The Study
Insulin‐like growth factor binding protein 1 ameliorates lipid accumulation and inflammation in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
This study tested a protein called IGFBP1 in mice and lab dishes, and saw that it seemed to help reduce fat and swelling in their livers. But it didn't test this on real people with liver disease, so we can't say it will work for humans.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Scientists found that a protein called IGFBP1, which goes up when the liver is stressed, can help reduce fat and inflammation in the liver.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 539 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — reducing liver fat and inflammation could help prevent progression of fatty liver disease, a common condition affecting millions.
- 2In mice with fatty liver, daily injections of IGFBP1 for two weeks reduced liver fat.
- 3In human liver cells, IGFBP1 reduced fat buildup and blocked inflammation signals.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Year
2021
Authors
Jiaqi Pan, Li Cen, Tianyu Zhou, Mengli Yu, Xueyang Chen, Wenxi Jiang, Youming Li, Chaohui Yu, Zhe Shen
Related Content
Claims (6)
Persistent inflammation reduces the liver's ability to respond to insulin, leading to increased blood sugar and fat buildup in the liver.
In mice with fatty liver disease caused by a specific deficient diet, daily injections of a protein called IGFBP1 for two weeks lower liver fat and improve indicators of liver damage.
In human liver cells exposed to free fatty acids, recombinant IGFBP1 decreases fat buildup and reduces activity in the NF-κB and ERK inflammatory signaling pathways.
People with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease have higher levels of insulin-like growth factor binding protein 1 in their blood than people without the disease.
In liver cells from mice and humans, insulin-like growth factor binding protein 1 binds to integrin β1 and reduces the buildup of lipids.
In people with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, higher levels of insulin-like growth factor binding protein 1 correlate with less fat buildup in the liver and lower levels of inflammatory markers.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.