glucocorticoid

A glucocorticoid is the type of corticosteroid that handles two big jobs: managing the body's sugar and energy supply, and dialing down inflammation. Its natural version, cortisol, surges when you are stressed, mobilizing fuel and bracing the body for a challenge. As drugs, the same molecules become our go-to tools for calming overactive immune reactions.

Glucocorticoids enter cells and bind the glucocorticoid receptor, a nuclear receptor. The activated receptor moves to the nucleus and changes gene transcription, raising blood glucose by promoting gluconeogenesis and breaking down protein and fat for fuel, while broadly suppressing inflammatory genes and immune cell activity. This gene-level action explains their delayed onset over hours and their lingering effect even after the drug clears. Synthetic examples include prednisolone, dexamethasone, hydrocortisone, and budesonide.

Clinically they treat an enormous list of conditions, from asthma and eczema to rheumatoid arthritis, severe allergy, and transplant rejection, and they replace deficient cortisol in adrenal insufficiency. The price of their potency is a familiar set of adverse effects with prolonged systemic use: high blood sugar, weight gain, osteoporosis, muscle wasting, mood changes, cataracts, and increased infection risk. Targeted delivery, such as inhaled or topical forms, is designed to capture local benefit while limiting these whole-body effects.