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Updated: Aug 31, 2025

Isolation and Characterization of Adult Cardiac Fibroblasts and Myofibroblasts
Published on: March 12, 2020
[Fibroblast growth factor 21 plays a protective role in cardiovascular diseases by inducing autophagy]
Ying-Kai Li1, Song-Yuan He1, Cong Wang1
1Center for Coronary Artery Disease, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Institute of Heart, Lung, and Blood Vessel Diseases, Beijing 100029, China.
Abstract:
Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is a growth factor with endocrine function in the fibroblast growth factor family. Previous reports have shown that FGF21 is involved in the regulation of energy metabolism and plays a protective role in cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease, diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and so on. Recent studies have found that FGF21 can induce autophagy in a variety of tissues and organs, and autophagy is involved in many pathological processes of cardiovascular diseases, including vascular calcification, atherosclerosis, and myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury. Therefore, FGF21 may play a protective role in a variety of cardiovascular diseases by regulating autophagy. This article reviews the research progress on the protective role of FGF21 in cardiovascular diseases by inducing autophagy.
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