Designer glucocorticoids.

Glucocorticoids are the most effective anti-inflammatory agents known. However, the use of these powerful molecules is plagued by a host of serious, sometimes life-threatening side-effects. The search for new compounds that maintain the efficacy of the steroids without some of the side-effects has entered a new phase. New approaches are leading to novel kinds of steroidal and non-steroidal compounds with unique profiles that may represent the next generation of safer glucocorticoids.