class | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
I05 | 9352 | Type 2 diabetes mellitus | A diabetes that is characterized by chronic hyperglycaemia with disturbances of carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. A diabetes mellitus that is characterized by high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and relative lack of insulin. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes_mellitus_type_2 | disease of metabolism/inherited metabolic disorder/ carbohydrate metabolic disorder/glucose metabolism disease/diabetes/ diabetes mellitus | Details |
I14 | 9970 | Obesity | An overnutrition that is characterized by excess body fat, traditionally defined as an elevated ratio of weight to height (specifically 30 kilograms per meter squared), has_material_basis_in a multifactorial etiology related to excess nutrition intake, decreased caloric utilization, and genetic susceptibility, and possibly medications and certain disorders of metabolism, endocrine function, and mental illness. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obesity | disease of metabolism/acquired metabolic disease/ nutrition disease/overnutrition | Details |