类固醇核受体(SNR)是核受体超家族的转录因子。雌激素受体(ERα)是研究得最好的,在临床上既可以作为预后标志物,也可以作为对抗雌激素疗法反应的预测因子。孕酮受体(PR)也用于临床,但具有更有争议的预后作用和其他四个SNR的作用,ERβ,雄激素受体(AR),糖皮质激素受体(GR)和盐皮质激素受体(MR),只是开始被欣赏。ERα,而且在一定程度上还有其他SNR,据报道,几乎参与了每一个导致癌症的过程,促进和阻碍致癌作用。上皮-间充质转化(EMT)和反向间充质上皮转化(MET)是这种致癌作用的过程,在侵袭和转移开始以及肿瘤在转移部位的建立中具有重要作用。EMT受几个信号转导途径的控制,最终导致该过程的核心转录因子,比如蜗牛,子弹,ZEB1和ZEB2,以及Twist,在其他人中。本文将讨论SNRs在乳腺癌中对这些核心转录因子的直接调控。在尝试填补其他实验数据不可用的空白时,还将包括对核心EMT因子启动子上的SNR的结合位点的公开可用数据库的询问。
Steroid Nuclear Receptors (SNRs) are transcription factors of the nuclear receptor super-family. Estrogen Receptor (ERα) is the best-studied and has a seminal role in the clinic both as a prognostic marker but also as a predictor of response to anti-estrogenic therapies. Progesterone Receptor (PR) is also used in the clinic but with a more debatable prognostic role and the role of the four other SNRs, ERβ, Androgen Receptor (AR), Glucocorticoid Receptor (
GR) and Mineralocorticoid Receptor (MR), is starting only to be appreciated. ERα, but also to a certain degree the other SNRs, have been reported to be involved in virtually every cancer-enabling process, both promoting and impeding carcinogenesis. Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) and the reverse Mesenchymal Epithelial Transition (MET) are such carcinogenesis-enabling processes with important roles in invasion and metastasis initiation but also establishment of tumor in the metastatic site. EMT is governed by several signal transduction pathways culminating in core transcription factors of the process, such as Snail, Slug, ZEB1 and ZEB2, and Twist, among others. This paper will discuss direct regulation of these core transcription factors by SNRs in breast cancer. Interrogation of publicly available databases for binding sites of SNRs on promoters of core EMT factors will also be included in an attempt to fill gaps where other experimental data are not available.