UH Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Signaling (CNRCS) research assistant professor Christoforos Thomas and director Jan-Åke Gustafsson recently were invited to submit a review for the August 2011 issue of Nature Reviews Cancer. In the review, Thomas and Gustafsson detailed the different roles of estrogen hormone receptors in cancer biology and therapy. The review previously was ranked among the top ten most downloaded charts and articles for Nature Reviews Cancer, the number one monthly review journal in the field of oncology.

"Estrogen receptors provide a unique route for improving methods in cancer prognosis and developing drugs that target cancer cells," said Thomas. "The potential to develop new treatments in this area is now being realized though our work here at UH."

CNRCS researchers continue to explore the influence of steroid hormones, such as estrogens, on normal physiology, reproduction and behavior. The estrogen hormone in particular helps to regulate cell growth and differentiation through mediation of specific receptors within cellular nuclei, known as nuclear receptors. Previous studies have established that estrogen receptor subtypes have a significant impact in cancer biology and therapy.

For further details or to view the abstract, visit http://www.nature.com/nrc/journal/v11/n8/abs/nrc3093.html.

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