Glucocorticoids get Smoothened

Researchers at the Duke University School of Medicine have identified several FDA-approved glucocorticoids that also agonize a member of the hedgehog pathway called Smoothened and have shown that the drugs can stimulate the proliferation of primary neuronal precursor cells.¹ The findings suggest that glucocorticoids-and their potential derivatives-could be repurposed for various tissue repair and regenerative medicine applications.

Activation of the hedgehog pathway stimulates stem cell proliferation and has shown promise in diseases such as spinal cord injury (SCI), Parkinson's disease (PD), myocardial infarction (MI) and wound healing...