Repurposed Analog of GLP-1 Ameliorates Hyperglycemia in Type 1 Diabetic Mice Through Pancreatic Cell Reprogramming.
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ABSTRACT: Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease caused by the destruction of the insulin-producing ?-cells. An ideal immunotherapy should combine the blockade of the autoimmune response with the recovery of functional target cell mass. With the aim to develop new therapies for type 1 diabetes that could contribute to ?-cell mass restoration, a drug repositioning analysis based on systems biology was performed to identify the ?-cell regenerative potential of commercially available compounds. Drug repositioning is a strategy used for identifying new uses for approved drugs that are outside the scope of the medical indication. A list of 28 non-synonymous repurposed drug candidates was obtained, and 16 were selected as diabetes mellitus type 1 treatment candidates regarding pancreatic ?-cell regeneration. Drugs with poor safety profile were further filtered out. Lastly, we selected liraglutide for its predictive efficacy values for neogenesis, transdifferentiation of ?-cells, and/or replication of pre-existing ?-cells. Liraglutide is an analog of glucagon-like peptide-1, a drug used in patients with type 2 diabetes. Liraglutide was tested in immunodeficient NOD-Scid IL2rg -/- (NSG) mice with type 1 diabetes. Liraglutide significantly improved the blood glucose levels in diabetic NSG mice. During the treatment, a significant increase in ?-cell mass was observed due to a boost in ?-cell number. Both parameters were reduced after withdrawal. Interestingly, islet bihormonal glucagon+insulin+ cells and insulin+ ductal cells arose during treatment. In vitro experiments showed an increase of insulin and glucagon gene expression in islets cultured with liraglutide in normoglycemia conditions. These results point to ?-cell replacement, including transdifferentiation and neogenesis, as aiding factors and support the role of liraglutide in ?-cell mass restoration in type 1 diabetes. Understanding the mechanism of action of this drug could have potential clinical relevance in this autoimmune disease.
SUBMITTER: Villalba A
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7237704 | biostudies-literature | 2020
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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