The Isoforms of Estrogen Receptor Alpha and Beta in Thyroid Cancer

The incidence of thyroid cancer was predominant in women, indicating that the sex hormone may have a role in thyroid cancer development. Generally, the sex hormone exerts its function by binding to the correspondent nuclear receptors. Therefore, aberrant of these receptors may be involved in the development of thyroid cancer. Estrogen receptor alpha (ER alpha) and beta (ER beta), two main estrogen receptors, have been reported to have an important role in the pathogenesis of thyroid cancer. When the ER alpha and ER beta genes undergo the alternative RNA splicing, some ER alpha and ER beta isoforms with incomplete functional domains may be formed. To date, several isoforms of ER alpha and ER beta have been identified. However, their expression and roles in thyroid cancer are far from clear. In this review, we summarized the expressions and roles of ER alpha and ER beta isoforms in thyroid cancer, aiming to provide the perspective of modulating the alternative RNA splicing of ER alpha and ER beta against thyroid cancer.

Automated summary

Thyroid cancer is more common in women, suggesting a potential role of sex hormones in its development. Estrogen receptors alpha and beta have been found to play an important role in the pathogenesis of thyroid cancer. However, the expression and function of different isoforms of these receptors in thyroid cancer are still not well understood. This review aims to summarize the expression and roles of estrogen receptor alpha and beta isoforms in thyroid cancer, providing new insights into modulating their alternative RNA splicing against thyroid cancer.