Agonists of the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP1R) such as exendin-4 are used to treat type 2 diabetes. Koehler et al. have found that exendin-4 increases the size and number of colonic polyps in mice with the multiple intestinal neoplasia (Min) mutation in adenomatous polyposis coli (ApcMin/+ mice) in a fibroblast growth factor 7 (FGF7)-dependent manner. Furthermore, polyp number was reduced in ApcMin/+ mice that also lacked Glp1r. Whether long-term use of GLP1R agonists increases cancer risk should be studied.
References
Koehler, J. A. et al. GLP-1R agonists promote normal and neoplastic intestinal growth through mechanisms requiring Fgf7. Cell Metab. 21, 379–391 (2015)
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Seton-Rogers, S. Diabetes treatment and intestinal tumorigenesis. Nat Rev Cancer 15, 198 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrc3939
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrc3939
