Estrogen receptor beta (ER-beta) (ER-beta)

Estrogen receptor beta (ER-beta), encoded by the ESR2 gene, is a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily of ligand-dependent transcription factors [6, 9]. It is one of the two primary estrogen receptors, alongside ER-alpha, and is widely expressed in tissues including the ovary, prostate, lung, colon, and central nervous system [1, 6]. ER-beta plays a critical role in regulating cell growth, differentiation, and apoptosis, often acting as a tumor suppressor by antagonizing the proliferative effects of ER-alpha [3, 7]. In addition to its genomic actions through binding to estrogen response elements (EREs), it modulates signaling pathways such as MAPK and PI3K/AKT and interacts with other transcription factors like AP-1 and NF-κB [4, 17]. Therapeutically, ER-beta is targeted by selective agonists and modulators for the treatment of various cancers, neurodegenerative disorders, and inflammatory conditions [2, 13]. Its role in disease is complex, as it can exhibit anti-proliferative effects in many solid tumors but may promote survival in specific contexts like triple-negative breast cancer stem cells [14, 15].

Other names

ESR2NR3A2ER-betaERβESRBESTRBErbEstrogen receptor 2ODG8

Agonist, Antagonist, Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator (SERM). It acts as a ligand-dependent transcription factor that forms homodimers or heterodimers to regulate gene expression via estrogen response elements (EREs) or through interaction with other transcription factors like AP-1 and NF-κB [1, 3, 6].