Clearly, PPAR activation has the potential to be beneficial in many neuropathological conditions. The mechanisms of action of PPAR agonists are so diverse that they may be advantageous at many stages of injury. Thus, the best timing and dose of agonists may vary depending on injury severity, progression of disease or the cellular target (i.e. neurons, microglia, oligodendrocytes), and may explain the conflicting results in studies listed above. A clearer understanding of how and where PPARs act will facilitate designing the most effective pre-clinical and clinical studies. This review will address the many mechanisms through which PPAR activation is known to alleviate pathology and improve neurological function in the damaged CNS (Figure 1).
