Antioxidant defence in adrenocortical cells

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Oxidative stress (OS) is involved in many human disease states including neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, stroke, diabetes and heart disease. We study patients with a rare disease called Familial Glucocorticoid Deficiency (FGD) in which the body fails to produce a glucocorticoid called cortisol. Patients with this disease do not have a mechanism to cope with stress. If their body becomes stressed, for example by illness, their blood sugar levels drop, they become liable to infections and they may die if untreated. ACTH, acting through its receptor, is the hormone that is produced in response to stress and it causes the cells of the adrenal gland to produce cortisol. We have previously found defects in three genes in this pathway that cause FGD. More recently we have discovered that defects in four genes usually associated with a cells defence against oxidative stress, can also cause the disease. Exactly how OS prevents cortisol secretion is not fully understood and we believe that other genes may also be involved. This project aims to discover the mechanism by which OS affects the cells of the adrenal to prevent them making cortisol. We also hope to find other genes in this pathway by studying the genetic make-up of FGD patients. If we can discover how the OS causes its effect then this might give us clues to the mechanism in other diseases like those listed above and it may then be possible to design drugs to reduce it.