Glucocorticoid-Mediated Extracellular Matrix Regulation: Implications for Precision Therapy

Glucocorticoids (GCs) have revolutionized the treatment of multidisciplinary diseases. Recently, its role in severe infectious diseases has been revisited and discussed since the COVID-19 pandemic. Previous research and discussions have focused more on their anti-inflammatory effects and impact on the immune system, with limited study on other aspects of their action and mechanisms. In recent years, it has been discovered that glucocorticoids can regulate the extracellular matrix by influencing the cellular microenvironment and processes such as fibrosis, thereby exerting regulatory effects on diseases. This article summarizes current research on GC-mediated extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling. It emphasizes the dual role of the ECM as a therapeutic target and a source of biomarkers, and identifies molecular mechanisms and potential biomarkers for precise glucocorticoid therapy, such as type I collagen (PRO-C1), type III collagen (PRO-C3), fibrillin-C (FBN-C), and type III collagen degradation (C3M). These findings may also contribute to the development of more precise new drugs.