Duality of glucocorticoid action in cancer: Tumor-suppressor or oncogene?

Glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is a key homeostatic regulator involved in governing immune response, neuro-integration, metabolism and lung function. In conjunction with its pivotal role in human biology, GR action is critically linked to the pa thology of various disease types, including cancer. While pharmacological activation of GR has been used for the treatment of various liquid cancers, its role in solid cancers is less clearly defined and seems to be cancer-type dependent. This review focuses on the m olecular aspects of GR biology, spanning the structural and functional basis of response to glucocorticoids, as well as how this transcription factor operates in cancer, in cluding the implications in disease development, progression and drug resistance.