Edgar181 [Public domain] via Wikimedia CommonsThiazolidinediones are used to treat type 2 diabetes by targeting the insulin resistance that characterizes the disease through activation of the receptor PPARγ. This improves insulin sensitivity but also contributes to side effects such as weight gain, edema, increased risk of bone fractures and, for certain drugs, organ toxicity and cardiovascular problems. Such side effects may be severe enough to discourage people from taking the drugs. Hence, physicians and researchers have been seeking new therapies for improving insulin sensitivity without activating PPARγ.
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