Abstract
Estrogen has profound effects on growth, differentiation and function in male and female reproductive systems, and it is important for bone density, brain function and cholesterol mobilization. Despite beneficial estrogen functions, sustained estrogenic exposure increases the risk and/or the progression of various cancers, including those of the breast, endometrium and ovary. This opinion article touches upon the dual role estrogen played in cancer and asks whether the use of estrogen in combination with other targeted therapy would be possible, considering the newly identified crosstalk pathway which can switch the effects of estrogen.
Highlights
Our research projects currently focus on the understanding of the interplay between different signaling cascades and estrogen receptor alpha (ER) dependent transcription activation in breast cancer
We generally reviewed the changing attitude toward the use of estrogen in the clinic, with a focus on newly discovered pro-apoptotic roles of estrogen when combined with IKKα inhibitors
In the journal Cell Death & Differentiation, Perillo et al recently reported that the inhibition of IKKα by BAY switched the effect of estrogens on breast cancer cells from anti- to pro-apoptotic, which leads the exploration of therapeutic benefits of estrogen into a new era[11]
Summary
Introduction Our research projects currently focus on the understanding of the interplay between different signaling cascades and estrogen receptor alpha (ER) dependent transcription activation in breast cancer. We discussed the possibility of estrogen and IKKα inhibitor dual-therapy in ER-positive breast cancer treatment.
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