雄激素受体(androgen receptor,AR)是依赖配体活化的转录因子,同时也是类固醇激素受体超家族中的一员,参与靶细胞的增殖和分化。膀胱癌是存在较大性别差异的肿瘤之一。一些数据表明,AR在膀胱癌的进程中发挥重要作用,并部分解释了膀胱癌在不同性别存在差异的原因,但具体机制远不如其在前列腺癌中的机制明确。主要综述几个与AR有重要联系并参与膀胱癌发生发展的分子,阐述AR介导基因转录及AR辅调节因子在膀胱癌中的作用及机制,为膀胱癌的诊断和治疗提供新的思路和靶点。
Androgen receptor (AR) is a member of nuclear receptor superfamily. AR acts as a transcription factor in a ligand-dependent manner, involving in the proliferation and differentiation of target cells. Bladder cancer is one of the tumors with sex disparity in the cancer incidence. A body of evidence suggests that AR plays an important role in bladder cancer progression, and its function may contribute to the dissimilarity of bladder cancer incidence in two sexes. However, the detailed mechanisms of AR action in bladder cancer are still unclear as those in prostate cancer. Here, we review several molecules related to AR and apparently involved in the development and progession of bladder cancer. We would try to clarify the functions and mechanisms of AR-induced transactivation and coregulators of AR in bladder cancer and to provide new diagnostic and therapeutic targets for bladder cancer.