Beyond Weight Loss, Ozempic-Like Drugs May Also Help In Treating Disorders Like Parkinson's Disease

Insulin-resistance drugs, such as those containing the compound semaglutide, could potentially aid in treating neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson's disease, PsyPost reports.

Insulin Resistance Drugs and Parkinson’s

Research indicates that semaglutide, found in medications like Ozempic, and a similar compound, DA5-CH, can reduce chronic inflammation in the brain and protect brain cells in animal models of Parkinson's disease. Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, which mimics the action of the GLP-1 hormone in the body, helping regulate blood sugar levels, promote insulin secretion, reduce appetite, and enhance weight loss.

Study Findings

The study, published in the journal Parkinson's Disease, aimed to investigate the potential neuroprotective effects of semaglutide and DA5-CH in Parkinson's disease. “Drugs that originally were designed to treat diabetes have shown good protective effects in many different animal models of central nervous system diseases,” explained study author Christian Hölscher, a professor at the Henan University of Chinese Medicine and the chief scientific officer at Kariya.

Potential Treatments for Parkinson’s

Both semaglutide and DA5-CH improved motor behavior, protected neurons, increased dopamine levels, reduced inflammation, and lowered levels of harmful forms of alpha-synuclein in the rat models. “The take-home message is that these drugs are genuinely protective in the brain, and that we are not very far away from one of these drugs coming to the market as a drug treatment to slow down or stop Parkinson's disease,” Hölscher told PsyPost.

Further Research Needed

While the findings are promising, further research and clinical trials are needed to confirm their effectiveness and safety in humans. The researchers also emphasize the need for more awareness about these potential treatments, as many scientists still focus on a protein called alpha-synuclein, which forms abnormal clumps or aggregates called Lewy bodies.

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