Weihua Zhang, Andersson Sandra, Cheng Guojun, Simpson Evan R, Warner Margaret, Gustafsson Jan-Ake
Department of Medical Nutrition, Department of Biosciences, Karolinska Institute, NOVUM, S-141 86 Huddinge, Sweden.
FEBS Lett. 2003 Jul 3;546(1):17-24. doi: 10.1016/s0014-5793(03)00436-8.
Our understanding of estrogen signaling has undergone a true paradigm shift over recent years, following the discovery in 1995 of a second estrogen receptor, estrogen receptor beta (ERbeta). In many contexts ERbeta appears to antagonize the actions of ERalpha (yin/yang relationship) although there also exist genes that are specifically regulated by one of the two receptors. Studies of ERbeta knockout mice have shown that ERbeta exerts important functions in the ovary, central nervous system, mammary gland, prostate gland, hematopoiesis, immune system, vessels and bone. The use of ERbeta-specific ligands against certain forms of cancer represents one of the many pharmaceutical possibilities that have been created thanks to the discovery of ERbeta.
随着1995年第二种雌激素受体——雌激素受体β（ERβ）的发现，近年来我们对雌激素信号传导的理解发生了真正的范式转变。在许多情况下，ERβ似乎拮抗ERα的作用（阴阳关系），尽管也存在由这两种受体之一特异性调节的基因。对ERβ基因敲除小鼠的研究表明，ERβ在卵巢、中枢神经系统、乳腺、前列腺、造血、免疫系统、血管和骨骼中发挥着重要作用。利用针对某些癌症形式的ERβ特异性配体是由于ERβ的发现而产生的众多药物可能性之一。
