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Aran V, Santos Cavalcanti A, Meohas W, Canteri B, Perini JA, Pino Minguez J, Guimarães JAM, Moura Neto V, Leite Duarte ME. Clinical insights into circulating free-DNA in patients with bone sarcomas and ewing sarcoma. Clinics (Sao Paulo) 2025; 80:100661. [PMID: 40288045 PMCID: PMC12059349 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinsp.2025.100661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2024] [Revised: 02/25/2025] [Accepted: 04/09/2025] [Indexed: 04/29/2025] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Sarcomas represent a heterogeneous group of malignancies characterized by varying clinical behaviors and treatment responses. Liquid biopsy has emerged as a promising non-invasive method for monitoring tumor dynamics by detecting actionable mutations in cancer patients. The emergence of circulating DNA as a non-invasive biomarker offers promising avenues for improving diagnostic accuracy and treatment monitoring in sarcoma patients. METHODS In this study, the authors employed mutation-specific droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) to analyze tumor-derived cell-free DNA, also known as circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), belonging to plasma samples of sarcoma patients, aiming to characterize mutation profiles in the IDH2 and TP53 genes. Between July 2019 and June 2023, the authors collected and analyzed 38 samples from patients diagnosed with osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, or Ewing's sarcoma. Histopathological confirmation of diagnoses was performed, followed by ddPCR analysis on 36 valid plasma samples. RESULTS The results showed mutations in three out of thirty-six sarcoma patients. Patient 1 exhibited a 12.6 % mutant IDH2 (R172S) allele fraction, Patient 2 had a 0.27 % mutant TP53 (R175H), and Patient 3 showed a 17 % mutant IDH2 (R172K). Notably, Patients 1 and 2 were diagnosed with chondrosarcoma, while Patient 3 had osteosarcoma. CONCLUSIONS The present study provided evidence for the feasibility of ctDNA detection in sarcoma patients, where mutations were found in IDH2 and TP53 genes, including a novel IDH2 mutation in osteosarcoma. The evaluation of ctDNA has the potential to transform clinical strategies in this challenging group of malignancies and this may be further confirmed in larger cohort studies. Continued research efforts are essential to optimize ctDNA detection methods and validate its utility across diverse sarcoma subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Aran
- Laboratório de Biomedicina do Cérebro, Instituto Estadual do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Laboratório de Morfogênese Celular (LMC), Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas (ICB), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
| | - Amanda Santos Cavalcanti
- Divisão de Pesquisa, Instituto Nacional de Traumatologia e Ortopedia (INTO), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Walter Meohas
- Divisão de Pesquisa, Instituto Nacional de Traumatologia e Ortopedia (INTO), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Bruna Canteri
- Divisão de Pesquisa, Instituto Nacional de Traumatologia e Ortopedia (INTO), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Jamila Alessandra Perini
- Laboratório de Pesquisa de Ciências Farmacêuticas (LAPESF), Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Jesus Pino Minguez
- Departamento de Ortopedia, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain
| | | | - Vivaldo Moura Neto
- Laboratório de Biomedicina do Cérebro, Instituto Estadual do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
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de Souza Barbosa I, Pilotto Heming C, Moura Neto V, Aran V. The Role of RAS in CNS Tumors: A Key Player or an Overlooked Oncogene? Int J Mol Sci 2025; 26:4104. [PMID: 40362343 PMCID: PMC12071703 DOI: 10.3390/ijms26094104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2025] [Revised: 04/18/2025] [Accepted: 04/23/2025] [Indexed: 05/15/2025] Open
Abstract
This review examines the prevalence, molecular mechanisms, and clinical implications of RAS mutations in Central Nervous System (CNS) tumors, with a particular focus on glioblastoma. We summarize the current understanding of RAS-driven oncogenic pathways, their contribution to tumor progression, and potential therapeutic strategies targeting RAS and its downstream effectors. Although direct RAS mutations are rare in primary CNS tumors, alterations in RAS signaling, such as NF-1 loss and aberrant receptor tyrosine kinase activation, contribute to malignant progression. Furthermore, emerging evidence links RAS mutations to brain metastases, highlighting their significance in CNS oncology. We also discuss recent clinical trials investigating RAS-targeted therapies, including covalent inhibitors, MEK inhibitors, and novel combination approaches. Given the increasing recognition of RAS pathway alterations in CNS malignancies, further research is needed to elucidate their role in tumor biology and explore targeted therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel de Souza Barbosa
- Laboratório de Biomedicina do Cérebro, Instituto Estadual do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer, Secretaria Estadual de Saúde, Rio de Janeiro 20261-901, Brazil; (I.d.S.B.); (C.P.H.); (V.M.N.)
