Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists as Potential Myelination-Inducible and Anti-Demyelinating Remedies

Kazunori Sango; Shizuka Takaku; Masami Tsukamoto; Naoko Niimi; Hideji Yako

doi:10.3389/fcell.2022.950623

Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists as Potential Myelination-Inducible and Anti-Demyelinating Remedies

Front Cell Dev Biol. 2022 Jul 6:10:950623. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2022.950623. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Kazunori Sango¹, Shizuka Takaku¹, Masami Tsukamoto¹, Naoko Niimi¹, Hideji Yako¹

Affiliation

¹ Diabetic Neuropathy Project, Department of Diseases and Infection, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

Abstract

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) were developed as insulinotropic and anti-hyperglycemic agents for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, but their neurotrophic and neuroprotective activities have been receiving increasing attention. Myelin plays a key role in the functional maintenance of the central and peripheral nervous systems, and recent in vivo and in vitro studies have shed light on the beneficial effects of GLP-1RAs on the formation and protection of myelin. In this article, we describe the potential efficacy of GLP-1RAs for the induction of axonal regeneration and remyelination following nerve lesions and the prevention and alleviation of demyelinating disorders, particularly multiple sclerosis.

Keywords: Schwann cells; axonal injury; diabetic neuropathy (DN); glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists; multiple sclerosis (MS); neuroprotection; olfactory ensheathing cells; oligodendrocytes.

Publication types

Review