Schaaf Lab

We study the molecular mechanisms of glucocorticoid signaling. Glucocorticoids are steroid hormones that are secreted upon stress and have strong immune-suppressive actions. The main endogenous glucocorticoid hormone in humans and in fish is cortisol, and synthetic analogs of this hormone like prednisone and dexamethasone are widely used clinically as anti-inflammatory drugs. We have cloned and characterized the zebrafish glucocorticoid receptor (GR), and studied the role of a receptor splice variant GRbeta. Currently, our research focuses on the cell type-specific molecular mechanisms underlying the immune-suppressive actions of glucocorticoids.