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Anatomia Patológica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro 21941-853, Brazil
| | - Carlos Pilotto Heming
- Laboratório de Biomedicina do Cérebro, Instituto Estadual do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer, Secretaria Estadual de Saúde, Rio de Janeiro 20261-901, Brazil; (I.d.S.B.); (C.P.H.); (V.M.N.)
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Anatomia Patológica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro 21941-853, Brazil
| | - Vivaldo Moura Neto
- Laboratório de Biomedicina do Cérebro, Instituto Estadual do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer, Secretaria Estadual de Saúde, Rio de Janeiro 20261-901, Brazil; (I.d.S.B.); (C.P.H.); (V.M.N.)
| | - Veronica Aran
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Anatomia Patológica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro 21941-853, Brazil
- Laboratório de Morfogênese Celular (LMC), Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro 21941-853, Brazil
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Aran V, Lamback E, Lyra Miranda R, Guterres A, Souza Barbosa I, Chimelli L, Gadelha MR, Moura Neto V. Using digital PCR to investigate the prevalence of KRAS variants in pituitary tumours. J Neuroendocrinol 2025; 37:e13484. [PMID: 39694824 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2024] [Revised: 10/04/2024] [Accepted: 11/25/2024] [Indexed: 12/20/2024]
Abstract
Pituitary tumours (PT) are formed in the pituitary gland, a small gland situated at the base of the brain. These tumours can be categorized according to their histological origin and hormone production. In surgical series, non-functioning PT are the commonest subtype, followed by functioning somatotroph and corticotroph tumours. Different somatic alterations have been implicated in the pathogenesis of these tumours and the objective of our study was to expand our previous new finding of KRAS pathogenic genetic variants in pituitary tumours. We conducted a digital polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks belonging to 189 patients. The results showed that, from the 184 pituitary tumours with good quality samples, 13 tumours (7.1%) presented mutant KRAS. The median age of the mutated group was 47 years old (range 19-77) and most patients with mutant KRAS tumours were from the female gender (61.5%, 8/13) and non-functioning subtype. For the first-time, mutant KRAS in corticotroph and somatotroph tumours were detected, and the variants showed low allele frequencies. In conclusion, we demonstrated that pituitary tumours might have mutant KRAS, and these data were not previously described probably due to lack of sensitivity of previous technologies. By identifying these variants, even at minimal levels, we open doors to a deeper understanding of the tumour microenvironment, clonal evolution and potential therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Aran
- Laboratório de Biomedicina do Cérebro, Instituto Estadual do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer, Secretaria Estadual de Saúde, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Anatomia Patológica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Elisa Lamback
- Neuroendocrinology Research Center, Endocrinology Section, Medical School and Hospital Universitário Clementino Fraga Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Neuropathology and Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Instituto Estadual do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer, Secretaria Estadual de Saúde, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Neuroendocrine Unit, Instituto Estadual do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer, Secretaria Estadual de Saúde, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Renan Lyra Miranda
- Neuropathology and Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Instituto Estadual do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer, Secretaria Estadual de Saúde, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Alexandro Guterres
- Neuropathology and Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Instituto Estadual do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer, Secretaria Estadual de Saúde, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Isabel Souza Barbosa
- Laboratório de Biomedicina do Cérebro, Instituto Estadual do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer, Secretaria Estadual de Saúde, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Anatomia Patológica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Leila Chimelli
- Neuropathology and Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Instituto Estadual do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer, Secretaria Estadual de Saúde, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Mônica Roberto Gadelha
- Neuroendocrinology Research Center, Endocrinology Section, Medical School and Hospital Universitário Clementino Fraga Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Neuropathology and Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Instituto Estadual do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer, Secretaria Estadual de Saúde, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Neuroendocrine Unit, Instituto Estadual do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer, Secretaria Estadual de Saúde, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Vivaldo Moura Neto
