FGF21 helps cells cope with protein folding stress by increasing sulfide signaling, preclinical study suggests

MedicalXpress | Jun 18, 2026

FGF21 is primarily known as a metabolic hormone. A new study by researchers at Helmholtz Munich and Ludwig Maximilians University has described a previously unknown mechanism through which FGF21 supports cells under protein-folding stress: The hormone enhances key cellular stress response programs via increased sulfide signaling and thus appears to help cells cope more effectively with disturbances in protein folding.