GLP-1s for Neurodegenerative Disease

Frontiers in Endocrinology is a contributor to the 2025 Top 10 Emerging Technologies Report launched at the WEF Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Tianjin in June 2025. This Research Topic highlights one of the featured technologies, GLP-1s for Neurodegenerative Disease, and aims to foster community collaboration around its development and impact.

Originally developed for diabetes and obesity, GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) are drugs that mimic a natural gut hormone to regulate insulin, inflammation and energy use. Recent research suggests that GLP-1RAs may also slow or modify the course of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. These drugs reduce brain inflammation, clear toxic proteins and improve brain cell metabolism—key factors in disease progression. Preliminary results are promising but mixed, and large-scale clinical trials are underway. If proven effective, GLP-1RAs could shift healthcare towards earlier intervention and functional preservation, significantly lowering the economic and societal burden of age-related cognitive decline.

We invite contributions that explore and attempt to answer question on various aspects of the effect of GLP-1RAs in neurodegenerative diseases, including but not limited to:

• Expression of preproglucagon and GLP-1R in the central nervous system
• Effect of GLP-1RA on Alzheimer's disease
• Effect of GLP-1RA on Parkinson's disease
• Effect of GLP-1RA on motor functions
• Effect of GLP-1RA on cognition
• Are the effects of GLP-1RA on neurodegeneration confined to subjects with diabetes/obesity or are they independent of these conditions and applicable to the wider population?
• Are the effects on neurodegeneration specific to GLP-1RA or do other glucose-lowering agents have similar effects?
• Are improvements in neurodegeneration sustained after medication is stopped?
• Can new GLP-1RA analogues with greater blood-brain barrier penetration have enhanced effects?
• Would analogues with greater blood-brain barrier penetration have different toxicity or cause other adverse events?

Prof. Åke Sjöholm has received lecture and consultancy fees from Boehringer-Ingelheim, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Amarin, MSD, Amgen, Lilly, Bayer, Astrazeneca, Sanofi, Abbott Diabetes Care, Grünenthal Nordic, and Pfizer. Å.S. owns stock in Novo Nordisk. All other Topic Editors declare no competing interests with regards to the Research Topic subject

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: GLP-1, GLP-1RA, neurodegnerative disease, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.