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Current Drug Targets

Editor-in-Chief

ISSN (Print): 1389-4501
ISSN (Online): 1873-5592

Phytoestrogens: Pharmacological and Therapeutic Perspectives

Author(s): C. Bolego, A. Poli, A. Cignarella and R. Paoletti

Volume 4, Issue 1, 2003

Page: [77 - 87] Pages: 11

DOI: 10.2174/1389450033347000

Price: $65

Abstract

Phytoestrogens exert different estrogen receptor-dependent and -independent pharmacological actions. They share with estrogens several structural features and show greater affinity for the newly described estrogen receptor-beta. Many hope that phytoestrogens can exert the cardioprotective, anti-osteoporotic and other beneficial effects of the estrogens used in hormone replacement therapy in postmenopausal women without adversely affecting the risk of thrombosis and the incidence of breast and uterine cancers. Although there are many positive indications that phytoestrogens can fulfil this role, it remains to be proven: controlled interventional studies are lacking, and many questions remain unanswered. This review analyzes, on the basis of available experimental and epidemiological studies, the pros and cons of phytoestrogen use and describes the potential tissue targets and mechanisms of action of phytoestrogens.

Keywords: Phytoestrogens, Therapeutic Perspectives, estrogen, anti-osteoporotic, cardioprotective, thrombosis


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