Causes of Cortisone-induced Side Effects Identified

However, although glucocorticoids are prescribed for a wide range of conditions, their use is limited by the various side effects - including unwanted metabolic effects* - that can occur during treatment. Once the glucocorticoids bind to their receptor inside the cell, the receptor starts switching numerous genes on and off. "These include various metabolic genes, which can consequently cause so-called steroid diabetes," Henriette Uhlenhaut explains. In the current study, her team - together with colleagues from the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in Berlin, the Salk Institute in San Diego and the University of Freiburg - set out to identify the exact sequence of events that occurs once the steroids bind their receptor. "What struck us most was the E47 transcription factor, which - along with the glucocorticoid receptor - is responsible for the changes in gene expression, particularly in liver cells," explains Charlotte Hemmer, a doctoral candidate at the IDO and first author of the current study. "We were able to identify the underlying pathway by conducting genome-wide analyses and genetic studies." https://www.technologynetworks.com/drug-discovery/news/causes-of-cortisone-induced-side-effects-identified-314533?utm_campaign=NEWSLETTER_TN_Breaking%20Science%20News&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=69347177&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8gwJBgyYtUsSa31PLdws5yGlRnkRlJdWc3-Y_u2z4JxawXIlqMzRxwO6wVdI1i8btGrf6YuWunw-N6fxFEEDicnCNvIg&_hsmi=69347177