Tissue- and cell-specific functions of the androgen receptor revealed through conditional knockout models in mice

► Cell-selective AR knockout models increase our understanding of androgen action. ► They led to the identification of key cellular mediators of androgen action. ► They facilitated the study of the role of cell-interactions and active metabolites. ► They allowed identification of molecular mediators of androgen action. ► However, they also point to unexpected complexities and technical limitations.