Endocrine Abstracts

Gliomas constitute the most frequent type of brain tumors and are characterized by a rapid growth and high diffusion through the brain. In particular, astrocytomas are a subtype of malignant gliomas that are graded from low to high aggressiveness (i.e. grade I, II, III and IV), being grade IV (glioblastoma multiforme, GBM) the most malignant type, and one of the most common cancers in the brain and CNS. To date, surgery is the first-line therapy combined with chemotherapy or r...

Gliomas are derived from glial-cells and are the most common primary brain tumor, characterized by rapid growth and invasion. Astrocytomas are a subset of malignant gliomas which are classified, based on their agresiveness features, in low grades (I and II) to high grades (HGAs; III and IV), being grade-IV (glioblastoma multiforme; GBM) the most malignant and aggressive type. Current standard treatment for GBMs consists on surgery followed by radiotherapy/chemotherapy; however...

Background: Gliomas are the most common primary brain tumor, being astrocytomas a subset of malignant gliomas graded on a scale of I to IV. Grade-IV astrocytomas (glioblastoma multiforme; GBM) are the most malignant and aggressive type. Current standard treatments are ineffective, being their average postoperative survival of 12-16 months. Therefore, there is a clear need for the identification of novel therapeutic targets to treat this pathology. In this context, the truncate...

Glioblastoma (GBM; grade IV astrocytoma) is one of the most devastating endocrine-related cancer worldwide based on its locally aggressive behavior and because it cannot be cured by current therapies. Therefore, the identification of novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, and especially efficient therapeutic targets is urgently needed. In this sense, defects in alternative splicing process are associated with poor survival and high aggressiveness in cancer, including GBM....

Intracranial tumors (IT) comprise a heterogenous group of neoplasias (e.g., pituitary/brain tumors and craniopharyngiomas), characterized by difficult diagnosis based on MRI, challenging prognostic predictors and lack of effective therapeutic strategies. In addition, these tumors are usually associated with neurological disorders and severe comorbidities (e.g., those associated with Cushing syndrome, Acromegaly, etc.), worsening the quality life of patients. In this context, s...

High-grade astrocytomas (HGAs) remain the most prevalent and malignant brain tumor based on its locally aggressive behavior, being glioblastoma (grade-IV astrocytoma) the most lethal. The current standard treatment for glioblastomas consists of surgery followed by radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. However, the average period of survival is about 14 months after the first intervention. Therefore, there is a clear clinical need for the identification of novel diagnostic, prognos...

Astrocytomas are a subtype of malignant gliomas characterized by rapid growth and high diffusion through the brain. Based on the agresiveness features, they are stratified from low grades (I and II) to high grades (HGAs; III and IV), being grade-IV [glioblastoma multiforme (GBM)] the most aggressive and one of the most common malignant cancers in the brain, with an overall survival from diagnosis of ~14 months. Current standard therapies to treat HGAs are not efficient and the...

Background: Glioblastomas (GBMs) remain the deadliest human brain tumors, with a poor prognosis despite years of research. Currently, standard therapeutic strategies to treat GBM are not efficient, and the overall survival is ˜14 months. Thus, the identification of new therapeutic tools to battle GBMs is crucial. In this sense, many metabolic drugs (e.g., metformin (MF) and simvastatin (SVT)) have emerged as putative antitumor agents for certain endocrine-related cancers,...

Pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (PitNETs) constitute approximately 15% of all intracranial tumors and comprise a varied type of neoplasms that, despite being rarely metastatic, can cause severe comorbidities and increased mortality related to the mass effects and hormonal hypersecretion. The high expression levels of somatostatin and dopamine receptors in these tumors has led to the use of somatostatin analogues (SSAs) and dopamine agonists (DAs) as pharmacological treatments....

Background: Pituitary adenomas represent a commonly underestimated pathology in terms of incidence and associated morbimortality. Additionally, some patients poorly respond or develop resistance to current medical treatments [i.e. somatostatin analogues (SSAs) and dopamine agonists]. In this context, it is necessary to develop novel and/or optimize currently available medical therapies. Biguanides (metformin, buformin and phenformin) are antidiabetic drugs that have been descr...