The Potential Role of GLP1-RAs Against Anticancer-Drug Cardiotoxicity: A Scoping Review

Background: GLP1 receptor agonists (GLP1-RAs) have become a central component in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and are gaining prominence in the cardiovascular field. Semaglutide and other GLP1-RA molecules possess cardioprotective properties. Cardiotoxicity, a term used to refer to cardiovascular disease caused by anticancer treatment, is a collection of common and severe conditions. Its pharmacological prevention or mitigation is a clinical unmet need as options are few and limited to some specific clinical settings. GLP1-RAs have a promising pharmacological profile given their activity on a number of pathophysiological targets and signaling pathways including oxidative stress, autophagy, and STAT3 activation. Interestingly, abnormalities in some of the GLP-1-modulated pathways have been linked to cardiotoxicity. This scoping review aims to map the extent and assess the main characteristics of research on the role of GLP1-RAs in the prevention and/or mitigation of anticancer-related cardiotoxicity. Methods: The selection process led to the inclusion of thirteen studies chosen from reports retrieved through the search string: (“semaglutide” OR “exenatide” OR “liraglutide” OR “dulaglutide” OR “tirzepatide” OR “GLP1 receptor agonist” OR “GLP1RA” OR “GLP1-RA” OR “GLP1” OR “Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Agonists”) AND (“cardioncology” OR “cardiotoxicity” OR “chemotherapy” OR “anti-cancer treatment” OR “anti-cancer therapy”). The study complied with the PRISMA guidelines on scoping reviews. Results: Two studies were clinical and conducted on registries, eight used animal models, two were conducted on cell cultures, and one was conducted on both animal models and cell cultures. Evidence in favor of cardioprotection and a number of putative mechanisms emerged. Conclusions: Evidence on GLP1-RAs’ effect on cardiotoxicity is limited in both quantity and quality and suffers from poor study standardization. However, most included studies documented a rigorously defined cardioprotective effect and demonstrated changes in several pathophysiologically relevant targets and pathways, including NF-κB, IL-6, reactive oxygen species, and caspase-3. Further clinical studies are warranted.