title: Pituitary adenoma pathogenesis:  an update.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the recent efforts to understand the molecular and genetic mechanisms involved in the tumorigenesis of pituitary adenomas.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There is rapidly accumulating evidence for the roles of molecular abnormalities in pituitary adenoma tumorigenesis, including dysregulation of the cell cycle, signal transduction pathways, oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. MicroRNAs have been identified as important participants in gene regulation and may have a role in therapy. Stem cells have also provided novel concepts for tumorigenesis and potentially treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pituitary adenomas are relatively common neoplasms, whose pathogenesis is still poorly understood. Although considered by many as benign monoclonal proliferations, their clinical spectrum is diverse including hormone hypersecretion, and various degrees of invasiveness, suggesting multiple steps and mechanisms. This review summarizes recent development in the molecular tumorigenesis of pituitary adenomas emphasizing the dysregulation of the cell cycle components, tumor suppressor genes, oncogenes, stem cells and microRNAs.
authors.affiliation: CellNetix Pathology and Laboratories, Seattle, Washington, USA.
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rostad
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000235:genetics; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D016147:Genes, Tumor Suppressor; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008297:Male; D009857:Oncogenes / Q000235:genetics*; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins