Endocrine Abstracts

Glucocorticoids (Gcs) act via the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) to inhibit proliferation of many epithelial cell types, and induce apoptosis in others, notably lymphoblastic leukemia. Resistance to Gcs occurs in human small cell lung cancer (SCLC), manifest clinically as dysregulated secretion of ACTH-related peptides. Currently nothing is known of the biological consequences such resistance causes. We have previously shown that a panel of human SCLC cell lines secrete ACTH rel...

Glucocorticoid sensitivity is dependent on the intracellular concentration of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). GR expression is regulated in a complex, cell-type specific manner, but in most cell types the GR is subject to negative autoregulation by glucocorticoid exposure. Many human diseases are associated with reduced tissue sensitivity to glucocorticoids, including inflammatory arthritis, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Therefore there is interest in ap...