Abstract
Glucocorticoids are important regulators of cell differentiation and mesenchymal cell lineage commitment during skeletogenesis. In clinical practice, it has been difficult to study the effects of glucocorticoids on target tissues because patients taking glucocorticoids often suffer from adverse skeletal effects. Dexamethasone (Dex) is a long-acting synthetic corticosteroid hormone that ranks amongst the most widely used prescribed drugs, and it is a powerful medication that is increasingly employed during the perinatal and neonatal periods. However, Dex is a potential teratogen. In particular, it has been claimed that Dex exposure during pregnancy can affect osteogenesis in the developing embryo, although this claim remains highly controversial. In this review, we summarize the published data from numerous clinical follow-up, animal-based and in vitro studies on the effects of Dex exposure on embryonic skeletogenesis. These studies indicate that Dex may adversely affect skeletal progenitor cells during development. In addition, Dex can exert a number of effects on bone growth at different developmental stages. We also discuss how glucocorticoids influence the BMP, FGF, Hedgehog and Wnt signaling pathways, which are key regulators of skeletogenesis in the embryo. A fuller understanding of the negative, and perhaps teratogenic, effects of Dex on skeletogenesis will have important implications for the routine use of Dex in clinical practice.
Keywords: Glucocorticoids, dexamethasone (Dex), chondrogenesis, osteogenesis, signal transduction pathways.
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
"Tuberculosis Prevention, Diagnosis and Drug Discovery"
The Nobel Prize-winning discoveries of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and streptomycin have enabled an appropriate diagnosis and an effective treatment of tuberculosis (TB). Since then, many newer diagnosis methods and drugs have been saving millions of lives. Despite advances in the past, TB is still a leading cause of infectious disease mortality ...read more
Current Pharmaceutical challenges in the treatment and diagnosis of neurological dysfunctions
Neurological dysfunctions (MND, ALS, MS, PD, AD, HD, ALS, Autism, OCD etc..) present significant challenges in both diagnosis and treatment, often necessitating innovative approaches and therapeutic interventions. This thematic issue aims to explore the current pharmaceutical landscape surrounding neurological disorders, shedding light on the challenges faced by researchers, clinicians, and ...read more
Emerging and re-emerging diseases
Faced with a possible endemic situation of COVID-19, the world has experienced two important phenomena, the emergence of new infectious diseases and/or the resurgence of previously eradicated infectious diseases. Furthermore, the geographic distribution of such diseases has also undergone changes. This context, in turn, may have a strong relationship with ...read more
Melanoma and Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer Treatment: Standard of Care and Recent Advances
In this thematic issue, we aim to provide a standard of care of the diagnosis and treatment of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer. The editor will invite authors from different countries who will write review articles of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers. The Diagnosis, Staging, Surgical Treatment, Non-Surgical Treatment all ...read more
Related Journals
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry
Anti-Inflammatory & Anti-Allergy Agents in Medicinal Chemistry
Current Bioactive Compounds
Current Cancer Drug Targets
Combinatorial Chemistry & High Throughput Screening
Current Cancer Therapy Reviews
Current Diabetes Reviews
Current Drug Safety
Current Drug Targets
Current Drug Therapy
Related Books
Drug Addiction Mechanisms in the Brain
The NLRP3 Inflammasome: An Attentive Arbiter of Inflammatory Response
Software and Programming Tools in Pharmaceutical Research
Objective Pharmaceutics: A Comprehensive Compilation of Questions and Answers for Pharmaceutics Exam Prep
Medicinal Chemistry of Drugs Affecting Cardiovascular and Endocrine Systems
Advanced Pharmacy
Plant-derived Hepatoprotective Drugs
The Role of Chromenes in Drug Discovery and Development
New Avenues in Drug Discovery and Bioactive Natural Products
Practice and Re-Emergence of Herbal Medicine
59
