Estrogen and related hormone effects

Estrogen exerts its effects primarily by binding to nuclear receptors that function as transcription factors, switching genes on or off in a manner that depends heavily on cellular context, coregulator availability, and interactions with other hormonal pathways such as glucocorticoid signaling. Because estrogen receptor activity drives the growth of the majority of breast cancers, understanding the precise molecular mechanics of this signaling cascade has direct clinical consequences — it underpins the use of drugs like tamoxifen, which blocks the receptor, and aromatase inhibitors, which reduce estrogen synthesis. Researchers are actively working to explain why many tumors initially responsive to these treatments eventually develop resistance, a process likely involving altered coactivator dynamics, receptor mutations, and cross-talk with other signaling networks. Mapping the full regulatory landscape of estrogen-dependent gene expression, and determining how genetic variation shapes individual responses to hormone-targeted therapies, remain central open problems in the field.

Works

122,804

Total citations

2,701,825

Keywords

EstrogenReceptorSignalingBreast CancerGlucocorticoidsNuclear Receptors