Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 22, 2026

Systems Biology of Metabolic Regulation by Estrogen Receptor Signaling in Breast Cancer
10:36

Systems Biology of Metabolic Regulation by Estrogen Receptor Signaling in Breast Cancer

Published on: March 17, 2016

Estrogen-related receptor alpha: an orphan finds a family

Aleksandra M Ochnik1, Douglas Yee

  • 1Masonic Cancer Center, Departments of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, MMC 806, 420 Delaware Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.

Breast Cancer Research : BCR
|May 12, 2012
PubMed

Insights

New breast cancer therapies target specific molecular pathways. Estrogen-related receptor alpha is a key downstream target, offering potential for novel biomarkers and treatments in malignancy.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Endocrinology

Background:

  • Targeted therapies are revolutionizing breast cancer treatment by inhibiting specific molecular pathways.
  • Estrogen-related receptor alpha (ERRα) is implicated as a downstream effector in cancer signaling.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mechanistic actions of orphan nuclear receptors, specifically ERRα, in breast cancer.
  • To identify ERRα as a potential biomarker and molecular target for novel therapeutic strategies.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of molecular pathways in breast cancer subtypes.
  • Investigating the role of orphan nuclear receptors as downstream targets of growth factor receptors.

Main Results:

  • Estrogen-related receptor alpha (ERRα) is identified as a downstream target of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) and insulin-like growth factor receptor type I (IGF-1R).
  • This establishes a mechanistic link between key growth factor signaling and ERRα activity in breast cancer.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding the mechanistic actions of orphan nuclear receptors like ERRα is crucial for developing targeted breast cancer therapies.
  • ERRα represents a promising molecular target and potential biomarker for improving treatment strategies in molecularly defined breast cancer subtypes.

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