FFAR4

3 papers4 findings

HGNC 19061 NCBI Gene 338557 Taxon 9606

C, W, M, H: cells, worms or flies, mice, humans. Dark: independent labs found the same change there. Light: one lab or one study. Outline: nothing yet.

Labs are independent when their papers share no last author and no institution.

Against: findings that point the other way from most findings on the same outcome.

On aging: the drug’s trials ARN judged to be about aging, of every trial that tests it for any use.

No results posted: trials that ended more than a year ago with no results on ClinicalTrials.gov and no paper in ARN’s record.

Company ties: findings with an author at a company, or from a paper whose competing-interests statement declares ties to one.

A gene’s or a process’s line counts the gene with the processes named after it, as NLRP3 with the NLRP3 inflammasome, and the trials of drugs aimed at it.

2 independent labs in 2 countries

Funders: National Natural Science Foundation of China and 1 more

Human trial1
Animals2

Interventions

Alpha-linolenic acid

upin mice1

1 study

Alpha-linolenic acid activates FFAR4 in mice.
“allosterically modulate and synergistically activate GPR120 for macrophagic phagocytosis and clearance of β-amyloid aggregates in Alzheimer's disease mice”
Animalsin Alzheimer's disease mice
Allosteric activation of a cell-type-specific GPR120 inhibits amyloid pathology of Alzheimer's disease
Nature aging19 Dec 2025

Effects

Amyloid pathology

is required forin mice1

1 study

FFAR4 is required for amyloid pathology in mice.
“A cell-type-specific deletion of GPR120, or Gαi1, completely abrogates the therapeutic effects of ALA and EDA.”
Animalsfor therapeutic effects of ALA and EDA
Allosteric activation of a cell-type-specific GPR120 inhibits amyloid pathology of Alzheimer's disease
Nature aging19 Dec 2025

Lung damage

downin mice1

1 study

FFAR4 decreases lung damage in mice.
“FFAR4 overexpression through intratracheal injection of adeno-associated virus and the administration of the FFAR4 agonist TUG891 showed therapeutic effects on CS-induced lung damage”
Animalscigarette smoke exposurelung
Phytosphingosine Alleviates Cigarette Smoke-Induced Bronchial Epithelial Cell Senescence in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease by Targeting the Free Fatty Acid Receptor 4
MedComm29 Aug 2025