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Updated: Jul 30, 2025

An In Vivo Estrogen Deficiency Mouse Model for Screening Exogenous Estrogen Treatments of Cardiovascular Dysfunction After Menopause
Published on: August 13, 2019
Advances in Medicinal Chemistry of Estrogen-related Receptor Alpha (ERRα) Inverse Agonists
Haibin Zhang1, Yongli Du1, Yong Zheng1
1School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan, 250353, China.
Abstract:
Estrogen-related receptor alpha (ERRα), a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, is strongly expressed in breast cancer cells. Its overexpression is associated with poor prognosis in triple- negative Breast Cancer (TNBC). ERRα expression could be inhibited by the downregulation of upstream oncogenic growth factors mTOR, HER2, and PI3K. Low expression of ERRα could suppress the migration and angiogenesis of tumor cells by inhibiting the activity of its downstream signals VEGF and WNT11. Studies have confirmed that ERRα inverse agonists can inhibit ERRα expression to treat breast cancer. Inverse agonists of ERRα could disrupt the interactions of ERRα with its coactivators and inhibit tumor development. Existing ERRα inverse agonists have shown moderate efficacy in inhibiting the growth of breast cancer cells. Clinical inverse agonists of ERRα have not been found in the literature. This review focuses on the research progress and the structureactivity relationship of ERRα inverse agonists, providing guidance for the research and discovery of new anti-tumor compounds for TNBC.
Insights
Estrogen-related receptor alpha (ERRα) is a target for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) treatment. ERRα inverse agonists show potential in inhibiting tumor growth by blocking ERRα expression and downstream signaling pathways.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Endocrinology
- Oncology
- Drug Discovery
Background:
- Estrogen-related receptor alpha (ERRα) is overexpressed in breast cancer, particularly triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), correlating with poor prognosis.
- ERRα overexpression is linked to increased tumor cell migration and angiogenesis via downstream targets like VEGF and WNT11.
- Upstream oncogenic factors such as mTOR, HER2, and PI3K regulate ERRα expression.
Conclusions:
- ERRα inverse agonists represent a promising therapeutic strategy for TNBC.
- Further research into structure-activity relationships is crucial for optimizing ERRα inverse agonists.
- Development of novel ERRα inverse agonists could lead to effective treatments for TNBC.
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