3β-adiol

3β-Adiol (3β-androstanediol, or 5α-androstane-3β,17β-diol) is a naturally occurring metabolite of testosterone formed via the conversion of dihydrotestosterone (DHT). It is a small-molecule endogenous steroid that acts as a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), primarily targeting estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) rather than the androgen receptor. In preclinical studies, it has demonstrated the ability to inhibit prostate cancer cell proliferation and migration, increase cell adhesion, reduce invasiveness in vitro, and suppress tumor growth and metastasis formation in vivo. It is being investigated as a potential research compound for the treatment of prostate cancer, including androgen-independent (castration-resistant) prostate cancer, and has also been studied in breast cancer models where it acts as a partial agonist of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα). No specific company is developing it as a branded drug product; it remains a research/investigational compound with no approved brand name. A key limitation is its potential retro-conversion to androgenic steroids (DHT), which has so far precluded direct in vivo therapeutic use.

Other names

3β-androstanediol3βAdiol5α-androstane-3β,17β-diol