1
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Cho CJ, Brown JW, Mills JC. Origins of cancer: ain't it just mature cells misbehaving? EMBO J 2024; 43:2530-2551. [PMID: 38773319 PMCID: PMC11217308 DOI: 10.1038/s44318-024-00099-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
A pervasive view is that undifferentiated stem cells are alone responsible for generating all other cells and are the origins of cancer. However, emerging evidence demonstrates fully differentiated cells are plastic, can be coaxed to proliferate, and also play essential roles in tissue maintenance, regeneration, and tumorigenesis. Here, we review the mechanisms governing how differentiated cells become cancer cells. First, we examine the unique characteristics of differentiated cell division, focusing on why differentiated cells are more susceptible than stem cells to accumulating mutations. Next, we investigate why the evolution of multicellularity in animals likely required plastic differentiated cells that maintain the capacity to return to the cell cycle and required the tumor suppressor p53. Finally, we examine an example of an evolutionarily conserved program for the plasticity of differentiated cells, paligenosis, which helps explain the origins of cancers that arise in adults. Altogether, we highlight new perspectives for understanding the development of cancer and new strategies for preventing carcinogenic cellular transformations from occurring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles J Cho
- Section of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jeffrey W Brown
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jason C Mills
- Section of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
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2
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Pérez Millán MI, Cheung LYM, Mercogliano F, Camilletti MA, Chirino Felker GT, Moro LN, Miriuka S, Brinkmeier ML, Camper SA. Pituitary stem cells: past, present and future perspectives. Nat Rev Endocrinol 2024; 20:77-92. [PMID: 38102391 PMCID: PMC10964491 DOI: 10.1038/s41574-023-00922-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Pituitary cells that express the transcription factor SOX2 are stem cells because they can self-renew and differentiate into multiple pituitary hormone-producing cell types as organoids. Wounding and physiological challenges can activate pituitary stem cells, but cell numbers are not fully restored, and the ability to mobilize stem cells decreases with increasing age. The basis of these limitations is still unknown. The regulation of stem cell quiescence and activation involves many different signalling pathways, including those mediated by WNT, Hippo and several cytokines; more research is needed to understand the interactions between these pathways. Pituitary organoids can be formed from human or mouse embryonic stem cells, or from human induced pluripotent stem cells. Human pituitary organoid transplantation is sufficient to induce corticosterone release in hypophysectomized mice, raising the possibility of therapeutic applications. Today, pituitary organoids have the potential to assess the role of individual genes and genetic variants on hormone production ex vivo, providing an important tool for the advancement of exciting frontiers in pituitary stem cell biology and pituitary organogenesis. In this article, we provide an overview of notable discoveries in pituitary stem cell function and highlight important areas for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Inés Pérez Millán
- Institute of Bioscience, Biotechnology and Translational Biology (IB3-UBA), University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Leonard Y M Cheung
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Florencia Mercogliano
- Institute of Bioscience, Biotechnology and Translational Biology (IB3-UBA), University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Maria Andrea Camilletti
- Institute of Bioscience, Biotechnology and Translational Biology (IB3-UBA), University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Gonzalo T Chirino Felker
- Laboratory of Applied Research of Neurosciences (LIAN-CONICET), FLENI Sede Escobar, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Lucia N Moro
- Laboratory of Applied Research of Neurosciences (LIAN-CONICET), FLENI Sede Escobar, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Santiago Miriuka
- Laboratory of Applied Research of Neurosciences (LIAN-CONICET), FLENI Sede Escobar, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Michelle L Brinkmeier
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Sally A Camper
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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3
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Rizzoti K, Chakravarty P, Sheridan D, Lovell-Badge R. SOX9-positive pituitary stem cells differ according to their position in the gland and maintenance of their progeny depends on context. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadf6911. [PMID: 37792947 PMCID: PMC10550238 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf6911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
Stem cell (SC) differentiation and maintenance of resultant progeny underlie cell turnover in many organs, but it is difficult to pinpoint the contribution of either process. In the pituitary, a central regulator of endocrine axes, adult SCs undergo activation after target organ ablation, providing a well-characterized paradigm to study an adaptative response in a multi-organ system. Here, we used single-cell technologies to characterize SC heterogeneity and mobilization together with lineage tracing. We show that SC differentiation occurs more frequently than thought previously. In adaptative conditions, differentiation increases and is more diverse than demonstrated by the lineage tracing experiments. Detailed examination of SC progeny suggests that maintenance of selected nascent cells underlies SC output, highlighting a trophic role for the microenvironment. Analyses of cell trajectories further predict pathways and potential regulators. Our model provides a valuable system to study the influence of evolving states on the mechanisms of SC mobilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karine Rizzoti
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Developmental Genetics, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | | | - Daniel Sheridan
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Developmental Genetics, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Robin Lovell-Badge
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Developmental Genetics, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
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4
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Fontaine R, Rahmad Royan M, Henkel C, Hodne K, Ager-Wick E, Weltzien FA. Pituitary multi-hormone cells in mammals and fish: history, origin, and roles. Front Neuroendocrinol 2022; 67:101018. [PMID: 35870647 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2022.101018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
The vertebrate pituitary is a dynamic organ, capable of adapting its hormone secretion to different physiological demands. In this context, endocrinologists have debated for the past 40 years if endocrine cells are mono- or multi-hormonal. Since its establishment, the dominant "one cell, one hormone" model has been continuously challenged. In mammals, the use of advanced multi-staining approaches, sensitive gene expression techniques, and the analysis of tumor tissues have helped to quickly demonstrate the existence of pituitary multi-hormone cells. In fishes however, only recent advances in imaging and transcriptomics have enabled the identification of such cells. In this review, we first describe the history of the discovery of cells producing multiple hormones in mammals and fishes. We discuss the technical limitations that have led to uncertainties and debates. Then, we present the current knowledge and hypotheses regarding their origin and biological role, which provides a comprehensive review of pituitary plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romain Fontaine
- Department of Preclinical Sciences and Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway.
| | - Muhammad Rahmad Royan
- Department of Preclinical Sciences and Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Christiaan Henkel
- Department of Preclinical Sciences and Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Kjetil Hodne
- Department of Preclinical Sciences and Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Eirill Ager-Wick
- Department of Preclinical Sciences and Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Finn-Arne Weltzien
- Department of Preclinical Sciences and Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway.