- Laboratório de Biomedicina do Cérebro, Instituto Estadual do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer, Secretaria Estadual de Saúde, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Berta D, Gehrke S, Nyíri K, Vértessy BG, Rosta E. Mechanism-Based Redesign of GAP to Activate Oncogenic Ras. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:20302-20310. [PMID: 37682266 PMCID: PMC10515638 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c04330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Ras GTPases play a crucial role in cell signaling pathways. Mutations of the Ras gene occur in about one third of cancerous cell lines and are often associated with detrimental clinical prognosis. Hot spot residues Gly12, Gly13, and Gln61 cover 97% of oncogenic mutations, which impair the enzymatic activity in Ras. Using QM/MM free energy calculations, we present a two-step mechanism for the GTP hydrolysis catalyzed by the wild-type Ras.GAP complex. We found that the deprotonation of the catalytic water takes place via the Gln61 as a transient Brønsted base. We also determined the reaction profiles for key oncogenic Ras mutants G12D and G12C using QM/MM minimizations, matching the experimentally observed loss of catalytic activity, thereby validating our reaction mechanism. Using the optimized reaction paths, we devised a fast and accurate procedure to design GAP mutants that activate G12D Ras. We replaced GAP residues near the active site and determined the activation barrier for 190 single mutants. We furthermore built a machine learning for ultrafast screening, by fast prediction of the barrier heights, tested both on the single and double mutations. This work demonstrates that fast and accurate screening can be accomplished via QM/MM reaction path optimizations to design protein sequences with increased catalytic activity. Several GAP mutations are predicted to re-enable catalysis in oncogenic G12D, offering a promising avenue to overcome aberrant Ras-driven signal transduction by activating enzymatic activity instead of inhibition. The outlined computational screening protocol is readily applicable for designing ligands and cofactors analogously.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dénes Berta
- Department
of Physics and Astronomy, University College
London, Gower Street, London WC1E
6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Sascha Gehrke
- Department
of Physics and Astronomy, University College
London, Gower Street, London WC1E
6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Kinga Nyíri
- Institute
of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok körútja
2, Budapest 1117, Hungary
- Department
of Applied Biotechnology and Food Science, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budafoki út 6-8, Budapest 1111, Hungary
| | - Beáta G. Vértessy
- Institute
of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok körútja
2, Budapest 1117, Hungary
- Department
of Applied Biotechnology and Food Science, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budafoki út 6-8, Budapest 1111, Hungary
| | - Edina Rosta
- Department
of Physics and Astronomy, University College
London, Gower Street, London WC1E
6BT, United Kingdom
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Pilotto Heming C, Niemeyer Filho P, Moura-Neto V, Aran V. Recent advances in the use of liquid biopsy to fight central nervous system tumors. Cancer Treat Res Commun 2023; 35:100709. [PMID: 37088042 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctarc.2023.100709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2022] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
Brain tumors are considered one of the deadliest types of cancer, being challenging to treat, especially due to the blood-brain barrier, which has been linked to treatment resistance. The genomic classification of brain tumors has been helping in the diagnostic precision, however tumor heterogeneity in addition to the difficulties to obtain tissue biopsies, represent a challenge. The biopsies are usually obtained either via neurosurgical removal or stereotactic tissue biopsy, which can be risky procedures for the patient. To overcome these challenges, liquid biopsy has become an interesting option by constituting a safer procedure than conventional biopsy, which may offer valuable cellular and molecular information representative of the whole organism. Besides, it is relatively easy to obtain such as in the case of blood (venipuncture) and urine sample collection. In the present comprehensive review, we discuss the newest information regarding liquid biopsy in the brain tumors' field, methods employed, the different sources of bio-fluids and their potential circulating targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Pilotto Heming
- Instituto Estadual do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer (IECPN), R. do Rezende, 156 - Centro, Rio de Janeiro, 20231-092, Brazil
| | - Paulo Niemeyer Filho
- Instituto Estadual do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer (IECPN), R. do Rezende, 156 - Centro, Rio de Janeiro, 20231-092, Brazil
| | - Vivaldo Moura-Neto
- Instituto Estadual do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer (IECPN), R. do Rezende, 156 - Centro, Rio de Janeiro, 20231-092, Brazil
| | - Veronica Aran
- Instituto Estadual do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer (IECPN), R. do Rezende, 156 - Centro, Rio de Janeiro, 20231-092, Brazil.
