Recent Developments in the Molecular Biology of Pituitary Tumors

Abstract

In recent years, significant advances have been made in understanding the molecular mechanisms regulating pituitary tumor growth and development [1–4]. Various studies have shown that most pituitary tumors are monoclonal proliferations [1,2] and that tumor development is related to defects in oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. A growing list of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes have been implicated in pituitary tumor development (Tables 1 and 2). However, most of the genetic abnormalities involved in the development of these tumors have not been uncovered as yet.