Side Effects of Glucocorticoids: In Vivo Models and Underlying Mechanisms

Glucocorticoids are widely used in the therapy of inflammatory and autoimmune disease as well as cancer. They realize the therapeutic effects via cytotoxic action on the immune cells; however, glucocorticoids are characterized by multiple severe side effects including metabolic and atrophic complications as well as glucocorticoid resistance development. With the progression in the field of steroid research and their mechanism of action, several steroid and non-steroid GC analogues with decreased adverse effects were developed for potential treatment on cancer, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Therefore, the important criteria of the evaluation of the efficacy of such molecules is the proof-of-concept studies in vivo on the proper models of the main disease as well as potential GC-related side effects. Here we summarized the current experience of the research groups worldwide in modeling of GC undesirable effects. The presented review will be useful for the translational research of GC and their analogues in vivo.