Jens Juul Holst

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Jens Juul Holst
Born (1945-08-01) 1 August 1945 (age 79)
Copenhagen, Denmark
Alma mater University of Copenhagen
Scientific career
Fields
InstitutionsUniversity of Copenhagen

Jens Juul Holst (born 1 August 1945) is a Danish physician and physiologist. He is known for discovering and describing the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), a hormone in the gut that plays an important role in the onset and development of Type 2 diabetes. [1] In collaboration with researcher and author Arne Astrup, he discovered that GLP-1 acts as a satiety hormone in humans [2] .

In 2020, he was awarded the Warren Alpert Foundation Prize along Daniel J. Drucker and Joel F. Habener. [3]

In 2021, he was awarded the Canada Gairdner International Award along Daniel J. Drucker, Joel F. Habener, and Mary-Claire King. [4] He was also awarded the Banting Medal by the American Diabetes Association (ADA). [5]

In 2024, he was awarded the Princess of Asturias Awards for Technical and Scientific Research along Daniel J. Drucker, Jeffrey M. Friedman, Joel F. Habener, and Svetlana Mojsov. [6] and also in 2024 he received the Tang Prize in the category of "Biopharmaceutical Science". [7]

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The Princess of Asturias Awards, formerly the Prince of Asturias Awards from 1981 to 2014, are a series of annual prizes awarded in Spain by the Princess of Asturias Foundation to individuals, entities or organizations from around the world who make notable achievements in the sciences, humanities, and public affairs.

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Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is a 30- or 31-amino-acid-long peptide hormone deriving from the tissue-specific posttranslational processing of the proglucagon peptide. It is produced and secreted by intestinal enteroendocrine L-cells and certain neurons within the nucleus of the solitary tract in the brainstem upon food consumption. The initial product GLP-1 (1–37) is susceptible to amidation and proteolytic cleavage, which gives rise to the two truncated and equipotent biologically active forms, GLP-1 (7–36) amide and GLP-1 (7–37). Active GLP-1 protein secondary structure includes two α-helices from amino acid position 13–20 and 24–35 separated by a linker region.

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Semaglutide is an antidiabetic medication used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and an anti-obesity medication used for long-term weight management. It is a peptide similar to the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), modified with a side chain. It can be administered by subcutaneous injection or taken orally. It is sold under the brand names Ozempic and Rybelsus for diabetes, and under the brand name Wegovy for weight loss.

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Joel Habener is a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Svetlana Mojsov is a Macedonian American, ex- Yugoslavian-born chemist who is a research associate professor at Rockefeller University. Her research considers peptide synthesis. She discovered the glucagon-like peptide-1 and uncovered its role in glucose metabolism and the secretion of insulin. Her breakthroughs were transformed by Novo Nordisk into therapeutic agents against diabetes and obesity.

Cagrilintide/semaglutide, marketed as CagriSema, is a combination of cagrilintide, a dual amylin and calcitonin receptor agonist, and semaglutide, a GLP-1 agonist. It is injected once weekly and is being tested in type 2 diabetes and obesity. Preliminary trial results found a greater weight loss compared to either medication alone. HbA1c was significantly improved compared to cagrilintide alone and non-significantly better than semaglutide alone. In a Phase II trial, weight loss averaged -15.6 percent after 32 weeks, making CagriSema comparable in efficacy to tirzepatide. A future trial sponsored by Novo Nordisk is comparing tirzepatide and CagriSema head-to-head. As of 2023, CagriSema is in a Phase III trial, compare the safety and efficacy of CagriSema Injection with Semaglutide in obese and overweight patients.

Lotte Bjerre Knudsen is a Danish scientist and university professor. She led the development of liraglutide and semaglutide, two notable drugs approved for indications in the treatment of diabetes and obesity.

Arne Vernon Astrup is a Danish nutritionist, chief physician, researcher, author and professor. He is known as a researcher, communicator and author and has published more than 900 scientific articles. In 2018 he was internationally recognised as one of the world's most cited researchers. Arne Astrup has contributed to the identification of GLP-1 as a satiety hormone, which has played a key role in the development of GLP-1 drugs for the treatment of obesity, which has contributed to the success of Novo Nordisk A/S and their drug Wegovy.

References

  1. Singh G, Krauthamer M, Bjalme-Evans M (January 2022). "Wegovy (semaglutide): a new weight loss drug for chronic weight management". Journal of Investigative Medicine. 70 (1): 5–13. doi:10.1136/jim-2021-001952. PMC   8717485 . PMID   34706925.
  2. Astrup, Arne (2024). "Reflections on the discovery GLP-1 as a satiety hormone: Implications for obesity therapy and future directions". European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 78 (7): 551–556. doi:10.1038/s41430-024-01460-6. ISSN   0954-3007. PMID   38890501.
  3. Prize Recipients | Warren Alpert Foundation Prize
  4. "2021 Canada Gairdner Awards Recognize World-Renowned Scientists For Transformative Contributions To Research Impacting Human Health". 7 April 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  5. "Exceptional Leaders in Diabetes Research, Prevention and Treatment to be Recognized at ADA's 81st Scientific Sessions" (PDF; 269 kB). diabetes.org. American Diabetes Association. 2021-03-08.
  6. "Daniel J. Drucker, Jeffrey M. Friedman, Joel F. Habener, Jens Juul Holst, and Svetlana Mojsov, Princess of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research 2024". Princess of Asturias Foundation. 5 June 2024.
  7. Tang Prize 2024