Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences in endocrinology
Endocrine Abstracts (2016) 41 S3.2 | DOI: 10.1530/endoabs.41.S3.2

ECE2016 Symposia Senescence and plasticity in the anterior pituitary (3 abstracts)

Pituitary stem cells: quest for hidden functions

Hugo Vankelecom



The pituitary is the ‘master’ endocrine gland, governing the fundamental processes of body growth, metabolism, reproduction and stress. The past decade, it progressively became clear that the pituitary, like many adult tissues, harbors a population of stem cells. While the molecular portrayal of these cells is continually expanding, their function remains essentially hidden. From recent studies, the picture is emerging that the stem cells of the adult pituitary are highly quiescent and only visibly wake up in pathological conditions.

Upon transgenic cell-ablation damage in the pituitary, the stem cell compartment is promptly turned on with expansion and expression of the missing hormone. This activation is accompanied by substantial regeneration of the lost hormonal cells, a restorative competence that was unexpected in the mature gland. The regenerative skill however rapidly disappears at aging, together with a decline in the number and fitness of the stem cells. One function of the adult pituitary stem cells may thus be hidden in the regenerative toolbox of the gland, at least during a specified and limited time window.

Recent work also showed activation of the pituitary stem cell compartment during tumor formation in the (mouse) gland. Moreover, pituitary tumors (from patients and mice) contain a candidate ‘tumor stem cell’ (TSC) population. The pathogenesis of pituitary tumors remains far from understood. A link between the tumor-driving TSC and the pituitary stem cells may shed new light on tumorigenesis in the gland.

To conclude, decoding the hidden functions of the pituitary stem cells will not only lead to better fundamental insights into their role but may also expose (novel) targets for treating pituitary tumors and for regenerative intervention in pituitary deficiency as caused by damage, tumors or aging. Yet, this functional unraveling has only just begun.

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