Frontiers in Bioscience-Landmark (FBL) is published by IMR Press from Volume 26 Issue 5 (2021). Previous articles were published by another publisher on a subscription basis, and they are hosted by IMR Press on imrpress.com as a courtesy and upon agreement with Frontiers in Bioscience.
The expression patterns of folate receptor (FR) isoforms, α and β, in normal and malignant male and female reproductive tissues is described. The significance of the receptor in reproductive and developmental physiology is discussed. The potential value of the receptor expressed in malignant tissues including ovarian and endometrial cancers as a diagnostic marker and a therapeutic target is reviewed. Finally, the various transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms that govern the tissue/tumor-specificity of the receptor and its regulation by folate and steroid receptor ligands are described; the potential value of this knowledge in developing better methods for the early detection and treatment of certain cancers is discussed.