Mechanisms of Glucocorticoid Response and Resistance in Lymphoid Malignancies

Glucocorticoids (GC) are an integral component of multi-agent therapy regimens for a wide variety of lymphoid malignancies due to their potential effects to induce apoptosis in cells of the lymphoid lineage. Despite their clinical utility, de novo and acquired resistance to GC is a significant clinical problem that contributes to inferior outcomes for many of these diseases. This review summarizes what is currently known about mechanisms of GC resistance in lymphoid malignancies, with a particular focus on novel therapeutic strategies currently in preclinical or clinical development that are rationally-designed to overcome GC resistance and improve clinical outcomes.