A wound scratch assay was carried out on NHDF cells cultured with semaglutide at varied concentrations (management: medium solely; 11.25, 25.5, and 45 pg/mL) for twenty-four h. The pictures present the development of wound closure at totally different time factors. Horizontal arrows point out the width of the wound at every time level, demonstrating important wound closure in NHDF cells handled with semaglutide. Credit score: Pharmaceutics (2025). DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics17091115
GLP-1 receptor agonist medicine defend towards diabetic retinopathy, a standard complication of diabetes that may result in sight loss, suggests new analysis being offered on the annual assembly of the European Affiliation for the Research of Diabetes (EASD) in Vienna, Austria (15–19 September) and revealed within the journal Pharmaceutics.
GLP-1 medicine akin to semaglutide are extensively used to deal with kind 2 diabetes and weight problems. They do that by mimicking the motion of GLP-1, a hormone that helps the physique make extra insulin when wanted, slows down digestion, curbs urge for food and will increase emotions of fullness.
Many tissues across the physique have GLP-1 receptors (proteins that reply to the hormone) and up to date analysis has prompt the medicine even have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant results.
For instance, some research have indicated they cut back the chance of diabetic retinopathy, the main explanation for blindness amongst working-age adults. Greater than 90% of individuals with kind 1 diabetes and 50–60% of these with kind 2 diabetes develop this situation, through which excessive blood sugar ranges harm blood vessels within the light-sensitive tissue in the back of the attention.
“Diabetic retinopathy represents a major public health challenge,” says Ioanna Anastasiou, of the Nationwide and Kapodistrian College of Athens, Athens, Greece, who led the analysis.
“Globally, it’s projected that over 191 million individuals might be affected by it by 2030, with round 56 million experiencing vision-threatening phases of the illness.
“These statistics underscore the critical need for effective screening, early detection, and, crucially, more effective treatments.”
It’s thought that a lot of the harm to the retina is finished by free radicals, molecules that may harm cells and are produced in greater numbers when blood sugar is excessive. The speculation is that GLP-1 medicine defend the retina by growing ranges of antioxidants, compounds that neutralize free radicals.
Nonetheless, different research have prompt that GLP-1 medicine improve the chance of diabetic retinopathy or exacerbate it in those that have already got it.
To offer some readability, Dr. Anastasiou and colleagues carried out an in depth research of the impact of GLP-1 medicine on retinal cells in diabetes-like situations.
For the lab-based research, human retinal endothelial cells have been handled with a variety of various concentrations of semaglutide. The cells have been stored in media with excessive glucose ranges and oxidative stress (through which there are extra free radicals than antioxidants) for twenty-four hours.
They have been then put via a sequence of checks. The outcomes confirmed that the cells that have been handled with semaglutide have been as much as twice as more likely to nonetheless be alive than cells that have been untreated. In addition they had bigger shops of power.
Three markers of oxidative stress in diabetic retinopathy have been markedly decrease within the handled cells: ranges of apoptosis (a type of cell dying) decreased from roughly 50% in untreated cells to about 10% in semaglutide-treated cells; the manufacturing of mitochondrial superoxide (a free radical) decreased from about 90% to about 10%; and the buildup of dangerous compounds referred to as superior glycation end-products additionally fell considerably.
Additional evaluation confirmed that genes concerned within the manufacturing of antioxidants have been upregulated, or extra energetic, within the handled cells, in contrast with the untreated cells. This end result—and the improved survival—point out that semaglutide was repairing harm to the cells, says Dr. Anastasiou.
Checked out as a complete, the outcomes point out that GLP-1 receptor agonists improve retinal cells’ defenses towards harm in diabetes-like situations.
Dr. Anastasiou explains, “In experiments within the lab, GLP-1-receptor agonists exerted {powerful} antioxidant results which protected retinal cells towards the kind of harm that may happen in diabetes.
“Our research didn’t discover that these medicine harmed the retinal cells in any approach—as a substitute, it means that GLP1-receptor agonists defend towards diabetic retinopathy, significantly within the early phases.
“Excitingly, these medicine could possibly restore harm that has already been executed and so enhance sight.
“Clinical trials are now needed to confirm these protective effects in patients and explore whether GLP-1 receptor agonists can slow, or even halt, the progression of this vision-robbing condition.”
Extra data:
Ioanna A. Anastasiou et al, Semaglutide Enhances Mobile Regeneration in Pores and skin and Retinal Cells In Vitro, Pharmaceutics (2025). DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics17091115
Offered by
European Affiliation for the Research of Diabetes
Quotation:
Semaglutide offers {powerful} safety towards diabetic retinopathy, research suggests (2025, September 16)
retrieved 17 September 2025
from https://medicalxpress.com/information/2025-09-semaglutide-powerful-diabetic-retinopathy.html
This doc is topic to copyright. Other than any truthful dealing for the aim of personal research or analysis, no
half could also be reproduced with out the written permission. The content material is supplied for data functions solely.
