Parathyroid hormone-related peptide: expression in fetal and neonatal development

Hypercalcaemia frequently complicates the clinical management of cancer. Many factors have been implicated in the pathogenesis of this humoral hypercalcaemia of malignancy, the most recent candidate being parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP). Until now, this peptide has been detected only in some normal and transformed adult tissues. In recent years, it has become apparent that tumours are capable of expressing and secreting factors previously elaborated only during fetal life. Many of these factors act to stimulate the growth of both tumour and fetal cells in an autocrine manner. The data presented here demonstrate that PTHrP is expressed in the human and rat fetus throughout gestation. Immunocytochemistry reveals a gestationally related, changing pattern of expression which is paralleled by changes in mRNA transcription. These data support the hypothesis that PTHrP may function as a fetal growth factor.