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<i>Akkermansia muciniphila</i> and GLP-1-Based Therapies: Bidirectional Interactions and Implications for Type 2 Diabetes and MASLD/MASH.

Biomedicines · 2026

Last updated 2026-07-22
JournalBiomedicines, 2026
Citations0
Molecules

Abstract

The global burden of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) continues to rise at an alarming pace, with substantial pathophysiological overlap driven by insulin resistance, visceral obesity, and chronic low-grade inflammation. MASLD may progress to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), with increased risk of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1)-based therapies have transformed the management of T2DM and obesity. They exert pleiotropic effects whose basis remains incompletely understood. Concurrently, has emerged as a keystone gut microbiota species with demonstrated hepatoprotective potential in preclinical models of MASLD/MASH. This narrative review positions simultaneously as a target of GLP-1-mediated microbiome remodeling and as an independent modulator of hepatoprotection in MASLD/MASH. A structured search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science (last searched: 12 April 2026) was conducted using terms related to , GLP-1 receptor agonists, MASLD/MASH and T2DM. A total of 174 records were identified. Of these, 148 were excluded due to duplication or non-relevant study design. 26 studies (23 preclinical, 3 clinical) were included in the synthesis, directly addressing . Preclinical evidence demonstrates that liraglutide, semaglutide, exenatide, and tirzepatide increase abundance, while in turn enhances endogenous GLP-1 secretion via the P9/ICAM-2 axis, forming a hypothetical positive feedback loop. A working mechanistic model integrating these bidirectional interactions is proposed, alongside a discussion of current limitations and future research priorities, including microbiome-guided clinical trials in MASLD/MASH populations.

Verbatim abstract via PubMed 42351662 ↗