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5
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Drouin J. The corticotroph cells from early development to tumorigenesis. J Neuroendocrinol 2022; 34:e13147. [PMID: 35524583 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
During development, highly specialized differentiated cells, such as pituitary secretory cells, acquire their identity and properties through a series of specification events exerted by transcription factors to implement a unique gene expression program and epigenomic state. The investigation of these developmental processes informs us on the unique features of a cell lineage, both to explain these features and also to outline where these processes may fail and cause disease. This review summarizes present knowledge on the developmental origin of pituitary corticotroph and melanotroph cells and on the underlying molecular mechanisms. At the onset, comparison of gene expression programs active in pituitary progenitors compared to those active in differentiated corticotrophs or melanotrophs indicated dramatic differences in the control of, for example, the cell cycle. Tpit is the transcription factor that determines terminal differentiation of pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) lineages, both corticotrophs and melanotrophs, and its action involves this switch in cell cycle control in parallel with activation of cell-specific gene expression. There is thus far more to making a corticotroph cell than just activating transcription of the POMC gene. Indeed, Tpit also controls implementation of mechanisms for enhanced protein translation capacity and development of extensive secretory organelles. The corticotroph cell identity also includes mechanisms responsible for homotypic cell-cell interactions between corticotrophs and for privileged heterotypic cell interactions with pituitary cells of other lineages. The review also summarizes current knowledge on how a pioneer transcription factor, Pax7, remodels the epigenome such that the same determination transcription factor, Tpit, will implement the melanotroph program of gene expression. Finally, this canvas of regulatory mechanisms implementing POMC lineage identities constitutes the background to understand alterations that characterize corticotroph adenomas of Cushing's disease patients. The integration of all these data into a unified scheme will likely yield a scheme to globally understand pathogenic mechanisms in Cushing's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacques Drouin
- Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal, Laboratoire de génétique moléculaire, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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6
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Guérineau NC, Campos P, Le Tissier PR, Hodson DJ, Mollard P. Cell Networks in Endocrine/Neuroendocrine Gland Function. Compr Physiol 2022; 12:3371-3415. [PMID: 35578964 DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c210031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Reproduction, growth, stress, and metabolism are determined by endocrine/neuroendocrine systems that regulate circulating hormone concentrations. All these systems generate rhythms and changes in hormone pulsatility observed in a variety of pathophysiological states. Thus, the output of endocrine/neuroendocrine systems must be regulated within a narrow window of effective hormone concentrations but must also maintain a capacity for plasticity to respond to changing physiological demands. Remarkably most endocrinologists still have a "textbook" view of endocrine gland organization which has emanated from 20th century histological studies on thin 2D tissue sections. However, 21st -century technological advances, including in-depth 3D imaging of specific cell types have vastly changed our knowledge. We now know that various levels of multicellular organization can be found across different glands, that organizational motifs can vary between species and can be modified to enhance or decrease hormonal release. This article focuses on how the organization of cells regulates hormone output using three endocrine/neuroendocrine glands that present different levels of organization and complexity: the adrenal medulla, with a single neuroendocrine cell type; the anterior pituitary, with multiple intermingled cell types; and the pancreas with multiple intermingled cell types organized into distinct functional units. We give an overview of recent methodologies that allow the study of the different components within endocrine systems, particularly their temporal and spatial relationships. We believe the emerging findings about network organization, and its impact on hormone secretion, are crucial to understanding how homeostatic regulation of endocrine axes is carried out within endocrine organs themselves. © 2022 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 12:3371-3415, 2022.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pauline Campos
- College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Paul R Le Tissier
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - David J Hodson
- Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research (IMSR), University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, UK.,Centre for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Birmingham Health Partners, Birmingham, UK.,COMPARE University of Birmingham and University of Nottingham Midlands, UK.,Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism (OCDEM), NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Churchill Hospital, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Patrice Mollard
- IGF, University of Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
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7
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Kato Y, Yoshida S, Kato T. New insights into the role and origin of pituitary S100β-positive cells. Cell Tissue Res 2021; 386:227-237. [PMID: 34550453 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-021-03523-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
In the anterior pituitary, S100β protein (S100β) has been assumed to be a marker of folliculo-stellate cells, which are one of the non-hormone-producing cells existing in the parenchyma of the adult anterior lobe and are composed of subpopulations with various functions. However, recent accumulating studies on S100β-positive cells, including non-folliculo-stellate cells lining the marginal cell layer (MCL), have shown the novel aspect that most S100β-positive cells in the MCL and parenchyma of the adult anterior lobe are positive for sex determining region Y-box 2 (SOX2), a marker of pituitary stem/progenitor cells. From the viewpoint of SOX2-positive cells, the majority of these cells in the MCL and in the parenchyma are positive for S100β, suggesting that S100β plays a role in the large population of stem/progenitor cells in the anterior lobe of the adult pituitary. Reportedly, S100β/SOX2-double positive cells are able to differentiate into hormone-producing cells and various types of non-hormone-producing cells. Intriguingly, it has been demonstrated that extra-pituitary lineage cells invade the pituitary gland during prenatal pituitary organogenesis. Among them, two S100β-positive populations have been identified: one is SOX2-positive population which invades at the late embryonic period through the pituitary stalk and another is a SOX2-negative population that invades at the middle embryonic period through Atwell's recess. These two populations are likely the substantive origin of S100β-positive cells in the postnatal anterior pituitary, while S100β-positive cells emerging from oral ectoderm-derived cells remain unclear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukio Kato
- Institute for Endocrinology, Meiji University, 1-1-1 Higashi-mita, Tama-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, 214-8571, Japan.
