Glucocorticoid News and Research

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Glucocorticoid is a compound that belongs to the family of compounds called corticosteroids (steroids). Glucocorticoids affect metabolism and have anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects. They may be naturally produced (hormones) or synthetic (drugs).

Coral-inspired scaffold enhances bone repair by reprogramming immune cells

SONFH is one of the leading causes of non-traumatic osteonecrosis. Reported in up to 9%–40% of patients receiving prolonged or high-dose glucocorticoid therapy, the condition progressively weakens the femoral head and can eventually lead to joint collapse, making effective bone repair a major clinical challenge.

13 Aug 2026

Natural hormone activates brain-to-liver signaling pathway to suppress liver inflammation

Researchers at McMaster University have discovered that a naturally occurring hormone best known for suppressing appetite and promoting weight loss also helps protect the liver from inflammation through a previously unknown signalling pathway, opening new possibilities for treating advanced fatty liver disease.

10 Aug 2026

Fine particle pollution raises rheumatoid arthritis flare risk and disease activity

Higher ambient PM2.5 exposure was associated with increased rheumatoid arthritis disease activity and a greater likelihood of flares in a four-year South Korean cohort of 1,070 patients. The association appeared stronger with sustained exposure over approximately two weeks or longer, while women and nonsmokers showed more pronounced links between PM2.5 and DAS28-CRP.

7 Aug 2026

Study explains how leukemia creates inflammatory lung environments

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) does more than infiltrate the lungs: it also transforms lung tissue to create an inflammatory environment that promotes the expansion of tumor cells and impairs respiratory function.

30 Jun 2026

Nasal viruses may drive allergic rhinitis, and ribavirin shows early promise as a targeted spray treatment

Nasal commensal viruses may worsen allergic rhinitis by activating type I IFN-linked neutrophils and NET formation. Ribavirin reduced nasal viral abundance and improved symptoms in mice and in a small phase 2 trial.

28 Jun 2026

Chronic stress helps tumors evade immune attack through gut microbes

Chronic psychological stress can help tumors evade immune attack through a chain of molecular events involving gut bacteria and viruses within those bacteria, according to a study led by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators.

25 Jun 2026

Light-controlled molecular switch wakes lung cancer cells for treatment

Researchers from ETH Zurich have developed a molecular switch that is controlled by light. It wakes lung cancer cells up from a protective dormant state so that they are more accessible for treatment.

15 Jun 2026

Early glucocorticoid tapering reduces damage in vasculitis maintenance therapy

Glucocorticoids are the cornerstone of initial vasculitis treatment, used to rapidly control inflammation and protect vital organs.

4 Jun 2026

CAR-T cell therapy shows promise for treating rheumatoid arthritis

Current therapies for rheumatoid arthritis rely on sustained immunosuppression rather than restoration of immune tolerance, with off-drug remission remaining rare.

3 Jun 2026

Traditional medicinal plant extract shows promising anti-skin aging effects

Announcing a new publication for Acta Materia Medica journal. Vicatia thibetica de Boiss (V. thibetica), a traditional medicinal and edible plant used by the Bai ethnic group in China, is known for its effects in tonifying qi, nourishing the blood, dispelling dampness, and relieving itching.

27 May 2026

How antibody-drug conjugates are redefining targeted cancer therapy

Antibody-drug conjugates are rapidly expanding cancer therapies, with 19 approved globally and many more in development, but their success depends on better targets, payloads, linkers, dosing, and patient selection. The Cell review shows that next-generation ADCs could widen treatment options, but safety, resistance, tumor heterogeneity, and clinical translation remain major barriers.

19 May 2026

INDIGO Biosciences expands reporter assay capabilities with new Transrepression Assay Services

INDIGO Biosciences today announced the launch of its Transrepression Assay Services, expanding the company’s cell-based reporter assay capabilities for drug discovery teams studying pathway cross-talk, selective modulation, and transcription factor-mediated gene suppression.

From INDIGO Biosciences, Inc. 11 May 2026

Higher stress and BMI tied to earlier puberty in girls

New research links stress, BMI, and hormone patterns to pubertal timing, revealing implications for long-term health and early intervention strategies.

16 Apr 2026

Steroid hormones, BMI and stress influence puberty timing in girls

Higher levels of key steroid hormones-combined with elevated stress and body mass index (BMI)-are associated with earlier onset of puberty in girls, according to a new study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

13 Apr 2026

Maternal signals help synchronize babies’ circadian rhythms before birth

Humans and most other organisms have internal biological clocks that track the daily cycle of sunrise and sunset. These clocks help time our sleep, metabolism and other essential body functions over the course of a day, creating daily patterns called circadian rhythms.

11 Apr 2026

Insilico Medicine nominates AI-driven drug candidate for cancer, Cushing's syndrome and obesity

The NR3C1 (nuclear receptor subfamily 3 group C member 1) gene encodes the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), a nuclear receptor vital for maintaining physiological homeostasis, and inhibition of NR3C1 could increase the sensitivity of cancer cells to standard chemotherapy, particularly in ovarian cancer.

8 Apr 2026

Systematic review identifies stress-induced biological triggers in oncology

Stress is a constant companion in the oncologist's office. It appears at the time of diagnosis, increases with each stage of treatment, and often does not resolve even after therapy formally ends. It accompanies therapeutic decisions, waiting for test results, fear of recurrence, and changes in daily functioning. Studies show that chronic stress can trigger biological processes that promote disease progression and weaken the body's defenses.

25 Mar 2026

Obesity sharply increases hospitalisation risk from infections, global analysis shows

Adult obesity is associated with a substantially higher risk of severe hospital-treated or fatal infections across multiple pathogens, with risk increasing as obesity severity rises. Global modelling suggests roughly one in ten infection-related deaths worldwide may be attributable to adult obesity, although causality cannot be confirmed.

15 Feb 2026

Stress hormones rewire immune system during periods of food scarcity

When food is scarce, stress hormones direct the immune system to operate in "low power" mode to preserve immune function while conserving energy, according to researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine.

10 Feb 2026

The gut is not just digestive and new evidence shows it actively controls brain function

This comprehensive review synthesizes a decade of human and animal research to explain how the gut and brain communicate through hormonal, neural, immune, and microbial pathways. It highlights how disruptions in these pathways contribute to gastrointestinal, metabolic, and neurological disorders, and how modern therapies are beginning to exploit gut–brain signaling for clinical benefit.

6 Jan 2026