Ars Live: What else can GLP-1 drugs do? Join us today for a discussion.

News and talk of GLP-1 drugs are everywhere these days—from their smash success in treating Type 2 diabetes and obesity to their astronomical pricing, drug shortages, compounding disputes, and what sometimes seems like an ever-growing list of other conditions the drugs could potentially treat. There are new headlines every day. Although the drugs have abruptly stolen the spotlight in recent years, researchers have been toiling away at developing and understanding them for decades, stretching back to the 1970s. Despite all the time and effort, the drugs still hold mysteries and unknowns. For instance, researchers thought for years that they worked directly in the gut to decrease blood sugar levels and make people feel full. After all, the drugs mimic an incretin hormone, glucagon-like peptide-1, that does exactly that. But, instead, studies have since found that they work in the brain. In fact, the molecular receptors for GLP-1 are sprinkled in many places around the body. They're found in the central nervous system, the heart, blood vessels, liver, and kidney. Their presence in the brain even plays a role in inflammation. As such, research on GLP-1 continues to flourish as scientists work to understand the role it could play in treating a range of other chronic conditions. With a rich history and landmark successes already on the books, GLP-1 drugs still have a lot ahead of them—and we're planning to discuss all of it in what will undoubtedly be a fascinating conversation Tuesday with Dr. Daniel Drucker. Drucker is a senior scientist at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute and professor of medicine at the University of Toronto. He was among the key contributing researchers to the earliest work on GLP-1 and has since spent his career working to understand the biology of this powerful hormone as well as how mimics can be used to treat diabetes, obesity, and other diseases. Please join us at 3:30 pm ET on October 29 on our YouTube livestream for the discussion. Add to Google Calendar Add to calendar (.ics download)