| | - Saishu Yoshida
- Department of Biochemistry, The Jikei University School of Medicine, 3-25-8 Nishi-shinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 105-8461, Japan
| | - Takako Kato
- Institute for Endocrinology, Meiji University, 1-1-1 Higashi-mita, Tama-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, 214-8571, Japan
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8
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SOX2 is required independently in both stem and differentiated cells for pituitary tumorigenesis in p27-null mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2017115118. [PMID: 33574062 PMCID: PMC7896314 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2017115118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor development can depend on cell intrinsic dysfunction, but, in some cases, extrinsic factors are important drivers. Here, we established a genetically tractable model, demonstrating that the same gene is relevant both cell autonomously and noncell autonomously for tumorigenesis. Deletion of p27, down-regulated in many tumors, predominantly leads to development of murine pituitary tumors. SOX2, transcriptionally derepressed in absence of P27, is important for tumorigenesis in this and other models, but little is known about its interaction. Using loss-of-function and lineage tracing approaches, we establish its regulatory interaction in vivo and show that SOX2 is required independently, both in endocrine and stem cells, to orchestrate tumorigenesis in absence of P27, establishing a powerful model to investigate mechanisms of tumor development. P27, a cell cycle inhibitor, is also able to drive repression of Sox2. This interaction plays a crucial role during development of p27−/− pituitary tumors because loss of one copy of Sox2 impairs tumorigenesis [H. Li et al., Cell Stem Cell 11, 845–852 (2012)]. However, SOX2 is expressed in both endocrine and stem cells (SCs), and its contribution to tumorigenesis in either cell type is unknown. We have thus explored the cellular origin and mechanisms underlying endocrine tumorigenesis in p27−/− pituitaries. We found that pituitary hyperplasia is associated with reduced cellular differentiation, in parallel with increased levels of SOX2 in stem and endocrine cells. Using conditional loss-of-function and lineage tracing approaches, we show that SOX2 is required cell autonomously in p27−/− endocrine cells for these to give rise to tumors, and in SCs for promotion of tumorigenesis. This is supported by studies deleting the Sox2 regulatory region 2 (Srr2), the target of P27 repressive action. Single cell transcriptomic analysis further reveals that activation of a SOX2-dependent MAPK pathway in SCs is important for tumorigenesis. Altogether, our data highlight different aspects of the role of SOX2 following loss of p27, according to cellular context, and uncover an unexpected SOX2-dependent tumor-promoting role for SCs. Our results imply that targeting SCs, in addition to tumor cells, may represent an efficient antitumoral strategy in certain contexts.
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Ozaki H, Suga H, Arima H. Hypothalamic-pituitary organoid generation through the recapitulation of organogenesis. Dev Growth Differ 2021; 63:154-165. [PMID: 33662152 DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2020] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
This paper overviews the development and differentiation of the hypothalamus and pituitary gland from embryonic stem (ES) and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. It is important to replicate the developmental process in vivo to create specific cells/organoids from ES/iPS cells. We also introduce the latest findings and discuss future issues for clinical application. Neuroectodermal progenitors are induced from pluripotent stem cells by strictly removing exogenous patterning factors during the early differentiation period. The induced progenitors differentiate into rostral hypothalamic neurons, in particular magnocellular vasopressin+ neurons. In three-dimensional cultures, ES/iPS cells differentiate into hypothalamic neuroectoderm and nonneural head ectoderm adjacently. Rathke's pouch-like structures self-organize at the interface between the two layers and generate various endocrine cells, including corticotrophs and somatotrophs. Our next objective is to sophisticate our stepwise methodology to establish a novel transplantation treatment for hypopituitarism and apply it to developmental disease models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hajime Ozaki
- Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Hidetaka Suga
- Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Arima
- Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
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Laporte E, Vennekens A, Vankelecom H. Pituitary Remodeling Throughout Life: Are Resident Stem Cells Involved? Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2021; 11:604519. [PMID: 33584539 PMCID: PMC7879485 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2020.604519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The pituitary gland has the primordial ability to dynamically adapt its cell composition to changing hormonal needs of the organism throughout life. During the first weeks after birth, an impressive growth and maturation phase is occurring in the gland during which the distinct hormonal cell populations expand. During pubertal growth and development, growth hormone (GH) levels need to peak which requires an adaptive enterprise in the GH-producing somatotrope population. At aging, pituitary function wanes which is associated with organismal decay including the somatopause in which GH levels drop. In addition to these key time points of life, the pituitary's endocrine cell landscape plastically adapts during specific (patho-)physiological conditions such as lactation (need for PRL) and stress (engagement of ACTH). Particular resilience is witnessed after physical injury in the (murine) gland, culminating in regeneration of destroyed cell populations. In many other tissues, adaptive and regenerative processes involve the local stem cells. Over the last 15 years, evidence has accumulated that the pituitary gland houses a resident stem cell compartment. Recent studies propose their involvement in at least some of the cell remodeling processes that occur in the postnatal pituitary but support is still fragmentary and not unequivocal. Many questions remain unsolved such as whether the stem cells are key players in the vivid neonatal growth phase and whether the decline in pituitary function at old age is associated with decreased stem cell fitness. Furthermore, the underlying molecular mechanisms of pituitary plasticity, in particular the stem cell-linked ones, are still largely unknown. Pituitary research heavily relies on transgenic in vivo mouse models. While having proven their value, answers to pituitary stem cell-focused questions may more diligently come from a novel powerful in vitro research model, termed organoids, which grow from pituitary stem cells and recapitulate stem cell phenotype and activation status. In this review, we describe pituitary plasticity conditions and summarize what is known on the involvement and phenotype of pituitary stem cells during these pituitary remodeling events.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Hugo Vankelecom
