Work

Farnesoid X Receptor an Emerging Target to Combat Obesity

Year: 2017

Type: article

Abstract: Obesity and its associated diseases, including type 2 diabetes, have reached epidemic levels worldwide. However, available treatment options are limited and ineffective in managing the disease. There is therefore an urgent need for the development of new pharmacological solutions. The bile acid (BA) Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) has recently emerged as an attractive candidate. Initially described for their role in lipid and vitamin absorption from diet, BAs are hormones with powerful effects on whole body lipid and glucose metabolism. In this review, we focus on FXR and how 2 decades of work on this receptor, both in rodents and humans, have led to the development of drug agonists with potential use in humans for treatment of conditions ranging from obesity-associated diseases to BA dysregulation.

Source: Digestive Diseases

DOI: 10.1159/000450909

Authors: C. Daniel De Magalhaes Filho, Michael Downes, Ronald M. Evans

Institution: Salk Institute for Biological Studies

Language: English

Topic: Drug Transport and Resistance Mechanisms

Subfield: Oncology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences