Postdoctoral Fellow Rucha Patel from Associate Professor Carolyn Cummins’ laboratory was recently honoured at the Endocrine Society’s 98th Annual Meeting and Exposition in Boston earlier this month.
Dr. Patel’s abstract was recognized as one of the top 15 abstracts at the meeting, and was selected for a 10-minute presentation to the constituents at ENDO 2016, as well as a TED-style talk with a broader audience.
Dr. Patel’s abstract and presentations stemmed from her research focused on identifying novel modulators which can separate the therapeutic and adverse effects of glucocorticoid administration.
Glucocorticoids are potent anti-inflammatory and immune suppressive drugs widely used to treat chronic conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, inflammatory bowel disease, asthma, and certain types of leukemia. They are also used after organ transplants, as they suppress the body’s immune system from attacking the newly transplanted organs. These drugs work by targeting certain genes and repressing their ability to produce inflammation. However, in addition to subduing inflammation and immune response, they also stimulate the production of glucose in the body, which, over prolonged use, can lead to diabetes.
Dr. Patel and colleagues in the Cummins lab have been exploring pairing an antagonist targeting Liver X recptor β with glucocorticoids to determine the viability of delivering the beneficial aspects of these drugs while minimizing their negative effects.
At ENDO 2016, Dr. Patel spoke about recent research conducted in the Cummins lab that has shown that this cocktail of two drugs works to provide the beneficial effect of the glucocorticoids without their long-associated negative effects. In so doing, she demonstrated that the gluconeogenic and immunosuppressive properties of glucocorticoid receptor – the nuclear hormone receptor activated by glucocorticoids– can be separated by antagonizing another nuclear receptor (LXRβ) pharmacologically.
Ultimately, this research proves that it is possible in principle to develop a pharmacological intervention involving glucocorticoids that provides the anti-inflammatory and immune suppressive benefits of these drugs without the less desirable and potentially problematic side effects that result from stimulating glucose production.
Going forward, Dr. Patel plans to continue this research which she hopes will lead to the development of efficacious LXRβ antagonist that would provide all of the benefits of glucocorticoid therapy without any of their current side effects.
