Long-term use of liraglutide, a substance that helps to lower blood sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes, can have a deteriorating effect on insulin-producing beta cells, leading to an increase in blood sugar levels.

The study on mice implanted with human insulin-producing cells was conducted by a team of scientists from KarolinskaInstitutet, Sweden, and the University of Miami, US.

The researchers flag the possible consequences of this popular form of therapy in the forthcoming issue of the journal ‘Cell Metabolism’.