- Laboratory of Tissue Plasticity in Health and Disease, Cluster of Stem Cell and Developmental Biology, Department of Development and Regeneration, KU Leuven (University of Leuven), Leuven, Belgium
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Würth R, Thellung S, Corsaro A, Barbieri F, Florio T. Experimental Evidence and Clinical Implications of Pituitary Adenoma Stem Cells. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2020; 11:54. [PMID: 32153500 PMCID: PMC7044184 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2020.00054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Pituitary adenomas, accounting for 15% of diagnosed intracranial neoplasms, are usually benign and pharmacologically and surgically treatable; however, the critical location, mass effects and hormone hypersecretion sustain their significant morbidity. Approximately 35% of pituitary tumors show a less benign course since they are highly proliferative and invasive, poorly resectable, and likely recurring. The latest WHO classification of pituitary tumors includes pituitary transcription factor assessment to determine adenohypophysis cell lineages and accurate designation of adenomas, nevertheless little is known about molecular and cellular pathways which contribute to pituitary tumorigenesis. In malignant tumors the identification of cancer stem cells radically changed the concepts of both tumorigenesis and pharmacological approaches. Cancer stem cells are defined as a subset of undifferentiated transformed cells from which the bulk of cancer cells populating a tumor mass is generated. These cells are able to self-renew, promoting tumor progression and recurrence of malignant tumors, also conferring cytotoxic drug resistance. On the other hand, the existence of stem cells within benign tumors is still debated. The presence of adult stem cells in human and murine pituitaries where they sustain the high plasticity of hormone-producing cells, allowed the hypothesis that putative tumor stem cells might exist in pituitary adenomas, reinforcing the concept that the cancer stem cell model could also be applied to pituitary tumorigenesis. In the last few years, the isolation and phenotypic characterization of putative pituitary adenoma stem-like cells was performed using a wide and heterogeneous variety of experimental models and techniques, although the role of these cells in adenoma initiation and progression is still not completely definite. The assessment of possible pituitary adenoma-initiating cell population would be of extreme relevance to better understand pituitary tumor biology and to identify novel potential diagnostic markers and pharmacological targets. In this review, we summarize the most updated studies focused on the definition of pituitary adenoma stem cell phenotype and functional features, highlighting the biological processes and intracellular pathways potentially involved in driving tumor growth, relapse, and therapy resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Würth
- Section of Pharmacology, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna and Centro di Eccellenza per la Ricerca Biomedica (CEBR), Università di Genova, Genoa, Italy
| | - Stefano Thellung
- Section of Pharmacology, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna and Centro di Eccellenza per la Ricerca Biomedica (CEBR), Università di Genova, Genoa, Italy
| | - Alessandro Corsaro
- Section of Pharmacology, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna and Centro di Eccellenza per la Ricerca Biomedica (CEBR), Università di Genova, Genoa, Italy
| | - Federica Barbieri
- Section of Pharmacology, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna and Centro di Eccellenza per la Ricerca Biomedica (CEBR), Università di Genova, Genoa, Italy
| | - Tullio Florio
- Section of Pharmacology, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna and Centro di Eccellenza per la Ricerca Biomedica (CEBR), Università di Genova, Genoa, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
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Suga H. Application of pluripotent stem cells for treatment of human neuroendocrine disorders. Cell Tissue Res 2018; 375:267-278. [PMID: 30078102 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-018-2880-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2018] [Accepted: 06/28/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The neuroendocrine system is composed of many types of functional cells. Matured cells are generally irreversible to progenitor cells and it is difficult to obtain enough from our body. Therefore, studying specific subtypes of human neuroendocrine cells in vitro has not been feasible. One of the solutions is pluripotent stem cells, such as embryonic stem (ES) cells and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. These are unlimited sources and, in theory, are able to give rise to all cell types of our body. Therefore, we can use them for regenerative medicine, developmental basic research and disease modeling. Based on this idea, differentiation methods have been studied for years. Recent studies have successfully induced hypothalamic-like progenitors from mouse and human ES/iPS cells. The induced hypothalamic-like progenitors generated hypothalamic neurons, for instance, vasopressin neurons. Induction to adenohypophysis was also reported in the manner of self-formation by three-dimensional floating cultures. Rathke's pouch-like structures, i.e., pituitary anlage, were self-organized in accordance with pituitary development in embryo. Pituitary hormone-producing cells were subsequently differentiated. The induced corticotrophs secreted adrenocorticotropic hormone in response to corticotropin-releasing hormone. When engrafted in vivo, these cells rescued systemic glucocorticoid levels in hypopituitary mice. These culture methods were characterized by replication of stepwise embryonic differentiation. It is based on the idea of mimicking the molecular environment of embryogenesis. Thanks to these improvements, these days, we can generate hormone-secreting neuroendocrine cells from pluripotent stem cells. The next problems that need to be solved are improving differentiation efficiency even further and structuring networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hidetaka Suga
- Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 466-8550, Japan.
