Other steroid receptor

The term "Other steroid receptors" is a collective designation for a diverse group of receptors that bind steroid hormones, typically excluding the primary estrogen receptors (ERα and ERβ) in specific clinical or research contexts [4, 12]. This group primarily includes the 3-ketosteroid receptors—the Androgen Receptor (AR), Progesterone Receptor (PR), Glucocorticoid Receptor (GR), and Mineralocorticoid Receptor (MR)—as well as non-classical receptors like the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) [3, 13]. These receptors function as ligand-activated transcription factors that regulate the expression of genes involved in critical physiological processes, including metabolism, immune response, and reproductive development [1, 6]. In oncology, particularly in breast and prostate cancers, these receptors serve as essential therapeutic targets and prognostic markers due to their role in driving tumor growth and their extensive crosstalk with other signaling pathways [4, 9]. Drugs targeting these receptors, such as selective agonists and antagonists, are widely used to treat conditions ranging from inflammatory diseases and hypertension to hormone-dependent malignancies [5, 7, 14]. Understanding the specific roles and interactions of these "other" receptors is crucial for developing more effective and selective endocrine therapies [4, 13].

Other names

Steroid hormone receptorsNon-estrogen steroid receptorsNuclear receptor subfamily 3 (NR3) members3-ketosteroid receptorsNon-classical steroid receptors

Steroid receptors typically function as ligand-dependent transcription factors; upon ligand binding, they undergo conformational changes, dissociate from chaperone proteins, dimerize, and translocate to the nucleus to bind specific DNA sequences (hormone response elements), thereby regulating gene expression [1, 2]. Additionally, some members like GPER mediate rapid non-genomic signaling through membrane-associated pathways involving second messengers like cAMP and calcium [13, 14].