Abstract
Obesity-associated type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is characterized by low-grade chronic systemic inflammation that arises primarily from the white adipose tissue. The interplay between various adipose tissue-derived chemokines drives insulin resistance in T2DM and has therefore become a subject of rigorous investigation. The adipocytokines strongly associated with glucose homeostasis include tumor necrosis factor-α, various interleukins, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, adiponectin, and leptin, among others. Remodeling the adipose tissue inflammasome in obesity-associated T2DM is likely to treat the underlying cause of the disease and bring significant therapeutic benefit. Various strategies have been adopted or are being investigated to modulate the serum/tissue levels of pro- and anti-inflammatory adipocytokines to improve glucose homeostasis in T2DM. These include use of small molecule agonists/inhibitors, mimetics, antibodies, gene therapy, and other novel formulations. Here, we discuss adipocytokines that are strongly associated with insulin activity and therapies that are under investigation for modulation of their levels in the treatment of T2DM.