Originally developed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) have more recently been used in obesity management and metabolic disease. Emerging research now suggests that GLP-1 RAs may also play a role in managing inflammatory conditions, providing clinical relevance beyond their original uses.
- GLP-1 RAs are being explored for their anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects in chronic dermatologic diseases such as psoriasis and hidradenitis suppurativa.
- Clinical evidence suggests that GLP-1 RAs may improve psoriasis severity, metabolic profiles, and inflammatory markers, indicating a potential shift in treatment strategies.
New Use Cases
“The list goes on and on as we look at where GLP-1 receptors are located throughout the body,” said Fatima C. Stanford, MD, MPH, MPA, MBA, MACP, FAAP, FAHA, FAMWA, FTOS, an obesity medicine physician-scientist at Massachusetts General Hospital and associate professor of medicine and pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. “We are going to continue to see use case scenarios for GLP-1 receptor agonists as we think about chronic inflammation in the body and how these can play a role in treating, not only cardiometabolic disease, but other inflammatory conditions as well.”
First approved by the FDA in 2005 for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, GLP-1 therapies were later expanded for use in patients with overweight and obesity. Since then, researchers have discovered that GLP-1s offer benefits across multiple specialties including hepatology, nephrology, and cardiology. Emerging data also suggest that the benefits of GLP-1 treatment may extend to dermatologic and rheumatologic conditions, such as psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis.
“We are still at the frontier of understanding how GLP-1 RAs influence cutaneous biology, from immune modulation [and] adipokine signaling to possible effects on skin-resident stem cells and wound healing,” said Adam Friedman, MD, professor and chair of dermatology at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
Preclinical studies with liraglutide have demonstrated reductions in epidermal hyperplasia and inflammatory cytokines in murine models, while early human studies have reported improvements in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) scores — supporting a possible direct dermatologic benefit in inflammatory skin disease.
Obesity, Inflammation, and Dermatology
Philip Mease, MD, director of rheumatology research at the Swedish Medical Center/Providence St. Joseph Health and clinical professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine, outlined the connection between GLP-1 therapy and inflammation.
“We know that the presence of obesity contributes to the inflammatory burden,” Dr. Mease explained. “The various adipokines and other aspects of visceral fat especially contribute to inflammation. We also see that increased activity of pro-inflammatory cells and cytokines produced from fat tissue generate more inflammation in the body in general.”
As GLP-1 use continues to expand — approximately one in eight adults report taking a GLP-1 RA, according to a new KFF Health Tracking Poll — these medications are increasingly being used to address inflammation in new ways, signaling a shift in inflammatory disease treatment.
“Two or three years ago, when I lectured about GLP-1s to a rheumatology or dermatology audience, maybe a handful would raise their hands as being aware of their use and potential benefit,” Dr. Mease said. “Now when I ask the same question, more than half the people in the audience are either trying to prescribe these themselves or are working with people to get access to these drugs. Patients are even starting to learn about this and bring it up.”
Clinically, semaglutide (the synthetic analog of the GLP-1 hormone) has shown promise in patients with coexisting psoriasis, obesity, and diabetes. Large-scale combination trials, including those evaluating GLP-1 therapy alongside biologics, are expected to provide further insight into their role in inflammatory disease management.
