Free fatty acid receptor family: novel targets for the treatment of diabetes and dyslipidemia.

Free fatty acids (FFAs) fuel physiological processes in various tissues, such as skeletal muscle, the heart, liver and pancreas. Malfunction of FFA-mediated signaling pathways, as well as FFA metabolism, has been correlated to pathologies such as type 2 diabetes and dyslipidemia. The recent deorphanization of the FFA receptor family has drawn attention to these G-protein-coupled receptors as potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of metabolic diseases.