Biochemical and biophysical research communicationsOct 29, 2025

GLP-1 receptor activators may help both metabolism and inflammation in insulin resistance

GLP-1 Therapies Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Updated Jan 2, 2026

Abstract

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) may influence immune functions and suppress inflammation.

GLP-1RAs are associated with improved glycaemic management and weight loss in type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity.
Evidence suggests that GLP-1RAs exhibit anti-inflammatory actions beyond their effects on glucose metabolism.
Low-grade inflammation may contribute to insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome.
GLP-1RAs may affect key signaling pathways involved in cellular stress responses and cytokine production.
These agents could serve as immunometabolic modulators by targeting both inflammatory and metabolic processes.

Simplified

Because of their extensive effects on glycaemic management and weight loss, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) are showing promise as therapeutic agents in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and obesity. Their therapeutic use over the past few years is no longer restricted to glucose metabolism only, but increasingly, more evidence is suggesting their anti-inflammatory actions. Low-grade inflammation for prolonged periods is a important participant in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. It has been demonstrated that GLP-1RAs influence immune functions and suppress inflammation via influencing key signalling pathways, such as c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), and the nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich-containing family, pyrin domain-containing-3 (NLRP3) inflammasome. These signaling pathways are involved in cellular stress responses and cytokine production resulting in insulin resistance. By modulating both inflammatory and metabolic targets, GLP-1RAs are a potential class of immunometabolic modulators. This mini-review emphasizes the dual impact of GLP-1RAs and their therapeutic application in the overall management of insulin resistance and metabolic disorders.

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Competing interests

Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: DR IGBAYILOLA YUSUFF DIMEJI reports administrative support was provided by Baze University. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

PubMed

GLP-1 receptor activators may help both metabolism and inflammation in insulin resistance

Abstract

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Funding

Competing interests

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Abstract

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