Estrogen

Estrogens are a family of related molecules that stimulate the development and maintenance of female characteristics and sexual reproduction.

What is Estrogen?

Estrogens (also called Oestrogens) are steroid compounds that are important for development and functioning of females of the species. They are named so because they play an important role in the estrous cycle. Their name comes from estrus/oistros (period of fertility for female mammals) + gen/gonos = to generate.

Estrogen Function

Estrogen Types

Estrogen in Cosmetics

Estrogen in Medicine

Estradiol and Estrogen Levels

Estrogen as a Treatment for Parkinson’s Disease

Latest Estrogen News and Research

Androgen deprivation strategies could help mitigate SARS-CoV-2 infection

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers have noted that women are generally less severely affected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This has led to the exploration into estrogen and androgens' role in the hyperinflammatory clinical phenotypes of COVID-19. A recent study published on the preprint server bioRxiv shows that drugs targeting androgens and TMPRSS2 inhibitors may potentially combat the pandemic.

20 Oct 2020

Study elucidates the role of ERβ in growth of skeletal muscle in female mice

Researchers at Kumamoto University, Japan generated mice lacking the estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) gene, both fiber-specific and muscle stem cell-specific, which resulted in abnormalities in the growth and regeneration of skeletal muscle in female mice.

12 Oct 2020

Higher HMBGB1 levels associated with obesity, inflammation, and cardiovascular disease in younger black adults

A "danger molecule" is higher in the blood of younger black adults than whites, females than males and increases with weight and age, researchers report in the first large, longitudinal study associating circulating HMGB1 levels with obesity, inflammation promoters and early indicators of cardiovascular risk in humans.

9 Oct 2020

Mass production of SARS-CoV-2 ORF8 protein using a chemical-inducible system in tobacco BY-2 cells

Researchers from the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST) and Ishikawa Prefectural University, Japan, recently attempted to synthesize the ORF8 protein with the help of a chemical-inducible protein production system using tobacco BY-2 cells. This study has been published demonstrated in the preprint server, bioRxiv.

9 Oct 2020

Multi-faceted approach required to improve cardiovascular health of LGBTQ population

More than half (56%) of LGBTQ adults and 70% of those who are transgender or gender non-conforming report experiencing some form of discrimination, including the use of harsh or abusive language, from a health care professional.

8 Oct 2020

Researchers create p16-Cre ERT2 -tdTomato mouse model to characterize in vivo senescent cells

Cell senescence is a state of permanent cell cycle arrest that was initially defined for cells grown in cell culture. It plays a key role in age-associated organ dysfunction and age-related diseases such as cancer, but the in vivo pathogenesis is largely unclear.

7 Oct 2020

New imaging technique can replace invasive tissue biopsies in cancer treatment

Imaging techniques could replace the need for invasive tissue biopsies in helping rapidly determine whether cancer treatments are working effectively, according to researchers at the University of Cambridge.

7 Oct 2020

Researchers identify a promising method to treat multiple sclerosis

Seema Tiwari-Woodruff, a professor of biomedical sciences in the School of Medicine at the University of California, Riverside, and her colleagues have received a grant of $373,000 from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society for a project in which her lab will select the five best candidate compounds to speed up nerve impulses, a promising new avenue to treat multiple sclerosis.

1 Oct 2020

New tool helps to find out toxins lurking in drinking water

Exposure to hydraulic fracturing fluid in drinking water has been shown to increase the risk of respiratory problems, premature births, congenital heart defects, and other medical problems. But not all wells are created equal.

23 Sep 2020

Women with prolonged fertility have elevated dementia risk

Women with a longer reproductive period had an elevated risk for dementia in old age, compared with those who were fertile for a shorter period, a population-based study from the University of Gothenburg shows.

17 Sep 2020

Study uncovers the locus of male sexual desire in the brain

The locus of male sexual desire has been uncovered in specific regions of brain tissue where a key gene named aromatase is present, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study in mice.

12 Sep 2020

NAMS publishes the 2020 Genitourinary Syndrome Of Menopause Position Statement

The North American Menopause Society announces publication of its 2020 Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause Position Statement.

1 Sep 2020

Study suggests role for estrogen replacement to protect women against Alzheimer's

Biological sex influences the effect of amyloid beta on alterations to tau protein characteristic to Alzheimer's disease, suggesting a role for estradiol in preventing the disease in women, report scientists in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease

1 Sep 2020

Growth hormone associated with early puberty and future breast cancer risk

When girls reach puberty at an unusually early age, they face a significantly higher risk of developing breast cancer later in life. Now, experts at Cincinnati Children's and the University of Cincinnati offer a new, unified explanation for why that increased risk occurs.

1 Sep 2020

Brain estrogen critical for astrocyte activation and neuroprotection

When the brain isn't getting enough oxygen, estrogen produced by neurons in both males and females hyperactivates another brain cell type called astrocytes to step up their usual support and protect brain function.

1 Sep 2020

New breast cancer drug is safe and effective, can halt disease progression

A new type of breast cancer drug developed by researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago can help halt progression of disease and is not toxic, according to phase 1 clinical trials. The drug is specifically designed for women whose cancer has stopped responding to hormone therapy.

28 Aug 2020

Study: Estrogen may reduce severity of COVID-19 symptoms in women

Why are men at greater risk than women for more severe symptoms and worse outcomes from COVID-19 regardless of age?

27 Aug 2020

Estradiol appears to help in female SARS-CoV-2 infection

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in August 2020 shows that the risk of infection is high for pre-menopausal women but the risk of death is much higher for men in the same age group and throws light on the protective nature of estradiol therapy in post-menopausal women.

26 Aug 2020

Sortilin may hold the key to developing more effective treatment for pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer has an extremely poor prognosis; it is the third most common cause of cancer deaths in the United States.

20 Aug 2020

New type of immunotherapy extends survival of mice with triple negative breast tumors

Immunotherapies for cancer -; treatments that prime the immune system to attack tumors -; are valuable weapons in the anti-cancer arsenal. But some cancers are more difficult to target with this strategy than others.

17 Aug 2020