Steroid hormone receptors in cancer development: A target for cancer therapeutics

The steroid hormone receptors (SHRs) are ligand-dependent intracellular transcription factors that are known to influence the development and growth of many human cancers. SHRs pass signals from a steroid/hormone to the target genes by interacting with specific response element DNA sequences and various coregulatory proteins that consists of activators and/or corepressors. Disruptions in physiological functions of SHRs leads to several types of malignancies such as breast cancer, leukemia and lymphoma, prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, and lung cancer among others. Steroids/hormones/SHRs and their coregulators have opened up a unique window for novel steroid-based targeted therapies for cancer. Thus, dysregulation of SHR signaling in cancers compared with normal tissues can be exploited to target drugs that prevent and treat human cancers. In recent years, hormonal therapy has made a major contribution to the treatment of several cancers including reduced recurrence rates and longer survival rates. Development of various steroid receptor modulators and their potential therapeutic efficacies has provided us a great opportunity to effectively manage diseases like cancer in future. In this review article, we have summarized up-to-date knowledge of the role of SHRs in the development and progression of cancers, and potential endocrine-based therapeutic approaches to tackle these diseases.