Abstract
Glucocorticoids are widely used for the management of inflammatory diseases. Their clinical application stems from our understanding of the inhibitory effect of the corticosteroid hormone cortisol on several components of the immune system. Endogenous and exogenous glucocorticoids mediate their multiple anti-inflammatory effects through many effector molecules. In this Opinion article, we focus on the role of one such effector molecule, annexin A1, and summarize the recent studies that provide insight into its molecular and pharmacological functions in immune responses. In addition, we propose a model in which glucocorticoids regulate the expression and function of annexin A1 in opposing ways in innate and adaptive immune cells to mediate the resolution of inflammation.
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Acknowledgements
Work in our laboratory is funded by the Arthritis Research Campaign UK, the Wellcome Trust, the British Heart Foundation and the Medical Research Council UK. We apologize to the many colleagues whose work could not be cited here owing to space limitations.
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M.P. declares licensing of a patent on ANXA1-derived anti-inflammatory peptides to Unigene Corp (Fairfield, New Jersey).
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Perretti, M., D'Acquisto, F. Annexin A1 and glucocorticoids as effectors of the resolution of inflammation. Nat Rev Immunol 9, 62â70 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/nri2470
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nri2470
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