Estrogen

Williams, Sarah C. “A Different Side of Estrogen-Second Receptor complicates efforts to understand hormone”. Science News, January 5, 2008 vol. 173, pg 8-9. In recent studies, the thought was that estrogen was mainly a hormone in women and small traces were found in males. It only was in important in the reproduction system and mainly in the ovaries. Today however it is known that Estrogens are extremely important not only in reproduction but also to all other organs of the body as they function to other parts of the organ’s cells.

In 1996 while searching broadly for new hormone receptors Gustadsson found estrogen receptor beta. In his research with mice he was able to find they were able to live without estrogen beta receptor but having many issues with their health, leaving us to believe that estrogen beta has protects against cancer and keeps the immune system in check. This shows for a long time scientists thought estrogens bounds to one type of receptor now it’s called estrogen receptor alpha. The uterus contains large amounts of alpha receptor, its function was important only for female reproduction and no one went looking for different receptor. The ERB was found to protect against cancer, help trauma patients survive and help people to be less anxious and help depression. New studies could able to develop hormone based drugs which can help in infertility, breast cancer and other inflammatory diseases. Estrogen circulates in the blood mainly from the ovaries but also small amounts are made by the placenta, liver, adrenal glands and breasts. In males testes produces small amounts of the Estrogen.

Bonnie Deroo focused on estrogen in the ovaries having both alpha and beta estrogen receptor but not in the same cells. Deroo thinks that beta receptor involved in the ovulation by finding drug it will help women with infertility and also function as form of birth control, in the drug