Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41128612›Full record

ArticleProtein & cell2026

Fibulin-7 in progenitor cells promotes adipose tissue fibrosis and disrupts metabolic homeostasis in obesity.

Hairong Yu, Fan Yang, Dandan Yan, Wei Chen, Lijun Yao, Hongli Chen, Siyu Lai, Jinyin Zha, Yi Sun, Yicen Zong and 7 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Protein & cell, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

17 authors.

Hairong YuShanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200233, China.
Fan YangShanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200233, China.
Dandan YanShanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200233, China.
Wei ChenClinical Research Center, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200233, China.
Lijun YaoShanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200233, China.
Hongli ChenShanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200233, China.
Siyu LaiShanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200233, China.
Jinyin ZhaMedicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
Yi SunDepartment of Endocrinology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong 226001, China.
Yicen ZongShanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200233, China.
Jian YuShanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China.
Hong ZhangShanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200233, China.
Feng JiangShanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200233, China.
Rong ZhangShanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200233, China.
Jian ZhangMedicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
Jing YanShanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200233, China.
Cheng HuShanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200233, China.ORCID 0000-0003-4314-2386

Funding

Innovative Research Team of High-Level Local Universities in Shanghai SHSMU-ZDCX20212700Major Natural Science Project of the Scientific Research and Innovation Plan of Shanghai Municipal Commission of Education 2023ZKZD17National Key R&D Program of China 2023YFF1205101National Natural Science Foundation of China 82100928National Natural Science Foundation of China 82325010National Natural Science Foundation of China 82370879Noncommunicable Chronic Diseases-National Science and Technology Major 2023ZD0517700Noncommunicable Chronic Diseases-National Science and Technology Major 21SG11Shanghai Research Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases 2022ZZ01002Shanghai Rising-Star Program 23QA1407400
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Fibrosis, resulting from excess extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition, is a feature of adipose tissue (AT) dysfunction and obesity-related insulin resistance. Emerging evidence indicates that adipogenic stem and precursor cells (ASPCs) are a crucial origin of ECM proteins and possess the potential to induce AT fibrosis. Here, we employed single-cell RNA-seq and identified a unique subset of ASPCs that were closely associated with ECM function. Within this subset, we discerned a notable upregulation in the expression of fibulin-7 (FBLN7), a secreted glycoprotein, in obese mice. Similarly, in humans, FBLN7 levels exhibited an increase in visceral fat among obese individuals and demonstrated a correlation with clinical metabolic traits. Functional studies further revealed that, in response to caloric excess, ASPC-specific FBLN7 knockout mice displayed a diminished state of AT fibrosis inflammation, along with improved systemic metabolic health. Notably, the depletion of FBLN7 in ASPCs suppressed TGF-β-induced fibrogenic responses, whereas its overexpression amplified such responses. Mechanistically, FBLN7 interacted with thrombospondin-1 (TSP1) via its EGF-like calcium-binding domain, thereby enhancing the stability of the TSP1 protein. This, in turn, facilitated the conversion of latent TGF-β to its bioactive form, subsequently promoting TGFBR1/Smad signaling pathways. Furthermore, we developed an anti-FBLN7 neutralizing antibody, which could dramatically alleviate diet-induced AT fibrosis. These results suggest that FBLN7, produced by ASPCs, exerts a major influence in the development of AT fibrosis and may represent a potential target for therapeutic intervention.

Indexed as

Adipose TissueCalcium-Binding ProteinsExtracellular Matrix ProteinsHomeostasisObesityStem CellsAnimalsFibrosisHumansMaleMiceMice, Inbred C57BLMice, KnockoutThrombospondin 1Calcium-Binding ProteinsExtracellular Matrix ProteinsThrombospondin 1adipogenic stem and precursor cellsadipose tissue fibrosisFBLN7obesityTSP1

Identifiers

PMID41128612
PMCPMC13064845

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Registered trials

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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.