Nesfatin-1 & Type 2 Diabetes

My very first publication - a systematic review and meta-analysis on circulating nesfatin-1 levels in T2D.

Brief

Before our experimental work in HFD mouse models, I led this systematic review and meta-analysis to clarify inconsistent findings on circulating nesfatin-1 in type 2 diabetes (T2D). By synthesizing seven studies, we showed that nesfatin-1 levels differ by disease stage — elevated in newly diagnosed T2D but reduced in patients receiving treatment.

This evidence suggested that nesfatin-1 may be a dynamic biomarker, shifting with disease progression and therapeutic intervention. The results directly inspired our follow-up animal studies to test mechanisms behind these clinical observations.

Personal Reflection

This was my first publication as a first author (2017) and marked the very beginning of my research career. Leading a meta-analysis as an undergraduate gave me an early foundation in systematic methods, taught me the value of evidence synthesis, and sparked my interest in bridging clinical data with the underlying biology.

Key Publication

  • Zhai T, Li SZ, Fan XT, Tian Z, Lu XQ, Dong J.
    Circulating Nesfatin-1 Levels and Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
    Journal of Diabetes Research 2017.
    DOI: 10.1155/2017/7687098

Status

Published • First-author, first publication milestone • Connected to follow-up animal studies on nesfatin-1 in glucose metabolism.
See also: Obesity & Glucose Metabolism — Mouse Models.