Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1)

Abstract

The glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is a multifaceted hormone with broad pharmacological potential. Among the numerous metabolic effects of GLP-1 are the glucose-dependent stimulation of insulin secretion, decrease of gastric emptying, inhibition of food intake, increase of natriuresis and diuresis, and modulation of rodent β-cell proliferation. GLP-1 also has cardio- and neuroprotective effects, decreases inflammation and apoptosis, and has implications for learning and memory, reward behavior, and palatability. Biochemically modified for enhanced potency and sustained action, GLP-1 receptor agonists are successfully in clinical use for the treatment of type-2 diabetes, and several GLP-1-based pharmacotherapies are in clinical evaluation for the treatment of obesity. In this review, we provide a detailed overview on the multifaceted nature of GLP-1 and its pharmacology and discuss its therapeutic implications on various diseases. Since its discovery, GLP-1 has emerged as a pleiotropic hormone with a myriad of metabolic functions that go well beyond its classical identification as an incretin hormone. The numerous beneficial effects of GLP-1 render this hormone an interesting candidate for the development of pharmacotherapies to treat obesity, diabetes, and neurodegenerative disorders.

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Affiliated Institutions

• University of Tübingen DE
• Harvard University US
• Ruhr University Bochum DE
• Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute CA
• German Center for Diabetes Research DE
• University of Cambridge GB
• Duke University Hospital US
• St. Josef-Hospital DE
• Medical Research Council GB
• Helmholtz Zentrum München DE
• University of Toronto CA
• University of Ulster GB
• Wellcome Trust GB
• University of Pennsylvania US
• University of Copenhagen DK
• Deutsches Diabetes-Zentrum e.V. DE
• Technical University of Munich DE
• Addenbrooke's Hospital GB
• Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf DE
• Massachusetts General Hospital US
• Indiana University Bloomington US
• University of Cincinnati US
• Duke Medical Center US
• ETH Zurich CH
• Springhouse US
• University of Michigan US
• Imperial College London GB
• Novo Nordisk Foundation DK
• Novo Nordisk (Denmark) DK
• Janssen (United States) US
• Novo Nordisk (United States) US
• University of Cincinnati Medical Center US

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