GLP-1 directed NMDA receptor antagonism for obesity treatment

The N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor is a glutamate-activated cation channel critical to many processes in the brain. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) suggest that glutamatergic neurotransmission and NMDA receptor-mediated synaptic plasticity is important for body weight homeostasis1. Here, we report the engineering and preclinical development of a first-in-class bimodal molecule that integrates NMDA receptor antagonism with glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonism to effectively reverse obesity, hyperglycemia, and dyslipidemia in rodent models of metabolic disease. We demonstrate that GLP-1-directed delivery of the NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 affects NMDA receptor-mediated synaptic plasticity in the hypothalamus. Importantly, peptide-targeting of MK-801 specifically to GLP-1 receptor-expressing brain regions circumvent adverse physiological and behavioral effects associated with MK-801 monotherapy. In sum, our approach demonstrates the feasibility of cell specific ionotropic receptor-modulation via peptide targeting and highlights the therapeutic potential of unimolecular mixed GLP-1 receptor agonism and NMDA receptor antagonism for obesity treatment.