Androgen Actions: from Bench to Clinic (A2B2C).

Androgens and estrogens are crucial for maintaining sexual function, germ cell development and accessory sex glands, but they also affect many aspects of skeletal muscle, the skeleton, adipose tissue, hematopoiesis, metabolism etc. At the intracellular level, androgens act via binding to the nuclear androgen receptor (AR) or act as precursors for estrogens which bind estrogen receptors. We study three intertwined aspects of sex hormone action: - Sex steroids are carried to their target tissues via the bloodstream where they can bind sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG). We are defining the role of free and SHBG bound hormone levels in preclinical models as well as in endocrine disease. - Anti-androgens are widely used in the clinic to treat metastatic castration-resistant forms of prostate cancer. We study the AR in preclinical models and clinical stages of prostate cancer that are resistant against the latest AR targeting drugs. - We also investigate the direct and indirect effects of androgens on the musculoskeletal system by the use of cell-specific AR knock out models. For all three aspects, we translate basic and preclinical findings to human situations and back.

Keywords:Cell specific knock out, Androgen receptor, Anti-androgens, Enzalutamide resistance, Musculoskeletal, SHBG

Disciplines:Morphological sciences, Oncology, Laboratory medicine, Palliative care and end-of-life care, Regenerative medicine, Other basic sciences, Other health sciences, Nursing, Other paramedical sciences, Other translational sciences, Other medical and health sciences, Endocrinology and metabolic diseases, Gynaecology and obstetrics