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Aran V, Zogbi VM, Miranda RL, Andreiuolo F, Silva Canedo NH, Nazaré CV, Niemeyer Filho P, Neto VM. The Use of Liquid Biopsy in the Molecular Analysis of Plasma Compared to the Tumour Tissue from a Patient with Brain Metastasis: A Case Report. Medicina (B Aires) 2023; 59:medicina59030459. [PMID: 36984460 PMCID: PMC10055748 DOI: 10.3390/medicina59030459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Different cancers have multiple genetic mutations, which vary depending on the affected tumour tissue. Small biopsies may not always represent all the genetic landscape of the tumour. To improve the chances of identifying mutations at different disease stages (early, during the disease course, and refractory stage), liquid biopsies offer an advantage to traditional tissue biopsy. In addition, it is possible to detect mutations related to metastatic events depending on the cancer types analysed as will be discussed in this case report, which describes a patient with brain metastasis and lung cancer that harboured K-RAS mutations both in the brain tumour and in the ctDNA present in the bloodstream.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Aran
- Laboratório de Biomedicina do Cérebro, Instituto Estadual do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer, Rua do Rezende156-Centro, Rio de Janeiro 20231-092, Brazil
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +55-2-19-7208-8811
| | - Vinicius Mansur Zogbi
- Neurosurgery Division, Instituto Estadual do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer, Rua do Rezende156-Centro, Rio de Janeiro 20231-092, Brazil
| | - Renan Lyra Miranda
- Neuropathology and Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Instituto Estadual Do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer, Rua do Rezende156-Centro, Rio de Janeiro 20231-092, Brazil
| | - Felipe Andreiuolo
- Neuropathology and Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Instituto Estadual Do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer, Rua do Rezende156-Centro, Rio de Janeiro 20231-092, Brazil
| | - Nathalie Henriques Silva Canedo
- Neuropathology and Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Instituto Estadual Do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer, Rua do Rezende156-Centro, Rio de Janeiro 20231-092, Brazil
| | - Carolina Victor Nazaré
- Neurosurgery Division, Instituto Estadual do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer, Rua do Rezende156-Centro, Rio de Janeiro 20231-092, Brazil
| | - Paulo Niemeyer Filho
- Neurosurgery Division, Instituto Estadual do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer, Rua do Rezende156-Centro, Rio de Janeiro 20231-092, Brazil
| | - Vivaldo Moura Neto
- Laboratório de Biomedicina do Cérebro, Instituto Estadual do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer, Rua do Rezende156-Centro, Rio de Janeiro 20231-092, Brazil
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Melmed S, Kaiser UB, Lopes MB, Bertherat J, Syro LV, Raverot G, Reincke M, Johannsson G, Beckers A, Fleseriu M, Giustina A, Wass JAH, Ho KKY. Clinical Biology of the Pituitary Adenoma. Endocr Rev 2022; 43:1003-1037. [PMID: 35395078 PMCID: PMC9695123 DOI: 10.1210/endrev/bnac010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 48.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
All endocrine glands are susceptible to neoplastic growth, yet the health consequences of these neoplasms differ between endocrine tissues. Pituitary neoplasms are highly prevalent and overwhelmingly benign, exhibiting a spectrum of diverse behaviors and impact on health. To understand the clinical biology of these common yet often innocuous neoplasms, we review pituitary physiology and adenoma epidemiology, pathophysiology, behavior, and clinical consequences. The anterior pituitary develops in response to a range of complex brain signals integrating with intrinsic ectodermal cell transcriptional events that together determine gland growth, cell type differentiation, and hormonal production, in turn maintaining optimal endocrine health. Pituitary adenomas occur in 10% of the population; however, the overwhelming majority remain harmless during life. Triggered by somatic or germline mutations, disease-causing adenomas manifest pathogenic mechanisms that disrupt intrapituitary signaling to promote benign cell proliferation associated with chromosomal instability. Cellular senescence acts as a mechanistic buffer protecting against malignant transformation, an extremely rare event. It is estimated that fewer than one-thousandth of all pituitary adenomas cause clinically significant disease. Adenomas variably and adversely affect morbidity and mortality depending on cell type, hormone secretory activity, and growth behavior. For most clinically apparent adenomas, multimodal therapy controlling hormone secretion and adenoma growth lead to improved quality of life and normalized mortality. The clinical biology of pituitary adenomas, and particularly their benign nature, stands in marked contrast to other tumors of the endocrine system, such as thyroid and neuroendocrine tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ursula B Kaiser
- Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - M Beatriz Lopes
- University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Jerome Bertherat
- Université de Paris, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Luis V Syro
- Hospital Pablo Tobon Uribe and Clinica Medellin - Grupo Quirónsalud, Medellin, Colombia
| | - Gerald Raverot
- Hospices Civils de Lyon and Lyon 1 University, Lyon, France
| | - Martin Reincke
- University Hospital of LMU, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
| | - Gudmundur Johannsson
- Sahlgrenska University Hospital & Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | | | | | - Andrea Giustina
- San Raffaele Vita-Salute University and IRCCS Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Ken K Y Ho
