In recent years, a new generation of anti-obesity drugs has received a lot of attention due to their remarkable effects on diabetes and weight loss.
Even, Science magazine awarded the 2023 Breakthrough Drug of the Year to GLP-1 products.
Science Magazine firmly awarded Breakthrough Drug of the Year to GLP-1 products; The market capitalization of the leading company exceeds the GDP of its home country... However, these drugs also seem to have a lesser-known superpower:Inhibits inflammation, especially in the central nervous system.
Drugs classified as GLP-1 receptor agonists, including brands such as Mounjaro and Wegovy, have been shown to reduce inflammation in the liver, kidneys and heart. More strikingly, these drugs are even able to reduce inflammation in the brain, which has led scientists to hope that the compounds could be used for Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, both of which are characterized by inflammation in the brain.
On January 26, 2024, the news edition of Nature magazine reviewed the anti-inflammatory research of GLP-1R agonists [1].
The currently approved GLP-1 receptor agonists mainly include semaglutide (developed by Novo Nordisk) for the marketing of Wegovy and Ozempic (diabetes), and Tirzepatide (developed by Eli Lilly and developed by Eli Lilly) for the marketing of Mounjaro and Zepbound. These drugs mimic a gut hormone called glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1). GLP-1 receptor agonists act on the brain to suppress appetite, in addition to controlling blood sugar levels。But a series of discoveries in recent years have shown the hormone and its mimicsInhibits inflammationThis inflammation is caused by a large influx of immune cells and immune system chemicals. In one experiment, a GLP-1 receptor agonist called liraglutide reduced liver inflammation in mice with fatty liver. Similar effects have been observed in preliminary studies in humans. In other experiments on mice, liraglutide demonstrated anti-inflammatory potential in the kidneys and heart. And, GLP-1 itself reduced inflammation in the adipose tissue of obese and diabetic mice. Scientists have noticed a latent clue: in many tissues where hormones and their mimics reduce inflammationGLP-1 receptors are few in immune cells but abundant in the brain。To test the role of the nervous system, the team first induced systemic inflammation in mice. "Multiple GLP-1 drugs improved the condition of these mice and reduced inflammation," Drucker said. But when researchers used genetic methods or drugs to block GLP-1 receptors in animal brains, GLP-1 drugs no longer reduced inflammation in multiple tissues. The findings were published in the journal Cell Metab. The discovery of the anti-inflammatory effects of these drugs holds great promise for neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. Both diseases are characterized by neuroinflammation that cannot be effectively targeted by the current **. In both diseases, pathological proteins (e.g., amyloid in Alzheimer's disease and synuclein in Parkinson's disease) interact with certain receptors in the brain, triggering a cascade of events that lead to inflammation. In an earlier clinical trial, a GLP-1 receptor agonist called exenatide resulted in greater improvements in exercise capacity in people with Parkinson's disease than in the placebo group [3]. 
The drug is currently being evaluated in a larger population of Parkinson's disease patients and should be discontinued this year. At the same time, at least two clinical trials are testing semaglutide as a method for early Alzheimer's disease. Editor's note:
GLP-1R agonists have been one of the most important medical advances in the last 5 years in diabetes and then in a wider range of diseases. The potential for GLP-1 drugs to be used for inflammation-related diseases could be further expanded, especially given the significant lack of these drugs, "there are so many systemic diseases that have an inflammatory component," said National Institutes of Health pharmacologist Nigel Greig, "and it makes sense to try these drugs against these diseases if there is no effective way." Alzheimer's disease