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Cheung L, Le Tissier P, Goldsmith SGJ, Treier M, Lovell-Badge R, Rizzoti K. NOTCH activity differentially affects alternative cell fate acquisition and maintenance. eLife 2018; 7:e33318. [PMID: 29578405 PMCID: PMC5889214 DOI: 10.7554/elife.33318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2017] [Accepted: 03/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The pituitary is an essential endocrine gland regulating multiple processes. Regeneration of endocrine cells is of therapeutic interest and recent studies are promising, but mechanisms of endocrine cell fate acquisition need to be better characterised. The NOTCH pathway is important during pituitary development. Here, we further characterise its role in the murine pituitary, revealing differential sensitivity within and between lineages. In progenitors, NOTCH activation blocks cell fate acquisition, with time-dependant modulation. In differentiating cells, response to activation is blunted in the POU1F1 lineage, with apparently normal cell fate specification, while POMC cells remain sensitive. Absence of apparent defects in Pou1f1-Cre; Rbpjfl/fl mice further suggests no direct role for NOTCH signalling in POU1F1 cell fate acquisition. In contrast, in the POMC lineage, NICD expression induces a regression towards a progenitor-like state, suggesting that the NOTCH pathway specifically blocks POMC cell differentiation. These results have implications for pituitary development, plasticity and regeneration. Activation of NOTCH signalling in different cell lineages of the embryonic murine pituitary uncovers an unexpected differential sensitivity, and this consequently reveals new aspects of endocrine lineages development and plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonard Cheung
- Department of Human GeneticsUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborUnited States
| | - Paul Le Tissier
- Centre for Discovery Brain ScienceIntegrative PhysiologyEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Mathias Treier
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic SciencesMax Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC)BerlinGermany
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin BerlinBerlinGermany
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14
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Mayran A, Khetchoumian K, Hariri F, Pastinen T, Gauthier Y, Balsalobre A, Drouin J. Pioneer factor Pax7 deploys a stable enhancer repertoire for specification of cell fate. Nat Genet 2018; 50:259-269. [PMID: 29358650 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-017-0035-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2016] [Accepted: 12/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Pioneer transcription factors establish new cell-fate competence by triggering chromatin remodeling. However, many features of pioneer action, such as their kinetics and stability, remain poorly defined. Here, we show that Pax7, by opening a unique repertoire of enhancers, is necessary and sufficient for specification of one pituitary lineage. Pax7 binds its targeted enhancers rapidly, but chromatin remodeling and gene activation are slower. Enhancers opened by Pax7 show a loss of DNA methylation and acquire stable epigenetic memory, as evidenced by binding of nonpioneer factors after Pax7 withdrawal. This work shows that transient Pax7 expression is sufficient for stable specification of cell identity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Mayran
- Laboratoire de Génétique Moléculaire, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montreal, Québec, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Konstantin Khetchoumian
- Laboratoire de Génétique Moléculaire, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Fadi Hariri
- McGill Genome Innovation Centre, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Tomi Pastinen
- McGill Genome Innovation Centre, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Yves Gauthier
- Laboratoire de Génétique Moléculaire, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Aurelio Balsalobre
- Laboratoire de Génétique Moléculaire, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Jacques Drouin
- Laboratoire de Génétique Moléculaire, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montreal, Québec, Canada. .,Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada.
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15
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Haston S, Manshaei S, Martinez-Barbera JP. Stem/progenitor cells in pituitary organ homeostasis and tumourigenesis. J Endocrinol 2018; 236:R1-R13. [PMID: 28855316 PMCID: PMC5744558 DOI: 10.1530/joe-17-0258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2017] [Accepted: 08/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Evidence for the presence of pituitary gland stem cells has been provided over the last decade using a combination of approaches including in vitro clonogenicity assays, flow cytometric side population analysis, immunohistochemical analysis and genetic approaches. These cells have been demonstrated to be able to self-renew and undergo multipotent differentiation to give rise to all hormonal lineages of the anterior pituitary. Furthermore, evidence exists for their contribution to regeneration of the organ and plastic responses to changing physiological demand. Recently, stem-like cells have been isolated from pituitary neoplasms raising the possibility that a cytological hierarchy exists, in keeping with the cancer stem cell paradigm. In this manuscript, we review the evidence for the existence of pituitary stem cells, their role in maintaining organ homeostasis and the regulation of their differentiation. Furthermore, we explore the emerging concept of stem cells in pituitary tumours and their potential roles in these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott Haston
- Developmental Biology and Cancer Research ProgrammeBirth Defects Research Centre, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | - Saba Manshaei
- Developmental Biology and Cancer Research ProgrammeBirth Defects Research Centre, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | - Juan Pedro Martinez-Barbera
- Developmental Biology and Cancer Research ProgrammeBirth Defects Research Centre, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
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16
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Abstract
As a central regulator of major physiological processes, the pituitary gland is a highly dynamic organ, capable of responding to hormonal demand and hypothalamic influence, through adapting secretion as well as remodelling cell numbers among its seven populations of differentiated cells. Stem cells of the pituitary have been shown to actively generate new cells during postnatal development but remain mostly quiescent during adulthood, where they persist as a long-lived population. Despite a significant body of research characterising attributes of anterior pituitary stem cells, the regulation of this population is poorly understood. A better grasp on the signalling mechanisms influencing stem proliferation and cell fate decisions can impact on our future treatments of pituitary gland disorders such as organ failure and pituitary tumours, which can disrupt endocrine homeostasis with life-long consequences. This minireview addresses the current methodologies aiming to understand better the attributes of pituitary stem cells and the normal regulation of this population in the organ, and discusses putative future avenues to manipulate pituitary stem cells during disease states or regenerative medicine approaches.
