By Lin Chia-nan / Staff reporterThe identification of a bacterium related to the retroconversion of sex steroids might lead to treatments for hormonal problems such as baldness and menopause, a team of researchers said yesterday. As emtA also exists in the anaerobic environment of the human gut, the retroconversion of estrogen might also happen in humans, he added. Specific hormones regulate the development and maintenance of male and female characteristics, and the team’s research signals potential new treatments for menopause, baldness and prostate cancers through probiotics, Chiang said. The team’s study, “Retroconversion of estrogens into androgens by bacteria via a cobalamin-mediated methylation,” was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Jan. 21. The journal published a commentary on the team’s article, titled “Anaerobic bacteria need their vitamin B12 to digest estrogen,” a week later.

Source: Taipei Times March 03, 2020 15:56 UTC