<p>This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.</p> <p>Since its identification as the receptor for antidiabetic
thiazolidinedione drugs, peroxisome proliferator-activated
receptor-<italic>γ</italic> (PPAR<italic>γ</italic>) has been the focus of pharmaceutical
drug discovery programs directed toward finding better
drugs for the treatment of diabetes, as well as the object
of basic research aimed at understanding its role in
the regulation of metabolism. We now understand a great
deal about the crucial role that PPAR<italic>γ</italic> plays in adipocyte
differentiation and development, and are rapidly gaining
knowledge about the role of the receptor in the regulation
of metabolism. However, many crucial aspects of the molecular
mechanism by which modulation of PPAR<italic>γ</italic> activity
affects insulin resistance and glucose homeostasis are still
not clearly understood. Here the authors review the current
status of PPAR<italic>γ</italic> research, with an emphasis on its role in
the causes and treatment of type 2 diabetes.</p>
[]
Exp Diabesity Res. 2004; 5(2):99-109