Glucocorticoids in T cell apoptosis and function
Open Access
- 28 November 2005
- journal article
- review article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences
- Vol. 63 (1), 60-72
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-005-5390-y
Abstract
Glucocorticoids (GCs) are a class of steroid hormones which regulate a variety of essential biological functions. The profound anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive activity of synthetic GCs, combined with their power to induce lymphocyte apoptosis place them among the most commonly prescribed drugs worldwide. Endogenous GCs also exert a wide range of immunomodulatory activities, including the control of T cell homeostasis. Most, if not all of these effects are mediated through the glucocorticoid receptor, a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily. However, the signaling pathways and their cell type specificity remain poorly defined. In this review, we summarize our present knowledge on GC action, the mechanisms employed to induce apoptosis and the currently discussed models of how they may participate in thymocyte development. Although our knowledge in this field has substantially increased during recent years, we are still far from a comprehensive picture of the role that GCs play in T lymphocytes.Keywords
This publication has 129 references indexed in Scilit:
- Glucocorticoid-induced apoptosis and glucocorticoid resistance in acute lymphoblastic leukemiaThe Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2005
- Critical function of T cell death-associated gene 8 in glucocorticoid-induced thymocyte apoptosisInternational Immunology, 2003
- Characterization of the signal that directs Bcl-xL, but not Bcl-2, to the mitochondrial outer membraneThe Journal of cell biology, 2003
- Hydrogen peroxide as second messenger in lymphocyte activationNature Immunology, 2002
- Glucocorticoid receptor deficient thymic and peripheral T cells develop normally in adult miceEuropean Journal of Immunology, 2002
- Activation-induced cell deathCurrent Opinion in Immunology, 2001
- Proapoptotic BAX and BAK: A Requisite Gateway to Mitochondrial Dysfunction and DeathScience, 2001
- Ubiquitin Protein Ligase Activity of IAPs and Their Degradation in Proteasomes in Response to Apoptotic StimuliScience, 2000
- The prosurvival Bcl-2 homolog Bfl-1/A1 is a direct transcriptional target of NF-kappa B that blocks TNFalpha -induced apoptosisGenes & Development, 1999
- Glucocorticoid-induced thymocyte apoptosis is associated with endogenous endonuclease activationNature, 1980