[Cyclin D1 in sporadic parathyroid adenomas]

Parathyroid adenomas are benign neoplasms that over-secrete parathyroid hormone and cause hypercalcemia. A subset of parathyroid adenomas contain a clonal chromosomal rearrangement in which the cyclin D1 oncogene is juxtaposed to the upstream region of the PTH gene, resulting in cyclin D1 overexpression. To examine whether cyclin D1 oncogene can drive primary hyperparathyroidism, transgenic mice were created carrying the human cyclin D1 gene ligated to the upstream region of human PTH gene, mimicking the human tumor gene rearrangement. These mice provide an animal model of primary hyperparathyroidism to understand the molecular pathogenesis and pathophysiology of the disease.