Endocrine Abstracts

Vitamin D receptors (VDRs) are expressed in bone and vascular cells which also respond to vitamin D treatment by modulation of cell proliferation measured by DNA synthesis and energy metabolism measured by CK specific activity. We have previously observed that vitamin D-related compounds target several genes which affect cell proliferation, including mRNA expression of estrogen receptor (ER)α, ERβ, VDR, 1α hydroxylase of 25OHD3 (1OHase) and 12 and 15 lipoxygenas...

Several studies indicated that estrogen receptors (ERs) and vitamin D receptor (VDR), as well 1α-hydroxylase 25-hydroxy vitamin D (1OHase) are expressed in various normal and cancerous cell types. To date, there are no reported studies on the different expressions of VDR, 1OHase and ERs, in human thyroid normal and cancer cells. This study addresses these questions. Tissues harvested from papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) and normal glands explants were used throughout eithe...

Oestradiol-17β regulates diverse tissues and cells, both within and outside the reproductive system including human cancer cells. Currently used ERs agonists or antagonists are synthetic compounds prepared by structure modifications. Alternatively, peptide mimics of steroids would allow preparation of biased combinatorial libraries of chemical and biological origin, from which estrogenic peptides with tissue selective profiles can be selected. The phage-display peptide li...