Gene Therapy for Pituitary Tumors

A. SEILICOVICH; D. PISERA; S. A. SCIASCIA; M. CANDOLFI; M. PUNTEL; W. XIONG; G. JAITA; M. G. CASTRO

CURRENT GENE THERAPY

BENTHAM SCIENCE PUBL LTD

Año: 2005 p. 559 - 572

1566-5232

Pituitary tumors are very common. Most of them show slow growing over many years and are considered typically benign. While the majority of pituitary tumors remain clinically silent, others can cause severe and progressive disease. They may compromise critical surrounding brain structures and/or cause manifestations due to altered secretion of hormones. Considering the high incidence of pituitary tumors and their potential induction of endocrine and neurological disorders, the improved diagnosis and treatment of pituitary adenomas should have important benefits. The aim of therapy of pituitary tumors is the elimination or reduction of the tumor mass, thus preventing damage of surrounding structures, normalization of hormone secretion and preservation of remaining pituitary function. Current therapeutic options for pituitary tumors include medical, surgical and radiotherapeutic methods. Although major advances have been made in the therapy of pituitary tumors, for some of the most difficult tumors, only partial success has been possible. Also, in some cases, patients do not tolerate medical treatment and/or the tumors do not respond to current therapy, they recur or become invasive. Therefore, pituitary tumor therapy is often unsatisfactory and there is a need to develop new treatment strategies. Gene therapy, the use of nucleic acids as drugs, has emerged as a promising therapeutic option for the treatment of pituitary tumors. Expression of transgenes whithin the anterior pituitary can be modulated by small molecules, such as tetracycline analogues, in a cell-type specific and temporal fashion making possible to develop gene therapy strategies to human pituitary adenomas and more aggressive tumors affecting the pituitary gland.