What Is a Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator?
A selective estrogen receptor modulator, also known as a SERM, is a compound that acts on hormone receptors that are activated by 17β-estradiol, more commonly referred to as estrogen. Selective estrogen receptor modulators are active in many different tissues throughout the body, allowing them to moderate the effects of estrogen on a large scale. In some cases, a selective estrogen receptor modulator may act as an agonist, a compound that triggers some biological response by binding to a receptor. In other cases, a selective estrogen receptor modulator acts as an antagonist, a molecule that suppresses a response by binding to a receptor. Selective estrogen receptor molecules can act as either agonists or antagonists depending on the particular kind of tissue in which they are found.