Update on ERbeta

Abstract

ERbeta (ERβ) celebrated its 20th birthday in 2016 and although the overwhelming data in the literature indicate a role for this receptor in the control of epithelial proliferation, neurodegeneration and immune function, no ERβ agonists have yet made it to the clinics. This is the situation, despite the fact that very good safe ERβ agonists have been synthesized and at least one has been donated to the NIH for distribution to researchers, who want to study its possible clinical use. Clinical trials are ongoing for the use of ERβ agonists in prostate cancer and schizophrenia but even today reviewers of our grants still make comments like "The grant is excellent except that the focus of the grant is ERβ". There are multiple reasons for the non-acceptance of the value of ERβ and in this paper we will discuss issues raised by labs which do not support a role for ERβ in physiology or pathology.