[Clinical and molecular basis of androgen resistance]

Androgen resistance is responsible for the development of a spectrum of abnormalities of male sexual differentiation, and can be broadly divided in two categories: deficiency of 5-alpha-reductase and defects in the androgen receptor. Recent developments in the field on molecular biology have allowed the cloning and characterization of the genes responsible for both syndromes and have made it possible to detect the subtle molecular defects underlying these diseases. This discussion will review some of the most recent development in this field of research.