Grant: Project Grant

Traditionally, androgen and estrogen receptors (AR, ERalpha and ERbeta) have been studied mostly separately, and generally in the male or the female reproductive tracts, respectively. These steroid hormone receptors are present in both males and females, where they contribute to the development of most tissues, including the reproductive tracts. Although estrogens and their receptors are most often studied in the field of breast cancer, they are also both expressed in the prostate and are involved in prostate cancer (PCa). Indeed, high circulating levels of estrogens and increased levels of intra-tumour estrogen synthesis have been associated with more aggressive tumours in humans. The actual model suggests an opposite role of both ERs, ERbeta being a tumour suppressor and ERalpha being an oncogene. However, most of the data obtained on ERs are descriptive studies, and a clear understanding of their biological functions in PCa is lacking. The global aim of this application is to understand the biological functions of ERalpha and ERbeta in prostate cancer cells.