Liraglutide reduces multiple sclerosis severity in mice by suppressing pro-inflammatory Th1 immune cells | Research

The takeaway

In EAE mice (MS model), liraglutide reduced maximum clinical scores from 2.50 to 1.75 (p=0.005) by decreasing splenic Th1 cell proportions from 11.95% to 5.94% (p=0.025), providing direct evidence of peripheral immunomodulation.

Th1 cells halved
Liraglutide reduced pro-inflammatory Th1 cells from 12% to 6% in EAE mice, providing a specific immunological mechanism for its MS disease-modifying effect

What the researchers found

Max clinical score: 2.50 (EAE) vs 1.75 (EAE+liraglutide), p=0.005. Th1 cells: 11.95%→5.94% with liraglutide (p=0.025). Treg: no significant change. Body weight: no significant difference. n=10 per treatment group.

Why it matters

This provides the first direct evidence that a GLP-1 drug modifies MS-like disease through specific immune cell modulation (Th1 suppression), moving beyond general anti-inflammatory effects to a defined immunological mechanism.

How the study worked

EAE induced in C57BL/6 mice via MOG immunization. 3 groups: control (n=8), EAE (n=10), EAE+liraglutide (n=10). Liraglutide 10 µg/kg SC every other day from day 8. Flow cytometry of splenocytes at day 20.

What this study cannot tell us

Preliminary study with small groups (n=10). Only splenic T cells analyzed—brain-infiltrating cells not assessed. Treg effect may need longer treatment. EAE is a simplified MS model.

How to read the evidence

Preliminary preclinical study with small groups. Clear mechanism identified but needs replication and expansion.

When this study was published

Published in 2025.

The bigger picture

GLP-1 drugs are accumulating evidence for neuroprotection in multiple neurological conditions. This study adds a specific immunological mechanism—Th1 suppression—supporting GLP-1 drug repurposing for autoimmune neurological diseases.

Questions still open

Does liraglutide also modify T cell responses within the CNS?
Would higher doses or longer treatment show Treg effects?
Could liraglutide complement existing MS immunotherapies?

Common questions

Could a diabetes drug treat multiple sclerosis?

This mouse study shows liraglutide reduced MS-like disease severity by specifically suppressing the pro-inflammatory immune cells (Th1) that attack nerve insulation. While very preliminary, it adds to growing evidence that GLP-1 drugs may have a role in treating autoimmune neurological conditions.

How does liraglutide affect the immune system in MS?

MS is partly driven by overactive Th1 immune cells. In this study, liraglutide halved the proportion of Th1 cells in the spleen, reducing the inflammatory attack on nerve tissue. This is a peripheral immunomodulatory effect—the drug modified immune cell balance outside the brain.

Read the original research

Liraglutide Attenuates Disease Severity in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis by Modulating Splenic T Helper Cell Subsets.

Brain and behavior, 15(11), e71074

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Song, Shuang; Li, Bin; Guo, Ruoyi; Zhou, Yi; Xue, Yumei; Guo, Li. (2025). Liraglutide Attenuates Disease Severity in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis by Modulating Splenic T Helper Cell Subsets.. Brain and behavior, 15(11), e71074. https://doi.org/10.1002/brb3.71074