title: The prolactin receptor as a therapeutic target in human diseases: browsing new potential indications.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prolactin (PRL) signaling has emerged as a relevant target in breast and prostate cancers. This has encouraged various laboratories to develop compounds targeting the PRL receptor (PRLR). As the latter is widely distributed, it is timely to address whether other conditions could also benefit from such inhibitors.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors briefly overview the two classes of PRLR blockers, which involve: i) PRL-core based analogs that have been validated as competitive antagonists in various preclinical models, and ii) anti-PRLR neutralizing antibodies that are currently in clinical Phase I for advanced breast and prostate cancers. The main purpose of this review is to discuss the multiple organs/diseases that may be considered as potential targets/indications for such inhibitors. This is done in light of reports suggesting that PRLR expression/signaling is increased in disease, and/or that systemic or locally elevated PRL levels correlate with (or promote) organ pathogenesis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The two immediate challenges in the field are i) to provide the scientific community with potent anti-prolactin receptor antibodies to map prolactin receptor expression in target organs, and ii) to take advantage of the availability of functionally validated PRLR blockers to establish the relevance of these potential indications in humans.
authors.affiliation: Research Director at Inserm, Head of the 'PRL/GH Pathophysiology: Translational Approaches' Laboratory,University Paris Descartes, Institut Necker Enfants Malades (INEM), Inserm Unit 1151, Faculté de Médecine Paris Descartes , Bâtiment Leriche, 14 Rue Maria Helena Vieira Da Silva, CS61431, 75993 Paris Cedex 14 , France +33 1 72 60 63 68 +33 1 72 60 64 01 ; vincent.goffin@inserm.fr.
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Goffin
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Touraine
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D015195:Drug Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D011388:Prolactin / Q000378:metabolism*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D011981:Receptors, Prolactin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D011981:Receptors, Prolactin; D011388:Prolactin
keywords: Stat5; antagonists; antibodies; atherosclerosis; autoimmunity; cancer; hair; hyperplasia; inflammation; pain; targeted therapy; tumorigenesis