Preventative semaglutide and tirzepatide treatment does not alter disease progression in the 5xFAD mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

Abstract

There is growing evidence that long-acting mimetics of the gut-derived incretin hormones GLP-1 and GIP act as disease-modifying therapies for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, we temporally characterize the efficacy of the approved incretin receptor agonists semaglutide, a GLP-1R agonist, and tirzepatide, a GLP-1R/GIPR co-agonist, in preventing AD progression. In 5xFAD mice treated for 2 or 4 months, both incretin therapies lower body weight and improve glucose tolerance, yet neither compound produces measurable effects on memory or learning tasks, amyloid-β plaque deposition, or glial cell activation. In a non-amyloidogenic model, 3 days of incretin pre-treatment does not alter microglial activation or the expression of inflammatory markers following lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administration in mice. Our findings indicate that chronic semaglutide or tirzepatide treatment, even when initiated before overt pathology and delivered for a prolonged period, does not slow neuropathological progression in 5xFAD or LPS-treated mice.