# Glucocorticoid receptor (NR3C1)

Source: https://onco.cc/targets/glucocorticoid-receptor/  
OnCo record `glucocorticoid-receptor` (Target). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

The receptor that steroid hormones switch on inside cells. In lymphoid cancers, dexamethasone and prednisone acting through it kill malignant lymphocytes directly, which is why steroids sit inside leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma regimens as well as easing nausea and swelling.

## Summary

The glucocorticoid receptor is a nuclear receptor that, once bound by cortisol or a synthetic steroid, moves into the nucleus and reprogrammes transcription. In lymphoblasts, plasma cells and lymphoma cells this programme is pro-apoptotic, so dexamethasone and prednisone are active anticancer drugs in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma and multiple myeloma, and dexamethasone is the partner of almost every myeloma combination. Loss of receptor function is a mechanism of steroid resistance in relapsed leukaemia. Steroids also treat the swelling around brain tumours, immune-related side effects, and chemotherapy-induced nausea, and prevent the hypersensitivity reactions of taxanes.

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-04
- Symbol: NR3C1
- Class: nuclear-receptor
- Biology: Ligand-activated nuclear receptor; in lymphoid cells its transcriptional programme induces apoptosis, the basis of steroid use in leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma.
- Where found: Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia; Multiple myeloma; Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma; Supportive care across cancers

## Sources

- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glucocorticoid_receptor
- UniProt P04150: NR3C1: https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/P04150/entry

## Connected records

- cancers: [Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia](https://onco.cc/cancers/all-leukemia/), [Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/dlbcl/), [Hodgkin lymphoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/hodgkin-lymphoma/), [Multiple myeloma](https://onco.cc/cancers/multiple-myeloma/)
- drugs: [Dexamethasone](https://onco.cc/drugs/dexamethasone/), [Prednisone](https://onco.cc/drugs/prednisone/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/glucocorticoid-receptor.json