Discovery of Nonsteroidal Androgens
March 1998
in “
Biochemical and biophysical research communications
”
TLDR Scientists found new nonsteroidal compounds that can act like natural male hormones and might help treat male fertility and hormone issues.
In 1998, researchers discovered nonsteroidal androgens that could bind to the androgen receptor with an affinity similar to dihydrotestosterone, the natural ligand. These synthesized ligands also mimicked dihydrotestosterone's effects on receptor-mediated transcriptional activation, acting as receptor agonists. This discovery indicated that nonsteroidal ligands could be structurally modified to produce agonist activity, representing a new class of androgens with potential therapeutic applications in male fertility and hormone replacement therapy.