A Basic Review on Estrogen Receptor Signaling Pathways in Breast Cancer

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences Vol. 24; no. 7; p. 6834
• Main Authors: Clusan, Léa, Ferrière, François, Flouriot, Gilles, Pakdel, Farzad
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01.04.2023; MDPI
• Subjects: Biomarkers; Breast cancer; Breast Neoplasms - drug therapy; Breast Neoplasms - genetics; Breast Neoplasms - pathology; Cancer; Cancer therapies; Cell cycle; Cell growth; Classification; Developing countries; Development and progression; DNA repair; Drug development; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm - genetics; Endocrine therapy; Endocrinology and metabolism; Epidermal growth factor; Estrogen; Estrogen Antagonists - therapeutic use; Estrogens; Estrogens - metabolism; Female; Gene expression; Genes; Genetic aspects; Hormones; Human health and pathology; Humans; Keratin; Kinases; LDCs; Life Sciences; Lung cancer; Medical prognosis; Mutation; PCB; Phenols; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases - metabolism; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Progesterone; Proteins; Receptors, Estrogen - metabolism; Review; Risk factors; Signal Transduction; Tumors; Womens health; endocrine resistance; estrogen receptor; breast cancer
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms24076834

Breast cancer is the most common cancer and the deadliest among women worldwide. Estrogen signaling is closely associated with hormone-dependent breast cancer (estrogen and progesterone receptor positive), which accounts for two-thirds of tumors. Hormone therapy using antiestrogens is the gold standard, but resistance to these treatments invariably occurs through various biological mechanisms, such as changes in estrogen receptor activity, mutations in the ESR1 gene, aberrant activation of the PI3K pathway or cell cycle dysregulations. All these factors have led to the development of new therapies, such as selective estrogen receptor degraders (SERDs), or combination therapies with cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK) 4/6 or PI3K inhibitors. Therefore, understanding the estrogen pathway is essential for the treatment and new drug development of hormone-dependent cancers. This mini-review summarizes current literature on the signalization, mechanisms of action and clinical implications of estrogen receptors in breast cancer.