Cancer-killing Properties of Popular Obesity Drug Unveiled

The Kathleen Londsdale Institute for Human Health studies at Maynooth University has recently published studies on the benefits of GLP-1, a common obesity treatment medicine.
Previous study has indicated that persons who are obese are more likely to get cancer, in part because their anticancer immune cells—better known as the ‘Natural Killer (NK)’ cell—are made ineffective as a result of their condition.
Dr. Andrew Hogan and his team at Maynooth University’s Londsdale Health Institute discovered that the popular and gold-standard pharmacological treatment for obesity, Glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) analogues, can actually restore NK cell function in the body, including its ability to kill cancerous cells.

Obesity, which has been related to an increased risk of cancer, is estimated to affect 13% of the global adult population, according to the World Health Organization. Each year, these malignancies account for 40% of all cancers diagnosed in the United States.

The study, published in the journal Obesity, also demonstrates that the restored cancer-killing activity of NK cells is independent of the GLP-1’s major weight reduction action, implying that the medication is directly reactivating the NK cells’ engine.

Dr. Andrew E. Hogan, Associate Professor & Principal Investigator, Lonsdale Human Health Institute in Maynooth University discussed the findings: “My team and I are very excited by these new findings in relation to the effects of the GLP-1 treatment on people with obesity and it appears to result in real tangible benefits for those currently on the drug.”

While these findings will understandably be welcomed by those living with obesity and looking for safe and effective treatments, given the recent spike in popularity related to the benefits of the GLP-1 treatment with global and high-profile celebrities commenting on its success, global demand has increased and resulted in a worldwide shortage of the drug.

“I hope this is something that is brought under control to ensure as many people as possible living with obesity can start their own treatment of this beneficial drug.”

Conor de Barra, Ph.D. student in immunology at Maynooth University and Irish Research Council Scholar, who led the work in Dr. Hogan’s lab said, “People with obesity can develop a variety of health problems like type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea and cancer. These can have very negative impacts on their quality of life. This research and other promising findings on improvements in cardiovascular health after GLP-1 therapy indicate its potential benefits in addition to weight-loss.

Prof Donal O’Shea, HSE National Lead for Obesity & Principal Investigator, said, “We are finally reaching the point where medical treatments for the disease of obesity are being shown to prevent the complications of having obesity. The current findings represent very positive news for people living with obesity on GLP-1 therapy and suggest the benefits of this family of treatments may extend to a reduction in cancer risk.”

Dr. Hogan will present these findings at the 30th European Congress on Obesity on May 20th in Dublin.

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