A popular anti-obesity drug was found to restore the function of cancer-targeting immune cells, regardless of whether the treatment resulted in weight loss.
In a small trial led by a team of Irish researchers, semaglutidedrugs used to treat type 2 diabetes may also help reduce cellular metabolic problems in obese patients, which may explain the higher incidence of cancer and infections. There is a nature.
weight loss It was all unexpected side effects A drug used by diabetics to control blood sugar levels. It works by mimicking a gut hormone called GLP1, making users feel fuller for longer and reducing appetite.
Semaglutide now appears to have another potentially beneficial effect for obese people. It restores the function of immune cells called natural killer cells that lead the attack against cancer and infectious diseases.
“We are finally reaching the stage where a cure for obesity disease is shown to prevent the complications of obesity.” To tell Endocrinologist and co-author Donal O’Shea of University College Dublin.
“The results of this study are very positive news for obese people receiving GLP-1 therapy and suggest that the benefits of this line of therapy may extend to reducing cancer risk. ing.”
It’s hard to draw this out of a small study of 20 people, but it’s plausible that restoring natural killer cells to full fighting potential could help reduce cancer risk. we just haven’t seen it yet.
natural killer cells They are part of the body’s innate immune system, the first line of defense that springs into action at the first smell of an intruder. They are known to target cancer cells and fight infections.
However, obese people show marked dysfunction in their immune systems, which is linked to the fact that they are also more susceptible to developing other chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and many types of cancer. There is a possibility that It can also be made worse by an infection such as the flu or COVID-19.
Given the overlap between diabetes and obesity, O’Shea et al. decided to see if repurposing semaglutide in the latter could help correct some of the immune imbalances seen in obesity. I’m interested.
The study recruited 20 obese people without diabetes who were about to start weekly semaglutide therapy for weight control and examined samples of circulating immune cells after 6 months of treatment.
In a series of lab-based tests, the researchers found that the participants’ natural killer cells were no longer in a slump and began producing normally needed signaling molecules called cytokines. The total number of natural killer cells in the patient’s blood sample was unchanged compared to baseline, but their function was restored.
Without a control group, I don’t know how this compares to non-obese people on semaglutide or obese people on placebo. However, it provides a good starting point for further research exploring how existing drugs can help address some of the comorbidities of obesity.
Investigators are particularly interested in understanding how cellular metabolism underpins immune dysfunction in obesity, as it appears to regulate the activity of natural killer cells, which may be of interest in this context. It could tie the whole story together.
“Cellular metabolism is a critical requirement for natural killer cell function and may determine the magnitude of the response,” O’Shea et al. write in a published paper. “Once activated, natural killer cells are formed and directed by intrinsic metabolic processes and nutrient availability.”
Another interesting point is that only about half of the study participants lost weight on semaglutide. This suggests that the restorative effects of semaglutide on immune cells may be independent of weight loss.
However, the main feature of semaglutide is weight loss.Earlier this year, the popularity surged among celebrities spurred a global shortage Semaglutide marketed in the United States under the name Ozempic. Diabetics were in a race To find a weekly medication to keep blood sugar from rising to dangerous levels.
“We hope that this will be curtailed so that as many people as possible living with obesity can begin their own treatment with this beneficial drug.” To tell According to Andrew Hogan, a senior immunologist at Ireland’s Maynooth University.
This research obesity.
