MEN1 intragenic deletions appear common in sporadic primary hyperparathyroidism

MEN1 intragenic deletions may represent the most prevalent somatic event in sporadic primary hyperparathyroidism

-M Alvelos, et al.
European Journal of Endocrinology, October 23, 2012 EJE-12-0327

MEN Syndrome and M.E.N. 1: Parathyroid, Pituitary, Pancreas, Thyroid Tumors and MEN type 1 Syndrome - Disorders of the Parathyroid, Pituitary, and Pancreas

MEN Syndrome and M.E.N. 1: Parathyroid, Pituitary, Pancreas, Thyroid Tumors and MEN type 1 Syndrome - Disorders of the Parathyroid, Pituitary, and Pancreas

An overview of MEN1, its treatment, and what patients can expect.

By James Norman MD, FACS, FACE
Norman Parathyroid Center
http://www.parathyroid.com/Parathyroid-Surgeon.htm

Prolactin produced in the breast may play a role in breast cancer

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/250906.php

• "...prolactin has long been thought to play a role in human breast cancer, however this has typically been assumed to be due to circulating prolactin produced by the pituitary. Since the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway is commonly activated in human cancers, this new finding suggests the important possibility that prolactin produced by the breast itself may play a role in breast cancer."
  
• "Since the PI3K-Akt pathway is one of the most commonly activated oncogenic pathways in human cancer, its identification as an upstream regulator of prolactin production in the mammary gland has intriguing potential implications for understanding the pathology of human breast cancer and as well as improving its treatment..."
  

-Medical News Today, October 2, 2012

MD Anderson Cancer Center announces "Moon Shots Program"

"The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center is launching a multibillion-dollar initiative on Friday aimed at reducing cancer deaths over the next decade, saying a flurry of recent advances in genomics and other technologies has laid a foundation for making major new strides against the disease.

The effort, which the institution calls the Moon Shots program, is expected to spend as much as $3 billion over 10 years in a bid to reduce the toll of eight different cancers, and to develop an infrastructure and strategies for collecting and analyzing data that leaders of the effort say will be applied to other cancers as well."

Wall Street Journal, 21 September 2012

See the full Moon Shots News Release

The MEN 1 Pancreas: Tumor Development and Haploinsufficiency

The MEN 1 Pancreas: Tumor Development and Haploinsufficiency

-H Lejonklou, et al.
Digital Comprehensive Summaries of Uppsala Dissertations from the Faculty of Medicine, ISSN 1651-6206; 792. ISBN 978-91-554-8415-6.

• A collection of four papers on MEN1 and PNET (pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors).
  

MEN1 gene replacement therapy reduces proliferation rates in a mouse model of pituitary adenomas

MEN1 gene replacement therapy reduces proliferation rates in a mouse model of pituitary adenomas
-G Walls, M Lemos, et al.
Journal of Cancer Research, OnlineFirst August 21, 2012; doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-12-1821

• "In this study, we conducted a preclinical evaluation of MEN1 gene therapy in pituitary tumors of Men1+/- mice, using a recombinant non-replicating adenoviral serotype 5 vector..."
  
• "Menin expression was higher in the Men1.rAd5-treated mice when compared to other groups. Daily proliferation rates assessed by BrdU incorporation were reduced significantly in Men1.rAd5-injected tumors relative to control treated tumors."
  
• "Our findings establish that MEN1 gene replacement therapy can generate menin expression in pituitary tumors, and significantly reduce tumor cell proliferation."
  

Testing Of New Drug For Patients With Neuroendocrine Tumors

Testing Of New Drug For Patients With Neuroendocrine Tumors

• "Pasireotide is a novel multireceptor-targeted somatostatin analogue that binds to four of the five known somatostatin receptor subtypes... Because of its binding ability, it may offer symptom reduction for patients who have eventually failed to respond to traditional therapy."
  
• The multicenter clinical trial, conducted at sites in the United States and Europe, enrolled 89 patients and evaluated 44 for efficacy and 45 for tolerability. Pasireotide "effectively controlled symptoms." Evaluation of tumor response in 23 patients showed 13 with stable disease and 10 with progressive disease. The drug was "effective and well-tolerated" and adverse events, most commonly gastrointestinal, were "mild or moderately severe."
  
• A Phase III study evaluating pasireotide versus octreotide is ongoing for patients with advanced NET whose disease-related symptoms have been inadequately controlled.