Recently, it has been demonstrated that ethanol extract of CUP has the potential to ameliorate hyperglycemia and hepatic steatosis in type 2 diabetic db/db mice by modulating the levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., adiponectin and IL-10) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-6, monocyte chemotactic protein-1, IFN-γ, and TNF-α) in the liver and plasma22. The gene discussed is CCL2; the disease is type 2 diabetes mellitus.