Estrogen receptor-?: Implications for the prostate gland

✍ Scribed by Chang, William Y.; Prins, Gail S.

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1999
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 367 KB
• Volume: 40
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0270-4137
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0045(19990701)40:2<115::aid-pros7>3.0.co;2-3

✦ Synopsis

Estrogens can have profound effects on prostate growth and differentiation. These effects were thought to be mediated by the classical estrogen receptor; however, the discovery of a second estrogen receptor has redefined the estrogen signaling pathway and may have broad implications on estrogen-responsive tissues, including the prostate. The new estrogen receptor, named estrogen receptor-␤ (ER␤), is preferentially expressed in the prostate and maintains some characteristics that are different from ER␣. Establishing the distribution and function of ER␤ in the various estrogen-responsive tissues is critical to defining its pharmacological and physiological impact. Differential expression of ER␤ may facilitate development of tissue-specific estrogen agonists and antagonists, a goal in the treatment of diseases in estrogen-sensitive tissues such as breast cancer. This article reviews the current knowledge on ER␤ and its potential impact on the prostate.