Effects of glucocorticoids in immune cells (v1)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Understanding stress: effects of glucocorticoids on human immune cells
IRAS ID
200590
Contact name
Charlotte Summers
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and University of Cambridge
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 12 months, 0 days
Research summary
Glucocorticoids are widely prescribed drugs, mainly for their powerful anti inflammatory effects. However, their use over the medium to longer term is limited by serious side effects and resistance can occur. At present alternative drugs with equivalent efficacy haven't been developed, in part due to our incomplete understanding of how glucocorticoids work. This experimental medicine study will add to our knowledge of how glucocorticoids act in human immune cells, in particular with a novel focus on their effects in the cell nucleus where the receptor for glucocorticoids interacts with the genome. Using healthy volunteers we will study the impact of glucocorticoids on changes in the organisation, transcriptional and regulatory state of the genome providing insight into both rapid changes as well as ones that persist over time.
REC name
East of England - Essex Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/EE/0391
Date of REC Opinion
22 Jan 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion