Estrogen Signaling as a Therapeutic Target in Neurodevelopmental Disorders

• Published in: The Journal of pharmacology and experimental therapeutics Vol. 360; no. 1; pp. 48 - 58
• Main Authors: Crider, Amanda, Pillai, Anilkumar
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.01.2017; The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
• Subjects: Animals; Brain - drug effects; Brain - physiopathology; Estrogens - metabolism; Humans; Minireviews; Molecular Targeted Therapy - methods; Neurodevelopmental Disorders - drug therapy; Neurodevelopmental Disorders - pathology; Neurodevelopmental Disorders - physiopathology; Signal Transduction - drug effects; CBP; FXS; ADHD; NF-κB; ASD; BPA; KO; BDNF; GPER; SERM; ER
• ISSN: 0022-3565; 1521-0103; 1521-0103
• DOI: 10.1124/jpet.116.237412

Estrogens, the primary female sex hormones, were originally characterized through their important role in sexual maturation and reproduction. However, recent studies have shown that estrogens play critical roles in a number of brain functions, including cognition, learning and memory, neurodevelopment, and adult neuroplasticity. A number of studies from both clinical as well as preclinical research suggest a protective role of estrogen in neurodevelopmental disorders including autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia. Alterations in the levels of estrogen receptors have been found in subjects with ASD or schizophrenia, and adjunctive estrogen therapy has been shown to be effective in enhancing the treatment of schizophrenia. This review summarizes the findings on the role of estrogen in the pathophysiology of neurodevelopmental disorders with a focus on ASD and schizophrenia. We also discuss the potential of estrogen as a therapeutic target in the above disorders.