How glucocorticoid steroid hormones shape macrophage behavior
Official title: Glucocorticoid-regulated transcription networks in macrophage biology
Funded at Hospital for Special Surgery · NIH-11239897 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at how common steroid hormones called glucocorticoids change macrophages—the immune cells that clear dying cells—to help people with conditions like diabetic wounds, atherosclerosis, and autoimmune diseases.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Hospital for Special Surgery NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | April 1, 2014 |
| Project end | June 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $710,775 |
| NIH project number | 2R01DK099087-11A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11239897 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with diabetic ulcers, atherosclerosis, metabolic syndrome, or autoimmune diseases who can donate blood or tissue samples or join research at a New York center would be the best matches.
✕Less likely to help
Patients seeking immediate treatments or those whose conditions are unrelated to impaired clearance of dying cells may not see direct benefits from this lab-focused work.
What this research studies
From my perspective, researchers are exploring how macrophages shift into inflammation-fighting or healing states when exposed to signals like interleukin-4 or glucocorticoid steroids. They use lab-grown cells and molecular tools to map which genes turn on or off and how DNA packaging (chromatin) changes, focusing on proteins called GR, KLF4, and the cofactor GRIP1. The team compares gene activity patterns and chromatin landscapes under different signals and tests how these changes affect macrophages' ability to eat dying cells (efferocytosis). This work combines detailed gene- and protein-level lab studies and may use animal or human-derived samples to reveal targets that could eventually be used to boost healing in diseases linked to poor cell clearance.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could point to ways to boost macrophage clearance of dead cells and reduce harmful inflammation in diabetes-related wounds, atherosclerosis, and autoimmune conditions.
How similar studies have gone: Related research has shown that shifting macrophage polarization can change inflammation and healing, but the specific roles of GR and the cofactor GRIP1 in these processes are relatively new and still being worked out.
Where this research is happening
-
Hospital for Special Surgery
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rogatsky, Inez — Hospital for Special Surgery
- Study coordinator: Rogatsky, Inez
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.