Research group Group Bengtsson

Diabetes is one of the fastest-growing diseases in the world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the number of people living with the condition has quadrupled globally since the 1980s. Several major research projects at Stockholm University are exploring fundamental factors that may help prevent or even reverse diabetes, including approaches that aim to activate the body’s own immune system.

Pioneering research at Stockholm University paves the way for development of a new first-in-class oral therapy to combat obesity and diabetes. Scientific research from the Tore Bengtsson group at the Department of Molecular Biosciences has evolved into a potential new anti-obesity and diabetes drug, with groundbreaking results published in the journal Cell. The drug, ATR-258, utilizes the β2-adrenergic receptor to produce exercise-like effects. In models of obesity and diabetes, it drove healthy weight loss by reducing fat while preserving muscle, an effect also observed in models of sarcopenia. Crucially, ATR-258 was shown to rescue the muscle loss induced by GLP-1 analogue therapies, addressing a major drawback of current leading treatments. After successful first-in-human studies, the drug is now advancing to Phase 2 clinical trials. The paper’s findings highlight that the β2-adrenergic receptor is not a simple “on/off” switch, but an allosteric multiprocessor that can activate distinct signalling pathways. The Bengtsson group designed ATR-258 to steer the receptor towards beneficial pathways that stimulate skeletal muscle glucose uptake and protein synthesis, while avoiding the cAMP pathway linked to cardiovascular risks. Compared with existing β2-agonists, ATR-258 was deemed safe and well-tolerated in initial human studies, providing a strong foundation for further clinical development.

Lower blood sugar and increased fat burning – without negatively affecting appetite or muscle mass. These are some of the most promising effects of a new potential drug treatment for people with type 2 diabetes and obesity, according to a new study published in the journal Cell by researchers from Stockholm University and Karolinska Institutet. The new drug, which is taken in tablet form, has a completely different mechanism of action than the well-known GLP-1-based drugs, such as Ozempic, which is administered via injections. GLP-1 drugs affect hunger via signals between the gut and the brain, but often have side effects such as loss of appetite, reduced muscle mass, and gastrointestinal problems. The new substance instead activates metabolism in skeletal muscle. In animal studies, the treatment has shown good effects on both blood sugar control and body composition, but without the side effects associated with today’s GLP-1-based drugs. An initial phase I clinical trial involving 48 healthy subjects and 25 people with type 2 diabetes shows that humans also tolerate the treatment well.

Tore Bengtsson and his group at the Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, have been awarded a SEK 2 million grant from Diabetes Wellness Sverige for their research on a new treatment of type 2 diabetes. The grant is awarded the project "Novel selectively targeted stimulation of the β2-adrenoceptor for the treatment of type 2 diabetes", in which Tore Bengtsson and his group introduce a new way for the body to control its blood sugar levels. The novel method helps the body to lower its blood sugar levels by stimulating a cellular receptor called the β2-adrenoceptor (β2-AR) in a new way. This has the potential to lead to the development of new drugs, and to revolutionize how doctors treat diabetes. Read more (in Swedish)