There are on-going clinical trials and research for GLP-1. Pharmaceutical companies are on a race to find more uses and developments on these breakthrough medications. Here are some recent findings in GLP-1 studies:
1. GLP-1 Changes Taste Sensitivity for Women with Obesity
The Endocrine Society recently shared intriguing findings in an article from June 2024, highlighting that semaglutide enhances taste sensitivity. This medication also modifies gene expression in the tongue, which influences taste perception, and alters the brain’s responses to sweet tastes. These findings were presented at ENDO 2024, the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society held in Boston, Massachusetts.
Dr. Mojca Jensterle Sever, from the University Medical Centre in Ljubljana, Slovenia, explained, “Individuals with obesity often have diminished taste sensitivity and a heightened craving for sweet and energy-rich foods.”
In a proof-of-concept study, Jensterle Sever and her team explored the impact of semaglutide on taste perception. They randomly assigned 30 women, with an average BMI of 36.4, to receive either 1 mg of semaglutide or a placebo.
“Our research builds on preliminary animal studies showing that GLP-1RA medications affect taste aversion to sweetness when administered centrally,” said Jensterle Sever.
Over 16 weeks, the researchers assessed taste sensitivity using strips with different concentrations of four basic tastes. They employed functional MRI to monitor brain responses to a sweet solution applied to the tongue before and after a standard meal.
Participants in the treatment group showed changes in taste perception, brain activity in response to sweet tastes and gene expression in taste buds.
The genes EYA, PRMT8, CRLF1, and CYP1B1, which showed differential mRNA expression in the analyses, are linked to neural plasticity, taste pathways and the renewal of taste buds in the tongue.
2. No Link Between GLP-1 Receptor Agonists and Thyroid Cancer Risk
In April 2024, The ASCO Post reported findings indicating no correlation between GLP-1 receptor agonists and thyroid cancer risk. This research, published in the BMJ, analyzed data from national registers in Denmark, Sweden and Norway, involving 145,000 patients who have been treated with GLP-1 receptor agonists and 290,000 patients on dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors.
After nearly four years of follow-up, the researchers concluded that the risk of thyroid cancer was not elevated in patients using GLP-1 receptor agonists. These results were consistent when compared to patients using sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors.
3. GLP-1 Drugs Linked to Lower Risk of Certain Cancers
A CNN article from July 8, 2024, reported on a study published in JAMA Network Open, which found that GLP-1 drugs can reduce the risk of several cancers in people with type 2 diabetes. This study showed that patients treatment with GLP-1 drugs were significantly less likely to be diagnosed with 10 out of 13 obesity-related cancers compared to those on insulin.
The risk was more than halved for gallbladder cancer, pancreatic cancer, meningioma and hepatocellular carcinoma. There were also notable reductions in the risks of colorectal, ovarian, esophageal, endometrial, multiple myeloma and kidney cancers.
According to the CDC, excess weight can lead to inflammation and elevated levels of insulin and certain hormones, which can contribute to cancer. GLP-1 medications help by regulating insulin production. The study’s authors noted that these findings favorably compare with the effects of intensive lifestyle changes and metabolic-bariatric surgery.