Trial reportDiabetes2013
Fibroblast growth factor 21 mediates specific glucagon actions.
Trial report in Diabetes, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 122 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
122 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 241 citations in OpenAlex.
- Use of FGF21 analogs for the treatment of metabolic disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Archives of endocrinology and metabolism · 2023Pooled it
- The acute effect of glucagon on components of energy balance and glucose homoeostasis in adults without diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.International journal of obesity (2005) · 2022Pooled it
- Impact of Cotadutide drug on patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC endocrine disorders · 2022Pooled it
- Dual Glucagon and GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Survodutide Improves Biomarkers of Beta-Cell Function and Insulin Sensitivity in People With Type 2 Diabetes or Living With Overweight/Obesity.Diabetes, obesity & metabolism · 2026Trial
- Glucose-Dependent Insulinotropic Polypeptide and Glucagon After Weight Loss Induced by Diet or Bariatric Surgery.Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.) · 2025Trial
- Triple hormone receptor agonist retatrutide for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: a randomized phase 2a trial.Nature medicine · 2024Trial
- Meal sugar-protein balance determines postprandial FGF21 response in humans.American journal of physiology. Endocrinology and metabolism · 2023Trial
- MEDI0382, a GLP-1/glucagon receptor dual agonist, meets safety and tolerability endpoints in a single-dose, healthy-subject, randomized, Phase 1 study.British journal of clinical pharmacology · 2018Trial
- Divergent effects of resistance and endurance exercise on plasma bile acids, FGF19, and FGF21 in humans.JCI insight · 2018Trial
- The relationship of fibroblast growth factor 21 with cardiovascular outcome events in the Fenofibrate Intervention and Event Lowering in Diabetes study.Diabetologia · 2015Trial
- Metabolically protective cytokines adiponectin and fibroblast growth factor-21 are increased by acute overfeeding in healthy humans.PloS one · 2013Trial
- Effects of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists (Mono and Combination Therapy) on Energy Expenditure: A Scoping Review.Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity · 2026Article
- Improving incretin-mediated body weight loss via energy expenditure.Trends in endocrinology and metabolism: TEM · 2026Review
- The expanding landscape of the glucagon signaling network: mechanisms and outcomes.Endocrinology · 2026Review
- GCGR agonism requires GABAergic signaling in the medial basal hypothalamus to promote weight loss in obese mice.Molecular metabolism · 2026Article
- Bile Acid Binding Resins Improve Glucagon Receptor Agonist-Mediated Weight Loss in Diet-Induced Obese Mice.Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.) · 2026Article
- Efimosfermin for the Treatment of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis (MASH): Mechanism of Action, Clinical Development and Emerging Therapeutic Potential.Drug design, development and therapy · 2026Review
- IUPHAR review: From foe to friend: Repurposing glucagon to treat obesity and type 2 diabetes.Pharmacological research · 2026Review
- Adipose Tissue, at the Core of the Action of Incretin and Glucagon-Based Anti-Obesity Drugs.Current obesity reports · 2025Review
- GLP-1R/GCGR dual agonism dissipates hepatic steatosis to restore insulin sensitivity and rescue pancreatic β-cell function in obese male mice.Nature communications · 2025Article
62 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
27 authors at 8 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Glucagon, an essential regulator of glucose homeostasis, also modulates lipid metabolism and promotes weight loss, as reflected by the wasting observed in glucagonoma patients. Recently, coagonist peptides that include glucagon agonism have emerged as promising therapeutic candidates for the treatment of obesity and diabetes. We developed a novel stable and soluble glucagon receptor (GcgR) agonist, which allowed for in vivo dissection of glucagon action. As expected, chronic GcgR agonism in mice resulted in hyperglycemia and lower body fat and plasma cholesterol. Notably, GcgR activation also raised hepatic expression and circulating levels of fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21). This effect was retained in isolated primary hepatocytes from wild-type (WT) mice, but not GcgR knockout mice. We confirmed this link in healthy human volunteers, where injection of natural glucagon increased plasma FGF21 within hours. Functional relevance was evidenced in mice with genetic deletion of FGF21, where GcgR activation failed to induce the body weight loss and lipid metabolism changes observed in WT mice. Taken together, these data reveal for the first time that glucagon controls glucose, energy, and lipid metabolism at least in part via FGF21-dependent pathways.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.