Endocrine Abstracts

Aim: We explored the mechanistic interactions and potential therapeutic benefits of curcumin and quercetin co-administration with a specific focus on Glycogen synthase kinase 3 GSK-3 activity.Methods: We hypothesize that excess GSK-3 accumulation in the substantia nigra is driven by oxidative stress and aim to test the effects of these compounds on the localization and activity of GSK-3 in the well-established model organism Drosophila melanogaster. We p...

Pituitary stem cells (PSCs) expressing SOX2 persist throughout life, giving rise to all pituitary endocrine lineages. These cells are highly active at early postnatal stages but this potential declines with age, rendering them mostly inactive in adulthood. The LATS/YAP/TAZ signaling cascade can influence stem cell fate and activity in multiple tissues and we previously identified activity of this axis in the developing and postnatal pituitary. Using a series of genetic manipul...

The anterior pituitary gland is a critical endocrine organ responsible for many important physiological processes including puberty, fertility, metabolism and the stress response. It is derived from, and maintained by, a population of SOX2+ progenitor/stem cells which become more quiescent with age until their direct contribution to tissue turnover becomes negligible. Previous research has demonstrated that the postnatal SOX2+ population exhibits heterogeneity in terms of mark...

Duplication of pituitary gland in association with other midline craniofacial anomalies -DPG-plus syndrome - is extremely rare. So far the only described endocrine associations are precocious or delayed puberty. We describe the multifaceted management of a female infant with DPG-plus syndrome. Interestingly, the patient also presented with trans-cranial nasal dermoid cyst and a nasal dimple with protruding hair, which hasn’t been described in previously reported cases. Ou...