New perspectives on growth factor-sex steroid interaction in the prostate

• Published in: Cytokine & growth factor reviews 2003-02, Vol.14 (1), p.5-16
• Main Authors: Ball, Emma M.A, Risbridger, Gail P
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Activin; Activins - metabolism; Androgen; Cell Communication - physiology; Cross-talk; Estrogen; Female; Gonadal Steroid Hormones - metabolism; Growth Substances - metabolism; Humans; Male; Prostate - metabolism; Signal Transduction - physiology; TGFβ; Transforming Growth Factor beta - metabolism
• ISSN: 1359-6101
• DOI: 10.1016/S1359-6101(02)00052-7

Many organs respond to both sex steroids and growth factors. Regulation of these pathways is integral to cell–cell communications during development and aberrant changes cause disease pathogenesis. Traditionally, paracrine and endocrine actions of growth factors and steroid hormones are considered independently. Recently, new data indicated that activin/TGFβ and sex steroid signalling are linked; explicitly, that the pathways cross-talk intracellularly. Here we present new perspectives on these interactions, using examples predominantly from the prostate, as it is a well-characterised organ in this context. While this information provides insight to the potential mechanisms behind these interactions, it also presents a new challenge; the action of any of these factors cannot be considered exclusively without considering the impact on the other biological pathways.