Cortés-Martín A, Plaza-Diaz J. Exploring the therapeutic potential of glucagon-like peptide 1 agonists in metabolic disorders. World J Gastroenterol 2025; 31(4): 101436 [DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v31.i4.101436]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Julio Plaza-Diaz, PhD, School of Health Sciences, Universidad Internacional de La Rioja, Avenida de la Paz 137, Logroño 26006, La Rioja, Spain. julioramon.plaza@unir.net
Research Domain of This Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Article-Type of This Article
Letter to the Editor
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Gastroenterol. Jan 28, 2025; 31(4): 101436 Published online Jan 28, 2025. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v31.i4.101436
Exploring the therapeutic potential of glucagon-like peptide 1 agonists in metabolic disorders
Adrián Cortés-Martín, Julio Plaza-Diaz
Adrián Cortés-Martín, Promoting Fitness and Health Through Physical Activity Research Group, Sport and Health University Research Institute, University of Granada, Granada 18016, Andalusia, Spain
Julio Plaza-Diaz, School of Health Sciences, Universidad Internacional de La Rioja, Logroño 26006, La Rioja, Spain
Author contributions: Cortés-Martín A and Plaza-Diaz J designed the overall concept and outline of the manuscript, reviewed the literature, wrote and edited the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Julio Plaza-Diaz, PhD, School of Health Sciences, Universidad Internacional de La Rioja, Avenida de la Paz 137, Logroño 26006, La Rioja, Spain. julioramon.plaza@unir.net
Received: September 14, 2024 Revised: October 28, 2024 Accepted: November 20, 2024 Published online: January 28, 2025 Processing time: 107 Days and 4.3 Hours
Abstract
This article comments on the work by Soresi and Giannitrapani. The authors have stated that one of the most novel and promising treatments for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is the use of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists, especially when used in combination therapy. However, despite their notable efficacy, these drugs were not initially designed to target MASLD directly. In a groundbreaking development, the Food and Drug Administration has recently approved resmetirom, the first treatment specifically aimed at reducing liver fibrosis in metabolic-associated steatohepatitis. Resmetirom, an orally administered, liver-directed thyroid hormone beta-selective agonist, acts directly on intrahepatic pathways, enhancing its therapeutic potential and marking the beginning of a new era in the treatment of MASLD. Furthermore, the integration of lifestyle modifications into liver disease management is an essential component that should be considered and reinforced. By incorporating dietary changes and regular physical exercise into treatment, patients may achieve improved outcomes, reducing the need for pharmacological interventions and/or improving treatment efficacy. As a complement to medical therapies, lifestyle factors should not be overlooked in the broader strategy for managing MASLD.
Core Tip: This article comments on the work by Soresi and Giannitrapani concerning glucagon-like peptide 1 agonists as potentially useful drugs to treat metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease. The integration of dietary changes and regular physical exercise into treatment may improve patient outcomes. These lifestyle adjustments may reduce the reliance on pharmacological interventions and/or increase the effectiveness of existing treatments. Therefore, lifestyle factors should not be overlooked in the broader strategy to manage metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, since they complement medical therapies.
