From bench to bedside: novel mechanisms and therapeutic advances through the development of selective peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ modulators

Abstract

Type 2 diabetes is a complex disease that requires long-term therapy aimed at multiple targets. At Experimental Biology 2009 (www.eb2009.org), held last April in New Orleans, LA, the American Society for Nutrition hosted the symposium “From bench to bedside: novel therapeutic advances through the development of selective peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) modulators.” Presenters addressed the latest science on novel pathways that regulate metabolism and insulin resistance, including fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) and adiponectin, as well as advances in our understanding of the biology of PPARγ, including modes of action and recently discovered side effects of PPARγ agonists. They also explored the pharmacologic and physiologic actions of FGF21 and adiponectin, metabolic regulators that could provide novel therapeutic opportunities in the future, as well as current data on selective PPARγ modulators. These molecules offer a new direction in the search for more specific PPARγ activators that will retain efficacy for the treatment of diabetes without major side effects.