Glucocorticoids, Developmental Programming and Ageing

External Event - 15th Apr 2021

Time - 15:00 – 16:00 BST

Organised by Dr Peter Nathanielsz, University of Wyoming, USA and Professor Dino Giussani, University of Cambridge, UK.

Glucocorticoids are important regulators of terminal differentiation in multiple organ systems during development. Therefore, fetal plasma glucocorticoid levels increase exponentially towards term to mature fetal organ systems in preparation for postnatal life.

Clinically, pregnancies at risk of preterm birth are treated with exogenous glucocorticoids to accelerate fetal physiological maturation. However, accumulating evidence indicates a possible role for excess glucocorticoid exposure during fetal development in the programming of adverse phenotypes in adulthood and in promoting accelerated ageing.

Dr Kim Botting (University of Cambridge, UK) will review evidence for antenatal glucocorticoids therapy in programming adverse effects on the cardiovascular system of the adult offspring.

Dr Elena Zambrano (Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico) will discuss the role of glucocorticoids in programming changes in the pituitary-adrenal axis of the offspring in pregnancy complicated by under as well as over-nutrition, and the relationship between glucocorticoids and ageing trajectories of metabolic, behavioural and reproductive function.

For more information and to register, click here.