HYPOTHALAMUS AND PITUITARY GLANDSThe pituitary gland, approximately the size of a pea, is situated near the base of the brain, behind the bridge of your nose. The hypothalamus, located in a different region of the brain, is positioned not far from the pituitary gland.
The human body has systems that continually monitor changes and other vital functions. The pituitary gland and the hypothalamus are part of these systems. The hypothalamus regulates bodily functions by receiving information from various sources. One way the hypothalamus accomplishes this is by regulating the pituitary gland and interacting with it through its own hormones. These hormones are transported to the pituitary gland, where they serve as a signal for the pituitary to start producing one or more of its hormones. Subsequently, the endocrine glands targeted by the pituitary hormones are prompted to generate their own hormones. These locally produced hormones are what effectively regulate your body. |
Example of how hypothalamus and pituitary glands regulate bodily functions
|
Position of the pituitary gland in the brain
|
Pituitary problems often result from either excessive or insufficient activity of the pituitary gland. Pituitary adenomas, or pituitary macroadenomas when they are large, are distinct growths on the pituitary gland that frequently lead to complications. Pituitary adenomas can be problematic because they:
|
Type of Disorder |
Medication |
Function |
Side Effects |
Prolactin-secreting tumors (prolactinomas) |
|
|
|
ACTH-producing tumors (Cushing syndrome) |
|
|
|
Growth hormone-secreting tumors |
|
|
|
Scitron is a Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs), derived from human umbilical cords. Upon treatment, the cultured cells are injected intramuscularly or intravenously into the patient. The cells are characterized by low immunogenicity, making them very safe, tolerable, and free of side effects.
|
As shown in Figure (A), pituitary deficit can be corrected by inducing local stem cells in the pituitary to multiply and develop into the desired cell types. As an alternative, stem cells from pituitary tissue can be extracted, grown in a dish, and then either transplanted directly into the hypophysiotropic region beneath the hypothalamus or first differentiated and purified in a dish. The desired cell type can be created by transdifferentiation of adult pituitary cells using the same methods. As described in Figure B, Pluripotent stem cells, such as embryonic stem cells (ESC) and iPSC, may be injected into the hypophysiotropic region of a patient with hypopituitarism, where they can develop to replace the damaged endocrine cell type. However, due to their tremendous ability for proliferation, the potent ESC and iPSC may result in the development of tumors. To get around this issue, ESC and iPSC could be differentiated in vitro first, followed by the isolation of the desired hormonal cell type and transplantation of only the pure cell type. |
The potential cell-therapeutic strategies for treatment of hypopituitarism
|
CELL TISSUE TECHNOLOGY SDN BHD
Malaysia's FIRST Tissue Engineering Firm |
|