Endocrine Abstracts

The effect of mTOR inhibitors on pituitary tumors is unknown. Akt overexpression was demonstrated in pituitary adenomas, which may render them sensitive to the antiproliferative effects of these drugs.To evaluate the in vitro effects of mTOR inhibitor rapamycin, and its orally-bioavailable analog RAD001 on pituitary cells, GH3 cells, a mammosomatotroph rat pituitary tumor cell line, and human GH-secreting and non-functioning pituitary adenoma (NFP...

Background: Pituitary adenomas are monoclonal neoplasms that may be either functional (hormone-secreting) or non-functional. The processes associated with pituitary tumor development and progression are mostly unknown. Remodeling of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and cell adhesion were suggested to be involved in pituitary tumorigenesis. Heparanase, an endoglycosidase capable of degrading heparan sulfate, the main polysaccharide constituent of the ECM, is implicated in diverse...