1. ¹Genox Research Inc., Bunkyo, Tokyo 112-8088, Japan
2. ²National Cancer Center Research Institute, Chuo, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
3. ³National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, Setagaya, Tokyo 157-8535, Japan
4. ⁴Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan

Correspondence: Ryoichi Hashida, Genox Research Inc., Bunkyo, Tokyo 112-8088, Japan. E-mail: hashiryo@mail1.accsnet.ne.jp

Received 19 October 2006; Accepted 22 October 2006; Published online 10 November 2007.

Abstract

It is well-known that many members of the family of nuclear receptors have been implicated in human diseases, and metabolic disorders in particular. The NR4A nuclear receptor family consists of three members, Nur77, Nurr1, and NOR1. All of these are orphan receptors, and Nur77 and NOR1 exert possible pathological roles in immune diseases through the modulation of leukocyte functions. CD30 stimulation, which induces eosinophil-specific apoptosis, markedly enhances expression of Nur77 and NOR1 in eosinophils. This suggests the possibility of pharmacological modulation of Nur77- or NOR1-specific apoptotic pathways via receptor-dependent transactivation. In this review, we discuss treatment of allergic diseases by low molecular weight compounds acting through the NR4A receptor family to cause eosinophil apoptosis. NR4A nuclear receptor genes were selected following comprehensive analysis of differentially expressed genes in eosinophils of atopic dermatitis patients compared with healthy volunteers.