The androgen receptor (AR) signalling pathway has been intensively studied in the context of prostate cancer, where androgen deprivation therapy is part of the standard of care for metastatic disease. By contrast, fewer studies have investigated the impact and translational potential of targeting AR in other cancer types where it is also expressed and functional. In this Review, we discuss the current understanding of AR in non-prostatic cancer types and summarize ongoing AR-directed clinical trials. While different androgen levels contribute to sexual dimorphism in cancer, targeting the AR system could benefit both sexes and help overcome resistance to targeted therapies. However, a bimodal function of AR signalling, which suppresses stromal changes associated with the early stages of cancer development, also needs to be considered. Future research is necessary to scrutinize cellular and molecular mechanisms of action of AR in cancer cells and the tumour microenvironment, to develop selective modulators of AR activity, and to identify patients with non-prostatic cancer who might benefit from targeting this pathway. AR-directed manipulation of host immune cells may offer a promising therapeutic approach for many types of cancers.

雄激素受体 （AR） 信号通路已在前列腺癌的背景下进行了深入研究，其中雄激素剥夺治疗是转移性疾病标准治疗的一部分。相比之下，较少的研究调查了靶向 AR 在其他癌症类型中的影响和转化潜力，因为 AR 也表达且具有功能。在本综述中，我们讨论了目前对非前列腺癌类型中 AR 的理解，并总结了正在进行的 AR 导向临床试验。虽然不同的雄激素水平会导致癌症中的性二态性，但靶向 AR 系统可能对两性都有好处，并有助于克服对靶向治疗的耐药性。然而，还需要考虑 AR 信号传导的双峰功能，它抑制与癌症发展早期相关的基质变化。未来的研究是必要的，以仔细检查 AR 在癌细胞和肿瘤微环境中的细胞和分子作用机制，开发 AR 活性的选择性调节剂，并确定可能从靶向该途径中受益的非前列腺癌患者。AR 定向操作宿主免疫细胞可能为许多类型的癌症提供一种有前途的治疗方法。