The current study was designed to address the following questions: (1) whether troglitazone alone, at clinically achievable concentrations, may be active against HCC cells; (2) whether troglitazone has a synergistic effect with RXRα agonists on growth inhibition of HCC cells; (3) whether the effects of troglitazone and RXRα agonists correlate with the expression of PPARγ and RXRα in HCC cells; and (4) whether troglitazone, at clinically achievable concentrations, may enhance the cytotoxic effects of major chemotherapeutic agents. The gene discussed is PPARG; the disease is hepatocellular carcinoma.