“DPP- 4 inhibitor alleviates gut-brain axis Parkinson’s disease pathology” - can dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors be repurposed as disease-modifying drugs for body-first Parkinson’s disease patients?

In their manuscript, Jeong et al investigated the effect of sitagliptin, a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor (DPP-4is), in a rotenone-based mouse model of Parkinson’s disease (PD).1 The study explored the association between diabetes and PD, focusing on the potential therapeutic benefits of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1-R) agonists,2 given that DPP-4is are hypoglycaemic agents that enhance the bioavailability of GLP-1.3 However, the precise molecular mechanisms underlying the potential neuroprotective effects of DPP-4is remain unclear, which this study aimed to elucidate.