Aromatase inhibitor
Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) are a class of drugs used in the treatment of breast cancer in postmenopausal women and in men, and gynecomastia in men. They may also be used off-label to reduce estrogen conversion when supplementing testosterone exogenously. They may also be used for chemoprevention in women at high risk for breast cancer.
| Aromatase inhibitor | |
|---|---|
| Drug class | |
Anastrozole, a non steroidal aromatase inhibitor and a widely used drug in the treatment of breast cancer. | |
| Class identifiers | |
| Synonyms | Estrogen synthesis inhibitors; Estrogen synthase inhibitors; Estrogen blockers |
| Use | Breast cancer, infertility, precocious puberty, medical abortion, gynecomastia, endometriosis, short stature, others |
| ATC code | L02BG |
| Biological target | Aromatase |
| Chemical class | Steroidal; Nonsteroidal |
| Legal status | |
| In Wikidata | |
Aromatase is the enzyme that catalyzes a key aromatization step in the synthesis of estrogen. It converts the enone ring of androgen precursors such as testosterone, to a phenol, completing the synthesis of estrogen. As such, AIs are estrogen synthesis inhibitors. Because hormone-positive breast and ovarian cancers are dependent on estrogen for growth, AIs are taken to either block the production of estrogen or block the action of estrogen on receptors.