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Isolation of Targeted Hypothalamic Neurons for Studies of Hormonal, Metabolic, and Electrical Regulation
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[Endocrinology]

A Missana1, P Meyer

  • 1Service de médecine interne générale, HUG, 1211 Genève 14. adriana.missana@hcuge.ch

Revue Medicale Suisse
|February 7, 2012
PubMed

Insights

New molecular biology findings offer novel endocrine tumor treatments. Pasireotide shows promise for Cushing's disease by targeting pituitary adenomas, while tyrosine-kinase inhibitors yield encouraging results for thyroid cancers.

Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Oncology

Background:

  • Cushing's disease lacks targeted pituitary adenoma therapies.
  • Thyroid cancer progression involves kinase signaling.
  • Limited treatment options exist for advanced differentiated thyroid carcinomas and medullary carcinomas.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore new therapeutic strategies for endocrine tumors based on recent molecular biology discoveries.
  • To evaluate the potential of pasireotide in treating Cushing's disease.
  • To assess the efficacy of tyrosine-kinase inhibitors in advanced thyroid cancers.

Main Methods:

  • Review of recent clinical trials and molecular biology findings.
  • Assessment of pasireotide's affinity for somatostatin receptors on corticotroph adenomas.
  • Analysis of tyrosine-kinase inhibitors' effects on progressive differentiated iodine-refractory thyroid carcinomas and medullary carcinomas.

Main Results:

  • Pasireotide, a somatostatin analog, targets somatostatin receptors on pituitary adenomas relevant to Cushing's disease.
  • Clinical trials indicate pasireotide can decrease urinary free cortisol levels.
  • Tyrosine-kinase inhibitors have shown modestly encouraging results in treating advanced thyroid carcinomas.

Conclusions:

  • Pasireotide represents a potential medical therapy for Cushing's disease, particularly after surgical failure.
  • Tyrosine-kinase inhibitors offer a new avenue for managing progressive differentiated and medullary thyroid cancers.
  • Advances in molecular biology are driving innovative treatments for endocrine malignancies.

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