title: Etiology of pituitary acromegaly.
abstract: Pituitary tumors secreting growth hormone are clonal neoplasms that may arise following a somatic mutation within the somatotroph cell. Promotion of tumor growth also appears to be regulated by hypothalamic growth hormone-releasing hormone, which exerts a trophic action on the pituitary cell. Unraveling the mechanisms of pituitary tumorigenesis will facilitate the application of novel therapeutic techniques, genetic screening, and follow-up of tumor responses.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center-UCLA School of Medicine.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Melmed
mesh_terms: D000172:Acromegaly / Q000209:etiology*; D000236:Adenoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D000818:Animals; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000503:physiopathology; D009857:Oncogenes; D010908:Pituitary Hormones, Anterior / Q000378:metabolism; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D010908:Pituitary Hormones, Anterior; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone