Timothy Cole

The endocrine system controls cell-cell communication and coordinates almost all our daily activities. Abnormalities in hormones, receptors and cell signalling pathways underpin many common diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity. We are studying the actions of two important steroid hormones, cortisol (a glucocorticoid) and aldosterone (a mineralocorticoid) that are secreted by the adrenal gland and regulate important aspects of systemic physiology and homeostasis, in humans and other mammals. Cortisol has many homeostatic roles in a wide range of tissues both during embryogenesis, particularly the developing lung. Premature babies have underdeveloped lungs and require treatment with synthetic glucocorticoids. Glucocorticoids exert their effects by binding to the intracellular glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors, GR and MR respectively. Both are members of the nuclear receptor super-family of ligand dependent nuclear transcriptional regulators. We utilize a range of molecular, biochemical and genetic techniques in both cell-based and animal systems to investigate these cell signalling pathways and their specific roles.