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Molecular analysis has transformed our current understanding of the etiology of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Activating mutations of components of the mitogen-activated protein kinase signal transduction pathway, including the serine/threonine kinase B-RAF, are frequently detected. The prognostic significance of theseBRAFmutations and the therapeutic implications for managing PTC are discussed.
The authors compare the treatment of hyperprolactinemic men and women using dopamine-receptor agonists bromocriptine and the newer drug cabergoline. They describe similarities and differences in treatment responses between genders, the pharmacological profile and safety of the two drugs, and new treatment algorithms in hyperprolactinemic syndromes.
Bisphosphonates are the drugs most widely used to treat osteoporosis, and can halve the vertebral fracture rate in postmenopausal women. This review details recent work that refines the dosing schedules of established drugs, alendronate and risedronate, and describes two new and potent bisphosphonates, ibandronate and zoledronate.
Pituitary tumors exhibit variable growth and hormonal behaviors. The pathogenetic mechanisms underlying the neoplastic process include altered hormone regulation, growth factor stimulation, cell-cycle control and cell–stromal interactions due to genetic mutations or epigenetic changes of gene expression. These alterations are targets for the development of novel therapies.
Disorders of sex development are poorly understood at the molecular level, which reflects in the outdated patient classification still in use. This review focuses on the extreme functional diversity of mutations affecting the main genes of the sex determination pathway (SRY, SOX9 and NR5A1) and the need for improved nomenclature.
