Estradiol increases cell growth in human astrocytoma cell lines through ERα activation and its interaction with SRC-1 and SRC-3 coactivators

► ERα activation induces proliferation of human astrocytoma cell lines. ► The coactivators SRC-1 and SRC-3 are necessary to increase astrocytoma proliferation mediated by ERα. ► ERα regulates the expression of genes involved in cell cycle, angiogenesis and metastasis of human astrocytomas.