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17
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Zhu X, Tollkuhn J, Taylor H, Rosenfeld MG. Notch-Dependent Pituitary SOX2(+) Stem Cells Exhibit a Timed Functional Extinction in Regulation of the Postnatal Gland. Stem Cell Reports 2016; 5:1196-1209. [PMID: 26651607 PMCID: PMC4682291 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2015.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2014] [Revised: 11/02/2015] [Accepted: 11/02/2015] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Although SOX2+ stem cells are present in the postnatal pituitary gland, how they are regulated molecularly and whether they are required for pituitary functions remain unresolved questions. Using a conditional knockout animal model, here we demonstrate that ablation of the canonical Notch signaling in the embryonic pituitary gland leads to progressive depletion of the SOX2+ stem cells and hypoplastic gland. Furthermore, we show that the SOX2+ stem cells initially play a significant role in contributing to postnatal pituitary gland expansion by self-renewal and differentiating into distinct lineages in the immediate postnatal period. However, we found that within several weeks postpartum, the SOX2+ stem cells switch to an essentially dormant state and are no longer required for homeostasis/tissue adaptation. Our results present a dynamic tissue homeostatic model in which stem cells provide an initial contribution to the growth of the neonatal pituitary gland, whereas the mature gland can be maintained in a stem cell-independent fashion. Notch signaling is necessary to maintain Sox2+ stem cells in the pituitary gland Sox2+ cells and differentiated cells contribute to postnatal pituitary expansion Sox2+ stem cells prove to be dispensable for adult pituitary gland homeostasis Differentiated cells retain mitotic capacity and respond to physiological demands
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Zhu
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department and School of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
| | - Jessica Tollkuhn
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department and School of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Havilah Taylor
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department and School of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Michael G Rosenfeld
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department and School of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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18
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Abstract
The hypothalamic-pituitary system is essential for maintaining life and controlling systemic homeostasis. The functional disorder makes patients suffer from various symptoms all their lives. Pluripotent stem cells, such as embryonic stem (ES) cells and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, differentiate into neuroectodermal progenitors when cultured as floating aggregates under serum-free conditions. Recent results have shown that strict removal of exogenous patterning factors during the early differentiation period induces rostral hypothalamic-like progenitors from mouse ES cells. The use of growth factor-free, chemically defined medium was critical for this induction. The ES cell-derived hypothalamic-like progenitors generated rostral-dorsal hypothalamic neurons, in particular magnocellular vasopressinergic neurons. We subsequently reported self-formation of adenohypophysis in three-dimensional floating cultures of mouse ES cells. The ES cell aggregates were stimulated to differentiate into both non-neural head ectoderm and hypothalamic neuroectoderm in adjacent layers. Self-organization of Rathke's pouch-like structures occurred at the interface of the two epithelia in vitro. Various pituitary endocrine cells including corticotrophs and somatotrophs were subsequently produced from the Rathke's pouch-like structures. The induced corticotrophs efficiently secreted ACTH in response to CRH. Furthermore, when engrafted in vivo, these cells rescued systemic glucocorticoid levels in hypopituitary mice. Our latest study aimed to prepare hypothalamic and pituitary tissues from human pluripotent stem cells. We succeeded in establishing the differentiation method using human ES/iPS cells. The culture method is characterized by replication of stepwise embryonic differentiation. Therefore, these methods could potentially be used as developmental and disease models, as well as for future regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hidetaka Suga
- Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Nagoya University Hospital, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan
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19
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Goldsmith S, Lovell-Badge R, Rizzoti K. SOX2 is sequentially required for progenitor proliferation and lineage specification in the developing pituitary. Development 2016; 143:2376-88. [PMID: 27226320 PMCID: PMC4958329 DOI: 10.1242/dev.137984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2016] [Accepted: 05/13/2016] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Sox2 mutations are associated with pituitary hormone deficiencies and the protein is required for pituitary progenitor proliferation, but its function has not been well characterized in this context. SOX2 is known to activate expression of Six6, encoding a homeodomain transcription factor, in the ventral diencephalon. Here, we find that the same relationship likely exists in the pituitary. Moreover, because Six6 deletion is associated with a similar phenotype as described here for loss of Sox2, Six6 appears to be an essential downstream target of SOX2 in the gland. We also uncover a second role for SOX2. Whereas cell differentiation is reduced in Sox2 mutants, some endocrine cells are generated, such as POMC-positive cells in the intermediate lobe. However, loss of SOX2 here results in complete downregulation of the melanotroph pioneer factor PAX7, and subsequently a switch of identity from melanotrophs to ectopic corticotrophs. Rescuing proliferation by ablating the cell cycle negative regulator p27 (also known as Cdkn1b) in Sox2 mutants does not restore melanotroph emergence. Therefore, SOX2 has two independent roles during pituitary morphogenesis; firstly, promotion of progenitor proliferation, and subsequently, acquisition of melanotroph identity. Summary: SOX2 has two independent roles during pituitary morphogenesis: promoting progenitor proliferation via SIX6 and determining melanotroph identity via PAX7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam Goldsmith
- The Francis Crick Institute, Mill Hill Laboratory, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London NW7 1AA, UK
| | - Robin Lovell-Badge
- The Francis Crick Institute, Mill Hill Laboratory, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London NW7 1AA, UK
| | - Karine Rizzoti
- The Francis Crick Institute, Mill Hill Laboratory, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London NW7 1AA, UK
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20
