Hepatokines
Hepatokines are liver-derived secreted proteins that act as hormones or signaling molecules to regulate metabolism in distant organs. They include cytokines, hormones, and growth factors produced primarily by hepatocytes and liver-resident cells, and they influence processes in adipose tissue, skeletal muscle, pancreas, and brain to coordinate systemic energy homeostasis. Dysregulation of hepatokine signaling is linked to metabolic conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
Liver-derived signals are produced in response to nutritional state, insulin signaling, inflammation, and liver injury. The
Well-characterized examples include FGF21, a hepatokine that acts on adipose tissue and the brain to improve
Clinically, hepatokines are studied as biomarkers of liver metabolic state and as potential therapeutic targets. Altered