Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 26, 2026

Preliminary Study on Acupuncture Combined with Grain-sized Moxibustion for Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis with Finger Joint Pain
Published on: May 16, 2025
GILZ: a new link between the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis and rheumatoid arthritis?
Laura E Eades1, Angeline S Thiagarajah1, James Harris1
1Centre for Inflammatory Diseases, Monash University, Southern Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash Medical Centre, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
Abstract:
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is an important regulator of the stress response. In healthy individuals, the HPA axis maintains an equilibrium, ensuring that endogenous glucocorticoid (GC) levels remain within the normal range. However, hypofunction of the HPA axis may have a role in the development of inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Glucocorticoid-induced leucine zipper (GILZ) is an anti-inflammatory protein, the expression of which is upregulated by GC. Although GILZ mediates the anti-inflammatory effects of GC, it may not be associated with the adverse effects that are frequently caused by exogenous GC administration. This has raised interest in GILZ potentiation as a therapeutic approach in diseases such as RA, which may mimic the anti-inflammatory effects of GC without causing harmful side effects. This review will outline the involvement of the HPA axis in RA, as a prelude to highlighting emerging evidence regarding the role of GILZ in inflammation control and RA.
Related Concept Videos
Hypothalamic-Pituitary Axis
Genome-wide Association Studies-GWAS
GWAS does not require the identification of the target gene involved in...
Autoimmune Disorders
Concept and Mechanism of Autoimmune Diseases
The immune...
Cushing Syndrome II: Pathophysiology
T Cell Types and Functions
Th1 cells stimulate dendritic cells to express necessary co-stimulatory molecules on their surfaces for...
The JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway

