A new study has revealed that semaglutide, a widely used diabetes and weight loss drug, sold under the brand name Ozempic, could be helpful in the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease.
A team of researchers in China have used mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease to investigate the effects of the drug, sold under brand names such as Ozempic for type 2 diabetes and Wegovy for weight loss.
According to Science Alert, semaglutide appears to help immune cells switch to a more protective state. This suggests that its potential to slow or prevent disease progression.
“These behavioral results showed that exogenous administration of semaglutide significantly improved the learning, memory, and cognitive behavior disorders of 3xTg mice,” write the researchers in their published paper.
The researchers also said that treated mice showed reduced levels of molecules known to trigger inflammation in the brain, while boosting the number of molecules with anti-inflammatory properties, Science Alert said.
“We speculate that semaglutide shows an anti-inflammatory effect by promoting the transformation of microglia from M1 to M2 type in the brain of 3xTg mice, and thus exerts a neuroprotective effect,” write the researchers.
Although the link between semaglutide and protection against Alzheimer’s has been made before, scientists are still trying to figure out the extent of this protection and the mechanisms responsible for it.
The findings of the study were published in the Neuroscience recently.