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Repurposing glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders
Sabbagh MN, Cummings JL, Ballard C, van der Flier WM, Heneka MT, Holst JJ, Knudsen LB, Salloway S et al.. Nature aging, 2025-12-19
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
With therapeutic progress in Alzheimer's disease (AD), more molecular and mechanistic targets are coming into focus. Beyond amyloid, emerging targets include tau, neuroinflammation and neurotransmitters. Targeting neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative diseases has been explored using cyclooxygenase inhibitors, but it has mostly been unsuccessful. Among the drug classes under investigation for AD are the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs), which are approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2D), obesity and cardiovascular disease. GLP-1RAs are candidate treatments for AD based on several concepts. First, epidemiological data reveal that patients with T2D and cardiovascular disease receiving GLP-1RAs have substantial reductions in the risk of developing all-cause dementia. Second, GLP-1RAs reduce neuroinflammatory changes in preclinical models. Clinical trials have not yet shown that GLP-1RAs can slow the rate of cognitive decline in mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia due to AD. Here, we summarize data supporting the use of GLP-1RAs for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, with a focus on AD.
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APA 7th
Sabbagh, M. N., Cummings, J. L., Ballard, C., van der Flier, W. M., Heneka, M. T., Holst, J. J., et al. (2026). Repurposing glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders. Nature aging. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43587-025-01029-3
Vancouver
Sabbagh MN, Cummings JL, Ballard C, van der Flier WM, Heneka MT, Holst JJ, et al. Repurposing glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders. Nature aging. 2026. doi:10.1038/s43587-025-01029-3. PMID: 41419667.
BibTeX
@article{sabbagh2026-41419667,
author = {Sabbagh, M. N. and Cummings, J. L. and Ballard, C. and van der Flier, W. M. and Heneka, M. T. and Holst, J. J. and Knudsen, L. B. and Salloway, S. and others},
title = {{Repurposing glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders}},
journal = {Nature aging},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.1038/s43587-025-01029-3},
pmid = {41419667},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s43587-025-01029-3}
}
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Key findings
- Clinical trials have not yet shown that GLP-1RAs can slow the rate of cognitive decline in mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia due to AD.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 47/100
Published in a leading specialty journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record and multicenter collaboration, so those were left out: it earned 27 of the 58 points we could judge it on, which is 47 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Nature aging) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 5 / 5 | 2026 — within 1 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multicenter collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 41419667) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 27 / 58 | Scored on 11 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 27 of the 58 points we could judge it on is 47 out of 100. |
| Total | 47 / 100 | — |
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