Frontiers in immunology

How GLP-1 receptor activators may protect the brain and help treat neurological diseases by affecting metabolism

Updated

Abstract

GLP-1 receptor agonists may influence neurological disease through metabolic, inflammatory, and vascular pathways.

  • GLP-1 receptor agonists are established therapies for type 2 diabetes and obesity with cardiovascular benefits.
  • Experimental and clinical evidence suggests they may exert additional effects relevant to neurological diseases.
  • Metabolic dysfunction, chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and neurovascular injury are mechanisms linked to neurodegeneration.
  • Preclinical studies indicate that GLP-1 receptor agonists may reduce neuroinflammation and oxidative stress, and support mitochondrial function.
  • Clinical findings in Parkinson's disease show encouraging signals, but biomarker evidence for disease modification is limited.
  • Mixed results have been observed in Alzheimer's disease clinical trials, potentially due to various factors including disease stage and treatment duration.

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Full Text

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Funding

Competing interests

The author(s) declared that this work was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
PubMed

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