Recent Patents on New Steroid Agents Targeting the Steroidogenesis for Endocrine Cancer Treatments

What is it about?

This review article emphasizes the patents and patent applications published over the last five years. It deals exclusively with steroid compounds developed as inhibitors of key enzymes (17α-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase, steroid sulfatase, 5α-reductases, aromatase and 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases) involved in the steroidogenesis and identified as therapeutic targets. Such inhibitors could be used as a drug to reduce the concentration of androgens or estrogens and, consequently, for treating hormone-dependent diseases such as prostate cancer, breast cancer and endometriosis. - See more at: http://www.eurekaselect.com/128109/article#sthash.bnee0P9N.dpuf

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Why is it important?

Because the use of small molecules to block the biosynthesis (steroidogenesis) or the action of hormones (androgens or estrogens) is a therapeutic approach that has yielded interesting results and whose development continues. See more at: http://www.eurekaselect.com/128109/article#sthash.qKACSxeT.dpuf