Related Research Articles
The adrenal cortex is the outer region and also the largest part of the adrenal gland. It is divided into three separate zones: zona glomerulosa, zona fasciculata and zona reticularis. Each zone is responsible for producing specific hormones. It is also a secondary site of androgen synthesis.
Li–Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) is a rare, autosomal dominant, hereditary disorder that predisposes carriers to cancer development. It was named after two American physicians, Frederick Pei Li and Joseph F. Fraumeni Jr., who first recognized the syndrome after reviewing the medical records and death certificates of childhood rhabdomyosarcoma patients. The disease is also known as SBLA, for the Sarcoma, Breast, Leukemia, and Adrenal Gland cancers that it is known to cause.
Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is an aggressive cancer originating in the cortex of the adrenal gland.
Cell culture or tissue culture is the process by which cells are grown under controlled conditions, generally outside of their natural environment. After cells of interest have been isolated from living tissue, they can subsequently be maintained under carefully controlled conditions. They need to be kept at body temperature (37 °C) in an incubator. These conditions vary for each cell type, but generally consist of a suitable vessel with a substrate or rich medium that supplies the essential nutrients (amino acids, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals), growth factors, hormones, and gases (CO2, O2), and regulates the physio-chemical environment (pH buffer, osmotic pressure, temperature). Most cells require a surface or an artificial substrate to form an adherent culture as a monolayer (one single-cell thick), whereas others can be grown free floating in a medium as a suspension culture. This is typically facilitated via use of a liquid, semi-solid, or solid growth medium, such as broth or agar. Tissue culture commonly refers to the culture of animal cells and tissues, with the more specific term plant tissue culture being used for plants. The lifespan of most cells is genetically determined, but some cell-culturing cells have been 'transformed' into immortal cells which will reproduce indefinitely if the optimal conditions are provided.
17β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases, also 17-ketosteroid reductases (17-KSR), are a group of alcohol oxidoreductases which catalyze the reduction of 17-ketosteroids and the dehydrogenation of 17β-hydroxysteroids in steroidogenesis and steroid metabolism. This includes interconversion of DHEA and androstenediol, androstenedione and testosterone, and estrone and estradiol.
An adrenal tumor or adrenal mass is any benign or malignant neoplasms of the adrenal gland, several of which are notable for their tendency to overproduce endocrine hormones. Adrenal cancer is the presence of malignant adrenal tumors, and includes neuroblastoma, adrenocortical carcinoma and some adrenal pheochromocytomas. Most adrenal pheochromocytomas and all adrenocortical adenomas are benign tumors, which do not metastasize or invade nearby tissues, but may cause significant health problems by unbalancing hormones.
An adrenocortical adenoma or adrenal adenoma is commonly described as a benign neoplasm emerging from the cells that comprise the adrenal cortex. Like most adenomas, the adrenocortical adenoma is considered a benign tumor since the majority of them are non-functioning and asymptomatic. Adrenocortical adenomas are classified as ACTH-independent disorders, and are commonly associated with conditions linked to hyperadrenalism such as Cushing's syndrome (hypercortisolism) or Conn's syndrome (hyperaldosteronism), which is also known as primary aldosteronism. In addition, recent case reports further support the affiliation of adrenocortical adenomas with hyperandrogenism or florid hyperandrogenism which can cause hyperandrogenic hirsutism in females. "Cushing's syndrome" differs from the "Cushing's disease" even though both conditions are induced by hypercortisolism. The term "Cushing's disease" refers specifically to "secondary hypercortisolism" classified as "ACTH-dependent Cushing's syndrome" caused by pituitary adenomas. In contrast, "Cushing's syndrome" refers specifically to "primary hypercortisolism" classified as "ACTH-independent Cushing's syndrome" caused by adrenocortical adenomas.
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor is a protein that in humans is encoded by the GNRHR gene.
Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 2 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the IGFBP2 gene.
Transcription factor GATA-6, also known as GATA-binding factor 6 (GATA6), is protein that in humans is encoded by the GATA6 gene. The gene product preferentially binds (A/T/C)GAT(A/T)(A) of the consensus binding sequence.
H19 is a gene for a long noncoding RNA, found in humans and elsewhere. H19 has a role in the negative regulation of body weight and cell proliferation. This gene also has a role in the formation of some cancers and in the regulation of gene expression.
17β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 2 (17β-HSD2) is an enzyme of the 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17β-HSD) family that in humans is encoded by the HSD17B2 gene.
Estrone sulfate, also known as E1S, E1SO4 and estrone 3-sulfate, is a natural, endogenous steroid and an estrogen ester and conjugate.
MCF-7 is a breast cancer cell line isolated in 1970 from a 69-year-old White woman. MCF-7 is the acronym of Michigan Cancer Foundation-7, referring to the institute in Detroit where the cell line was established in 1973 by Herbert Soule and co-workers. The Michigan Cancer Foundation is now known as the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute.
Linsitinib is an experimental drug candidate for the treatment of various types of cancer. It is an inhibitor of the insulin receptor and of the insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R). This prevents tumor cell proliferation and induces tumor cell apoptosis.
Steroidogenic acute regulatory protein is a protein that in humans is encoded by the STAR gene.
MA-10 cells are a model cell line derived from the mouse Leydig cell tumor used in biomedical research. The cell line is a luteinizing hormone-dependent steroidogenic cell line that was generated from a mice inbred strain C57BL/6J. MA-10 cells are the most widely used of Leydig cell lines, and contributed much to our knowledge in Leydig cell steroid formation and regulation.
Y1 adrenocortical cell is a murine tumor cell line used for biomedical research as a model systems for adrenal cortex studies. Y1 adrenocortical cell was generated from an adrenocortical tumor of a male LAF1 mouse.
The androgen backdoor pathway is responsible for the synthesis of physiologically relevant androgens. This process starts with 21-carbon steroids, also known as pregnanes, and involves a step called "5α-reduction". Notably, this pathway does not require the intermediate formation of testosterone, hence the term "bypassing testosterone" is sometimes used in medical literature as the hallmark feature of this way of androgen biosynthesis. This feature is a key distinction from the conventional, canonical androgenic pathway, which necessitates the involvement of testosterone as an intermediate in the synthesis of androgens.
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Wang T, Rainey WE (2012). "Human Adrenocortical Carcinoma Cell Lines". Mol. Cell. Endocrinol. 351 (1): 58–65. doi:10.1016/j.mce.2011.08.041. PMC 3288152 . PMID 21924324.
- 1 2 Gazdar AF, Oie HK, Shackleton CH, Chen TR, Triche TJ, Myers CE, Chrousos GP, Brennan MF, Stein CA, La Rocca RV (1990). "Establishment and characterization of a human adrenocortical carcinoma cell line that expresses multiple pathways of steroid biosynthesis". Cancer Res. 50 (17): 5488–5496. PMID 2386954.
- ↑ Rainey WE, Saner K, Schimmer BP (2004). "Adrenocortical cell lines". Mol. Cell. Endocrinol. 228 (1–2): 23–38. doi:10.1016/j.mce.2003.12.020. PMID 15541570. S2CID 1628345.