- The Garvan Institute of Medical Research and St. Vincents Hospital, Sydney, Australia
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Sabatino ME, Grondona E, De Paul AL. Architects of Pituitary Tumour Growth. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:924942. [PMID: 35837315 PMCID: PMC9273718 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.924942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The pituitary is a master gland responsible for the modulation of critical endocrine functions. Pituitary neuroendocrine tumours (PitNETs) display a considerable prevalence of 1/1106, frequently observed as benign solid tumours. PitNETs still represent a cause of important morbidity, due to hormonal systemic deregulation, with surgical, radiological or chronic treatment required for illness management. The apparent scarceness, uncommon behaviour and molecular features of PitNETs have resulted in a relatively slow progress in depicting their pathogenesis. An appropriate interpretation of different phenotypes or cellular outcomes during tumour growth is desirable, since histopathological characterization still remains the main option for prognosis elucidation. Improved knowledge obtained in recent decades about pituitary tumorigenesis has revealed that this process involves several cellular routes in addition to proliferation and death, with its modulation depending on many signalling pathways rather than being the result of abnormalities of a unique proliferation pathway, as sometimes presented. PitNETs can display intrinsic heterogeneity and cell subpopulations with diverse biological, genetic and epigenetic particularities, including tumorigenic potential. Hence, to obtain a better understanding of PitNET growth new approaches are required and the systematization of the available data, with the role of cell death programs, autophagy, stem cells, cellular senescence, mitochondrial function, metabolic reprogramming still being emerging fields in pituitary research. We envisage that through the combination of molecular, genetic and epigenetic data, together with the improved morphological, biochemical, physiological and metabolically knowledge on pituitary neoplastic potential accumulated in recent decades, tumour classification schemes will become more accurate regarding tumour origin, behaviour and plausible clinical results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Eugenia Sabatino
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Córdoba, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de Alimentos Córdoba (ICYTAC), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Ezequiel Grondona
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Centro de Microscopía Electrónica, Córdoba, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (INICSA), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Ana Lucía De Paul
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Centro de Microscopía Electrónica, Córdoba, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (INICSA), Córdoba, Argentina
- *Correspondence: Ana Lucía De Paul,
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Lamback EB, Wildemberg LE, Gadelha MR. Current opinion on the diagnosis and management of non-functioning pituitary adenomas. Expert Rev Endocrinol Metab 2021; 16:309-320. [PMID: 34678108 DOI: 10.1080/17446651.2021.1988851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Non-functioning pituitary adenomas (NFPAs) are clinically silent tumors and the second most common pituitary adenoma. Surgery is the mainstay of treatment as there is, as yet, no effective medical treatment. AREAS COVERED We present current knowledge on the clinical diagnosis, histopathological classification, molecular data, and management strategies in NFPA. EXPERT OPINION NFPA is a heterogeneous group of tumors, in respect to their origin and clinical course. In recent years, research on pathology and molecular biology have advanced our knowledge of NFPA pathogenesis. NFPA exhibit, in the majority of cases, an indolent behavior, with satisfactory response to treatment. In aggressive cases, multimodal management is needed; however, even this approach may be insufficient, so the development of new treatments is warranted for better management. In this setting, the understanding of the mechanisms involved in the genesis and progression of NFPA is crucial for the identification and development of directed treatments with higher chances of response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa B Lamback
- Neuroendocrinology Research Center/Endocrinology Division, Medical School and Hospital Universitário Clementino Fraga Filho, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
- Neuropathology and Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Instituto Estadual Do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
- Neuroendocrine Unit, Instituto Estadual Do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Luiz Eduardo Wildemberg
- Neuroendocrinology Research Center/Endocrinology Division, Medical School and Hospital Universitário Clementino Fraga Filho, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
- Neuropathology and Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Instituto Estadual Do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
- Neuroendocrine Unit, Instituto Estadual Do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Mônica R Gadelha
- Neuroendocrinology Research Center/Endocrinology Division, Medical School and Hospital Universitário Clementino Fraga Filho, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
- Neuropathology and Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Instituto Estadual Do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
- Neuroendocrine Unit, Instituto Estadual Do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
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