Recently, Academician Li Xiaokun, the academic leader of the pharmaceutical sciences, a peak discipline at Wenzhou Medical University, in collaboration with Professor Moosa Mohammadi, a senior principal investigator at the Oujiang Laboratory, and young researchers Dr. Chen Gaozhi and Dr. Chen Lingfeng, has published an invited review titled "FGF-based drug discovery: advances and challenges" in the globally prestigious journal Nature Reviews Drug Discovery (IF=122.8).

This review provides a comprehensive and systematic introduction to the classification, metabolic regulatory functions, structural characteristics, and downstream signaling properties of fibroblast growth factors (FGFs). It meticulously outlines the various members of the FGF family with metabolic regulatory functions and highlights the recent advances and drug development in metabolic regulation both domestically and internationally. Additionally, the article emphasizes the importance of the "threshold model" in the development of FGF-based drugs for metabolic diseases and delves into the challenges and potential future directions in this field.

This is the first review article in the past five years authored exclusively by a Chinese research team in this journal, further enhancing China's international influence in the field of biomedicine.

"We are leveraging FGF as a strategic pivot to build an ecosystem spanning theoretical innovation to industrial translation, exploring new pathways for the integration of education, science & technology, and talent cultivation. Standing at a new historical position, we will continue to focus on the major needs in the field of life sciences and healthcare, contributing the wisdom of Wenzhou Medical University to the establishment of a global hub of growth factors."

President of Wenzhou Medical University, Chief Scientist of Oujiang Laboratory, Academician Li Xiaokun (Co-corresponding author)

Nature Reviews Drug Discovery is a premier journal of the Nature Reviews portfolio focusing on the drug discovery arena. The journal is dedicated to publishing the latest advances, emerging trends, challenges, and constructive suggestions in drug discovery. It invites globally renowned scientists in specific areas of drug discovery and development to publish high-quality papers that guide academic directions and advance industry progress.

Article link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41573-024-01125-w