A New Diabetes Therapeutic Drug: Sodium Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors

The kidney plays an very important role in the glucose homeostasis via its production, utilization, and reabsorption of glucose from glomerular filtrate. Reabsorption of glucose from glomerular filtrate largely mediated via the sodium glucose co-transporter 2(SGLT2) is the most important. Pharmacological inhibition of SGLT2 increases the urinary glucose excretion and decreases the plasma glucose levels in an insulin-independent manner. Agents that inhibit SGLT2 represent a novel class of drugs for treatment of type 2 diabetes has recently become available. This article focuses on the role of the SGLl2 inhibitors and potential advantages, and some of its representative drugs in the latest progress of the studies on the treatment of type 2 diabetes and clinical trials.