Endocrine Abstracts

The RET/GFRa/GDNF system displays a wide distribution in tissues such as nervous system, kidneys, intestine or testis. RET has been implicated in human pathologies. RET is a tyrosine-kinase receptor activated by four ligands GDNF, NTN, ART and PSPN through four co-receptors GFRa1, 2, 3 and 4 respectively. Activation of the receptor leads to cell differentiation or proliferation. Our group has shown that RET is expressed specifically in the somatotrope (GH) adult cell populatio...

Pituitary stem cells have been characterized in the postnatal pituitary. We now know they are organized in a niche and co-express specific markers such as Sox2, Sox9 or Gfra2. Although many studies by our group and others have been dedicated to its characterization in situ it is under discussion their role in the maintenance and turnover of the pituitary in physiological conditions or physiological pituitary challenges. It’s not known if the stem cells are requir...

RET is a tyrosine kinase receptor activated by GDNF, NTN, ART and PSPN through GFRa1,2, 3 and 4 respectively. Activation of the receptor elicits intracellular pathways such us Ras/MAPK and PI3K/AKT leading to differentiation and proliferation. Our group has previously shown that RET is expressed specifically in the somatotroph cell population within the pituitary gland, both in rats and in humans. We have also shown that, in absence of its ligand GDNF, RET induces activation o...

The pituitary gland is the master gland of the endocrine system, controlling important physiological steps like growth, puberty or reproduction. There are different endocrine cell types within the adenopituitary, each one producing a specific hormone. Adaptation to different life stages and moments requires a plastic capacity based in proliferation and differentiation of pituitary stem cells. We ans others discovered the existence of a stem cell niche in the pituitary. Parench...