Endocrine Abstracts

Currently, no effective medical therapy exists for inoperable phaeochromocytomas (PCCs). Thus, we investigated the antitumor potential of the dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor NVP-BEZ235 against PCC in vivo. We employed a spontaneous model of endogenous aggressive PCCs (MENX rats), which closely recapitulate the human tumours. Administration of NVP-BEZ235 to MENX rats for 14 days inhibited proliferation (assessed by Ki67, NuSAP staining), vascularity (CD31, VEGFA), and induced...

Pituitary adenomas (PAs) are benign neoplasms that comprise 10–20% of all intracranial tumors. Mutations in the aryl hydrocarbon receptor interacting protein (AIP) have been identified to cause a small subset of hereditary PAs. To study the mechanisms of tumor formation in patients with AIP-mutated PAs we conducted a miRNA array analysis comparing AIP-mutated PAs with AIP-wild type PAs. We found a novel and specific set of miRNAs differentially expressed between the two g...

Phaeochromocytomas (PCs) are neuroendocrine tumors derived from neural crest-derived chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla and sympathetic ganglia.About 10% of all PCs can be malignant.Currently, there is no effective therapy for malignant PCs.In many neuroendocrine tumors, including PCs, the PI3K/AKT/mTOR survival pathway is hyperactivated. Therefore, the inhibition of this signaling cascade may exert an a...

Phaeochromocytomas (PCs) are neuroendocrine tumors derived from neural crest-derived chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla and sympathetic ganglia (the latter referred to as paragangliomas), which produce significant amounts of catecholamines. Although PCs are mostly benign, 10% of all PCs can be malignant evidenced by the presence of metastases, predominantly in bone, lungs, liver and lymph. Currently, there is no effective therapy for malignant PCs.I...

The adrenal gland is a crucial regulator of numerous fundamental biological processes and its hormones are essential for maintaining homeostasis in normal and stressful situations. However, the impact of hypoxia signalling on the function of the adrenal remains poorly understood. During the past years, our research group has focused on enhancing our understanding of hypoxia pathway proteins (HPPs) in the different areas of the adrenal gland. Firstly, we described a crucial rol...