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Semaglutide ameliorates Alzheimer's disease and restores oxytocin in APP/PS1 mice and human brain organoid models.

Biomed Pharmacother · 2024

Last updated 2026-05-28

In lab tests on mice and human brain organoid models of Alzheimer’s disease, the drug semaglutide improved learning and memory, reduced brain deposits linked to Alzheimer’s, and increased levels of the hormone oxytocin. The same effects were seen in both mouse brain tissue and human brain organoid samples after treatment.

AI summary of the abstract below.

JournalBiomed Pharmacother, 2024
Citations21
Relative citation ratio4.21
NIH percentile90
Molecules semaglutide
Conditions studied Alzheimers

Abstract

AIMS: To investigate the therapeutic effects and mechanisms of Semaglutide in Alzheimer's disease (AD), and identify its potential targets. METHODS: We systematically evaluated the effect of Semaglutide on Alzheimer's disease (AD), using both mice and human organoid models. RESULTS: Behavioral analyses on APP/PS1 mice demonstrated that Semaglutide improved the cognitive capabilities, particularly in the learning and memory domains. Biochemical investigations further highlighted its role in reducing amyloid plaque deposition and down-regulating the expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba1) expression in the mouse brain tissues. Meanwhile, oxytocin (OXT) was up-regulated after Semaglutide treatment. Subsequent studies using human AD-brain organoids (BOs) models revealed that, upon Semaglutide treatment, these AD-BO models also exhibited reduced levels of amyloid-beta (Aβ), phosphorylated Tau (p-Tau) and GFAP expression as well as increased OXT level. CONCLUSIONS: Semaglutide can ameliorate Alzheimer's disease in pre-clinical models, suggesting the promising therapeutic potential in AD patients.

Verbatim abstract via PubMed 39405916 ↗

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