AUTHOR=Ronchetti Simona , Migliorati Graziella , Riccardi Carlo TITLE=GILZ as a Mediator of the Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Glucocorticoids JOURNAL=Frontiers in Endocrinology VOLUME=Volume 6 - 2015 YEAR=2015 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2015.00170 DOI=10.3389/fendo.2015.00170 ISSN=1664-2392 ABSTRACT=Glucocorticoid-Induced Leucine Zipper (GILZ) is a dexamethasone-inducible gene that mediates glucocorticoid (GC) actions in a variety of cell types, including many cells of immune system. In particular, GILZ can control T cell activities such as activation and differentiation, mainly through its ability to homo- and hetero-dimerize with partner proteins like NF-κB, Ras and C/EBP. These protein-protein interactions control the regulation of proinflammatory target genes. A number of in vitro and in vivo studies using mouse models of inflammatory diseases demonstrate an anti-inflammatory role for GILZ. Here we summarize those studies that make GILZ eligible as an anti-inflammatory protein through which glucocorticoids can act. These findings permit the future development of pharmacological tools that mimic the therapeutic effects of GCs while avoiding the detrimental ones.