A unimolecular GLP-1 and FGF21 dual agonist for treatment of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis
Parul Sirohi, Seh-Hoon Oh, Catherine G Price, Caslin A Gilroy, Joy Tong, Huaxia Cui, Danhong Lu, Rajesh Kumar Dutta, Anna Mae Diehl, Ashutosh Chilkoti · 2026
Read A unimolecular GLP-1 and FGF21 dual agonist for treatment of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis by Parul Sirohi, Seh-Hoon Oh, Catherine G Price, Caslin A Gilroy, Joy Tong, Huaxia Cui, Danhong Lu, Rajesh Kumar Dutta, Anna Mae Diehl, Ashutosh Chilkoti (2026) in the Tower of Babel, a free online library of public-domain works preserved in clean, searchable text. No sign-up. The full text is served as a plain-text file at a predictable URL, where text is present: https://antarctic-labs.com/tower-of-babel/PMC13612464.txt.
Description
Parul Sirohi leads a ten-author team fusing two metabolic hormones into a single drug for fatty liver disease in 2026. Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis scars the liver, and approved treatments remain scarce. GLP-1 and FGF21 each help through different routes, one governing appetite and glucose, the other liver chemistry. The team linked both hormones with a heat-responsive elastin-like polypeptide, creating one molecule that forms a slow-release depot under the skin.
Cell assays confirmed the chimera still activates both hormone receptors. In mice with diet-driven steatohepatitis and fibrosis, treatment improved body weight, liver mass, blood glucose, and cholesterol. Liver swelling and scarring eased, fat accumulation fell, and liver cells proliferated more. Inflammation and fibrotic gene markers dropped alongside. The authors present the dual agonist as proof that one long-acting molecule can press two metabolic levers at once, a strategy they argue deserves development.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Parul Sirohi, Seh-Hoon Oh, Catherine G Price, Caslin A Gilroy, Joy Tong, Huaxia Cui, Danhong Lu, Rajesh Kumar Dutta, Anna Mae Diehl, Ashutosh Chilkoti |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 51498 |
| LICENSE | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |