Brain fuel mystery: could glucagon be the key?
NCT ID NCT07350512
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This pilot study will test how the hormone glucagon affects brain function and sugar metabolism in 15 healthy adults. Participants receive an intravenous infusion of alanine, which triggers glucagon release, while researchers measure changes in blood sugar and other markers. The goal is to understand glucagon's role in the brain, which could lead to new insights into metabolic and cognitive health.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- alanine
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could reveal how glucagon influences brain energy use and thinking, possibly pointing to new ways to treat metabolic or cognitive disorders.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very early, small pilot study in healthy people, so results may not apply to patients. It only looks at short-term effects, not long-term benefits or risks.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 15 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Jan 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Jan 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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25 to 70 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Capable of understanding the participant information and signing the consent form * Between 25 and 70 years of age at the time of screening * Body mass index (BMI) ≤ 25 kg/m2 at the time of screening Exclusion Criteria: * Enrolment in other research projects that might interfere with the study * Diabetes diagnosis (type 1 and 2) * Pregnancy or breastfeeding * Use of medications which, in the opinion of the investigator, may jeopardise participant's safety or compliance with the protocol * Impaired liver function defined as either alanine aminotransferase (ALAT) and/or aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT) ≥ 2 times normal values * Kidney disease defined as serum creatinine levels ≥ 126 μmol/L for male and ≥ 111 μmol/L for female * Inadequately treated blood pressure at screening defined as repeated resting blood pressure outside the range 90-150 mmHg for systolic and 50-100 mmHg for diastolic * Active or recent malignant disease * Current or history of severe alcohol use or drug/chemical abuse as per investigator's judgement * Any chronic disorders or severe diseases which, in the opinion of the investigator, might jeopardise participant's safety or compliance with the protocol
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Copenhagen University Hospital - Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg
Copenhagen, Denmark
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