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Melmed S. Pituitary Medicine From Discovery to Patient-Focused Outcomes. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2016; 101:769-77. [PMID: 26908107 PMCID: PMC4803158 DOI: 10.1210/jc.2015-3653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2015] [Accepted: 12/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT This perspective traces a pipeline of discovery in pituitary medicine over the past 75 years. OBJECTIVE To place in context past advances and predict future changes in understanding pituitary pathophysiology and clinical care. DESIGN Author's perspective on reports of pituitary advances in the published literature. SETTING Clinical and translational Endocrinology. OUTCOMES Discovery of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis and mechanisms for pituitary control, have culminated in exquisite understanding of anterior pituitary cell function and dysfunction. Challenges facing the discipline include fundamental understanding of pituitary adenoma pathogenesis leading to more effective treatments of inexorably growing and debilitating hormone secreting pituitary tumors as well as medical management of non-secreting pituitary adenomas. Newly emerging pituitary syndromes include those associated with immune-targeted cancer therapies and head trauma. CONCLUSIONS Novel diagnostic techniques including imaging genomic, proteomic, and biochemical analyses will yield further knowledge to enable diagnosis of heretofore cryptic syndromes, as well as sub classifications of pituitary syndromes for personalized treatment approaches. Cost effective personalized approaches to precision therapy must demonstrate value, and will be empowered by multidisciplinary approaches to integrating complex subcellular information to identify therapeutic targets for enabling maximal outcomes. These goals will be challenging to attain given the rarity of pituitary disorders and the difficulty in conducting appropriately powered prospective trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shlomo Melmed
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California 90048
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21
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Vankelecom H. Pituitary Stem Cells: Quest for Hidden Functions. STEM CELLS IN NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-41603-8_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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22
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Willems C, Vankelecom H. Pituitary cell differentiation from stem cells and other cells: toward restorative therapy for hypopituitarism? Regen Med 2015; 9:513-34. [PMID: 25159067 DOI: 10.2217/rme.14.19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The pituitary gland, key regulator of our endocrine system, produces multiple hormones that steer essential physiological processes. Hence, deficient pituitary function (hypopituitarism) leads to severe disorders. Hypopituitarism can be caused by defective embryonic development, or by damage through tumor growth/resection and traumatic brain injury. Lifelong hormone replacement is needed but associated with significant side effects. It would be more desirable to restore pituitary tissue and function. Recently, we showed that the adult (mouse) pituitary holds regenerative capacity in which local stem cells are involved. Repair of deficient pituitary may therefore be achieved by activating these resident stem cells. Alternatively, pituitary dysfunction may be mended by cell (replacement) therapy. The hormonal cells to be transplanted could be obtained by (trans-)differentiating various kinds of stem cells or other cells. Here, we summarize the studies on pituitary cell regeneration and on (trans-)differentiation toward hormonal cells, and speculate on restorative therapies for pituitary deficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christophe Willems
- Department of Development & Regeneration, Cluster Stem Cell Biology and Embryology, Research Unit of Stem Cell Research, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium
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23
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Abstract
Significant progress has been made recently in unravelling the embryonic events leading to pituitary morphogenesis, both in vivo and in vitro. This includes dissection of the molecular mechanisms controlling patterning of the ventral diencephalon that regulate formation of the pituitary anlagen or Rathke's pouch. There is also a better characterisation of processes that underlie maintenance of pituitary progenitors, specification of endocrine lineages and the three-dimensional organisation of newly differentiated endocrine cells. Furthermore, a population of adult pituitary stem cells (SCs), originating from embryonic progenitors, have been described and shown to have not only regenerative potential, but also the capacity to induce tumour formation. Finally, the successful recapitulation in vitro of embryonic events leading to generation of endocrine cells from embryonic SCs, and their subsequent transplantation, represents exciting advances towards the use of regenerative medicine to treat endocrine deficits. In this review, an up-to-date description of pituitary morphogenesis will be provided and discussed with particular reference to pituitary SC studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karine Rizzoti
- Division of Stem Cell Biology and Developmental GeneticsMRC National Institute for Medical Research, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London NW7 1AA, UK
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24
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Suga H. Differentiation of pluripotent stem cells into hypothalamic and pituitary cells. Neuroendocrinology 2015; 101:18-24. [PMID: 25428763 DOI: 10.1159/000369821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2014] [Accepted: 11/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The hypothalamic-pituitary system is essential to maintain life and control systemic homeostasis, but it is negatively affected by various diseases, leading to serious symptoms. Embryonic stem (ES) cells differentiate into neuroectodermal progenitors when cultured as floating aggregates under serum-free conditions. Recently, our colleagues have shown that strict removal of exogenous patterning factors during early differentiation steps induced efficient generation of rostral hypothalamic-like progenitors from mouse ES cell-derived neuroectodermal cells. The use of growth factor-free chemically defined medium was critical for this induction. The ES cell-derived hypothalamic-like progenitors generated rostral-dorsal hypothalamic neurons, especially magnocellular vasopressinergic neurons that release the hormone upon stimulation. Subsequently, we reported efficient self-formation of 3-dimensional adenohypophysis tissues in aggregate cultures of mouse ES cells. The ES cells were stimulated to differentiate into nonneural head ectoderm and hypothalamic neuroectoderm in adjacent layers within the aggregate and then treated with hedgehog. Self-organization of Rathke's pouch-like structures occurred at the interface of the two epithelia, as observed in vivo, and various endocrine cells including corticotrophs and somatotrophs were subsequently produced. The corticotrophs efficiently secreted adrenocorticotropic hormone in response to corticotropin-releasing hormone. Furthermore, when engrafted in vivo, these cells rescued the systemic glucocorticoid level in hypopituitary mice. Our present research aims are to prepare hypothalamic and pituitary tissues from human induced pluripotent stem cells and establish effective transplantation techniques with clinical applications. To replicate the complex and precise control of the hypothalamic-pituitary system, regenerative medicine using pluripotent cells may be a hopeful option.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hidetaka Suga
- Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Nagoya University Hospital, Nagoya, Japan
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25
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Garcia-Lavandeira M, Diaz-Rodriguez E, Bahar D, Garcia-Rendueles AR, Rodrigues JS, Dieguez C, Alvarez CV. Pituitary Cell Turnover: From Adult Stem Cell Recruitment through Differentiation to Death. Neuroendocrinology 2015; 101:175-92. [PMID: 25662152 DOI: 10.1159/000375502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2014] [Accepted: 01/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The recent demonstration using genetic tracing that in the adult pituitary stem cells are normally recruited from the niche in the marginal zone and differentiate into secretory cells in the adenopituitary has elegantly confirmed the proposal made when the pituitary stem cell niche was first discovered 5 years ago. Some of the early controversies have also been resolved. However, many questions remain, such as which are the markers that make a pituitary stem cell truly unique and the exact mechanisms that trigger recruitment from the niche. Little is known about the processes of commitment and differentiation once a stem cell has left the niche. Moreover, the acceptance that pituitary cells are renewed by stem cells implies the existence of regulated mechanisms of cell death in differentiated cells which must themselves be explained. The demonstration of an apoptotic pathway mediated by RET/caspase 3/Pit-1/Arf/p53 in normal somatotrophs is therefore an important step towards understanding how pituitary cell number is regulated. Further work will elucidate how the rates of the three processes of cell renewal, differentiation and apoptosis are balanced in tissue homeostasis after birth, but altered in pituitary hyperplasia in response to physiological stimuli such as puberty and lactation. Thus, we can aim to understand the mechanisms underlying human disease due to insufficient (hypopituitarism) or excess (pituitary tumor) cell numbers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Montserrat Garcia-Lavandeira
- Neoplasia and Endocrine Differentiation, Centre for Investigations in Medicine (CIMUS), Instituto de Investigaciones Sanitarias, School of Medicine, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
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26
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Vankelecom H, Chen J. Pituitary stem cells: where do we stand? Mol Cell Endocrinol 2014; 385:2-17. [PMID: 23994027 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2013.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2013] [Revised: 08/12/2013] [Accepted: 08/20/2013] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Some 5 years ago, the stem cells of the adult pituitary gland were discovered. Subsequent in-depth characterization revealed expression of several stemness markers and embryo-typical factors. Now, the quest is open to decipher their role in the gland. When and how pituitary stem cells differentiate to contribute to the mature hormone-producing cell populations is not known. New research models support their involvement in cell regeneration after injury in the gland, and suggest a possible role in pituitary tumor formation. From their expression phenotype, pituitary stem cells seem to re-use embryonic developmental programs during the creation of new hormonal cells. Here, we will review the latest progression in the domain of pituitary stem cells, including the uncovering of some new molecular flavors and of the first potential functions. Eventually, we will speculate on their differentiation programs towards hormonal cells, with a particular focus on gonadotropes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Vankelecom
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Cluster Stem Cell Biology and Embryology, Research Unit of Stem Cell Research, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Jianghai Chen
- Department of Hand Surgery, Tongji Medical College, Union Hospital, Huazhong University of Science & Technology (HUST), Wuhan, Hubei 430022, PR China.
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27
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Wehmeyer L, Du Toit A, Lang DM, Hapgood JP. Lipid raft- and protein kinase C-mediated synergism between glucocorticoid- and gonadotropin-releasing hormone signaling results in decreased cell proliferation. J Biol Chem 2014; 289:10235-51. [PMID: 24558046 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.544742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Cross-talk between the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and other receptors is emerging as a mechanism for fine-tuning cellular responses. We have previously shown that gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) ligand-independently activates the GR and synergistically modulates glucocorticoid-induced transcription of an endogenous gene in LβT2 pituitary gonadotrope precursor cells. Here, we investigated GR and GnRH receptor (GnRHR) cross-talk that involves co-localization with lipid rafts in LβT2 cells. We report that the GnRHR and a small population of the GR co-localize with the lipid raft protein flotillin-1 (Flot-1) at the plasma membrane and that the GR is present in a complex with Flot-1, independent of the presence of ligands. We found that the SGK-1 gene is up-regulated by Dex and GnRH alone, whereas a combination of both ligands resulted in a synergistic increase in SGK-1 mRNA levels. Using siRNA-mediated knockdown and antagonist strategies, we show that the gene-specific synergistic transcriptional response requires the GR, GnRHR, and Flot-1 as well as the protein kinase C pathway. Interestingly, although several GR cofactors are differentially recruited to the SGK-1 promoter in the presence of Dex and GnRH, GR levels remain unchanged compared with Dex treatment alone, suggesting that lipid raft association of the GR has a role in enhancing its transcriptional output in the nucleus. Finally, we show that Dex plus GnRH synergistically inhibit cell proliferation in a manner dependent on SGK-1 and Flot-1. Collectively the results support a mechanism whereby GR and GnRHR cross-talk within Flot-1-containing lipid rafts modulates cell proliferation via PKC activation and SGK-1 up-regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lancelot Wehmeyer
- From the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Faculty of Science and
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