Since 1948, hydrocortisone (cortisol), the principal glucocorticoid (GC) of the human adrenal cortex has been successfully used at phar macological concentrations for the suppression of clinical manifesta tions of rheumatoid arthritis. Numerous compounds with GC activity have also been developed and used. Fifty years after their initial clinical use, GCs are still the most im portant and frequently prescribed class of anti-inflammatory drugs for various inflammatory disorders. They are administered either orally, parenterally (intravenous, intramuscular, intrathecal), or topically (cu taneous, intranasal, pulmonic, rectal). Despite the many beneficial ef fects of GCs, they also have their limitations and disadvantages that occur with varying prevalence on different organs and after different durations of therapy. These side-effects can range in severity from cos metic (e.g. telangiectasias, hypertrichosis) to seriously disabling (e.g. induction of glaucoma, diabetes, osteoporosis) or even life-threatening disorders (e.g. gastric haemorrhage). These adverse effects of GCs se riously handicap their successful use as anti-inflammatory agents. There is therefore a strong need for the development of substances with the anti-inflammatory potency of classical GCs but with reduced side-effects.

Inhalt
1 Glucocorticoids and Asthma.- 2 Immune Monitoring of Glucocorticoid Therapy.- 3 Topical Glucocorticoid Therapy in Dermatology.- 4 Bone Effects of Glucocorticoid Therapy.- 5 Corticosteroids in Ophthalmology.- 6 Special Problems in Glucocorticoid Treatment in Children.- 7 Functional Implications of Glucocorticoid Receptor Trafficking.- 8 The Dynamics of Intranuclear Movement and Chromatin Remodeling by the Glucocorticoid Receptor.- 9 Glucocorticoid Receptor Antagonism of AP-1 Activity by Inhibition of MAPK Family.- 10 Mast Cells as Targets for Glucocorticoids in the Treatment of Allergic Disorders.- 11 Cytosolic Glucocorticoid Receptor-Interacting Proteins.- 12 The Glucocorticoid Receptor ?-Isoform: A Perspective on Its Relevance in Human Health and Disease.- 13 Cooperation of Nuclear Transcription Factors Regulated by Steroid and Peptide Hormones.- 14 Induction and Repression of NF-?B-Driven Inflammatory Genes.- 15 DNA-Dependent Cofactor Selectivity of the Glucocorticoid Receptor.- 16 The Anti-inflammatory Action of Glucocorticoid Hormones.- 17 Analysis of Glucocorticoid Receptor Function in the Mouse by Gene Targeting.- 18 Glucocorticoid-Inducible Genes That Regulate T-Cell Function.- 19 Structural Analysis of the GR Ligand-Binding Domain.- 20 SEGRAs: A Novel Class of Anti-inflammatory Compounds.- Previous Volumes Published in This Series.