From genetic alterations to new molecular targets in pituitary disorders

Abstract

The pituitary gland is a central regulator of growth, reproduction and stress among other physiological functions through the secretion of five different hormone-producing cells types. A main characteristic of the anterior pituitary gland is its plasticity, which allows to adjust to different physiological conditions related to endocrine demands. Hormones are secreted by specific cells in the pituitary gland and this secretion is pulsatile (1). Pulses of pituitary hormones are generated and modified at multiple levels. From a therapeutic point of view, efforts are being focused on the study of normal hypothalamic-pituitary axes function and how dysregulation occurs in a disease context. This is particularly relevant to pituitary tumors, where hormone output is largely independent of hypothalamic stimulation (2).