Research
Hormonal
The scaffold protein βKlotho (KLB) is an absolute requirement for Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 (FGF21) to exert metabolic effects in vivo; without KLB, FGF21 cannot trigger signaling, alter gene expression, or improve metabolic health.
FGF21 is not a standalone fat-loss drug; it requires the presence of the protein Klotho Beta (KLB) to function. If KLB is absent or defective, FGF21 therapy will be ineffective. This highlights that metabolic treatments must target the entire receptor complex, not just the hormone itself.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Taken together our data show that KLB is a vital component of the FGF21 in vivo signaling machinery and is critically required for FGF21 action at the whole organism level.
Why this rating
High-quality in vivo evidence using genetically modified knockout mice (KLBKO) with rigorous controls, though limited to murine models.
Source
FGF21 Requires βklotho to Act In Vivo
Andrew C. Adams et al. · PLoS ONE · 2012
DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0049977
mechanism_onlyCited 177×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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