JUPITER, Fla., Jan. 9, 2026 — Using a blend of computer modeling, structural and cell-based studies, scientists at The Wertheim UF Scripps Institute have designed a group of potential diabetes drugs that reprogram insulin-resistant cells into a healthier state while limiting side effect risks of older medications.
An estimated 36 million people in the United States live with Type 2 diabetes, a condition that develops when the body becomes resistant to insulin, the hormone that enables cells to metabolize sugar. About a third of people with this condition also have chronic kidney disease, complicating their treatment options.
In a new study, molecular biologist Patrick Griffin, Ph.D., scientific director of The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology, and his graduate student, Kuang-Ting Kuo, describe their methods for developing potential insulin-sensitizing medications. The compounds target a master regulator of fat cell and insulin metabolism called PPAR gamma. The protein plays a role in diabetes, inflammation, cancers, obesity, heart disease and osteoporosis, making it a sought-after, but complex, medicinal target…