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Immunopharmacology and Inflammation pp 267–281Cite as

Glucocorticoids: Immunity and Inflammation

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Abstract

As very powerful anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive drugs, glucocorticoids have gained attention over the past decades as a first line treatment for chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, in addition to its wide use in the field of oncology. An extensive body of research has accumulated with regards to the molecular anti-inflammatory mechanisms by which glucocorticoids exert their effects on the cells of the immune system. Moreover, some pro-inflammatory properties have recently emerged, based on the analysis of glucocorticoid-regulated genes. Understanding the physiology and the pharmacology of these hormones and drugs in the context of inflammation and the immune system will allow for the comprehension of their still incomplete function in homeostasis and of their practical clinical applications.

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  1. Department of Medicine, Section of Pharmacology, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy

    Simona Ronchetti & Carlo Riccardi

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  1. Simona Ronchetti
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  2. Carlo Riccardi
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Correspondence to Carlo Riccardi .

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  1. Department of Medicine, Section of Pharmacology, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy

    Carlo Riccardi

  2. Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Unit, Institute for Drug Research, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel

    Francesca Levi-Schaffer

  3. Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

    Ekaterini Tiligada

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Ronchetti, S., Riccardi, C. (2018). Glucocorticoids: Immunity and Inflammation. In: Riccardi, C., Levi-Schaffer, F., Tiligada, E. (eds) Immunopharmacology and Inflammation. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77658-3_12

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