Neuroendocrinology. 2018;107(2):196-203. doi: 10.1159/000488393. Epub 2018 Mar 14.
As a central regulator of major physiological processes, the pituitary gland is a highly dynamic organ, capable of responding to hormonal demand and hypothalamic influence, through adapting secretion as well as remodelling cell numbers among its seven populations of differentiated cells. Stem cells of the pituitary have been shown to actively generate new cells during postnatal development but remain mostly quiescent during adulthood, where they persist as a long-lived population. Despite a significant body of research characterising attributes of anterior pituitary stem cells, the regulation of this population is poorly understood. A better grasp on the signalling mechanisms influencing stem proliferation and cell fate decisions can impact on our future treatments of pituitary gland disorders such as organ failure and pituitary tumours, which can disrupt endocrine homeostasis with life-long consequences. This minireview addresses the current methodologies aiming to understand better the attributes of pituitary stem cells and the normal regulation of this population in the organ, and discusses putative future avenues to manipulate pituitary stem cells during disease states or regenerative medicine approaches.
作为主要生理过程的中央调节者，垂体是一个高度动态的器官，能够通过适应分泌以及重塑其七个分化细胞群中的细胞数量来响应激素需求和下丘脑的影响。已经表明，垂体中的干细胞在出生后发育过程中会积极产生新细胞，但在成年期大部分处于静止状态，作为长寿细胞群存在。尽管有大量研究描述了垂体前叶干细胞的特性，但对该细胞群的调节知之甚少。更好地掌握影响干细胞增殖和细胞命运决定的信号机制，可以影响我们未来对垂体腺疾病（如器官衰竭和垂体肿瘤）的治疗，这些疾病会扰乱内分泌稳态，产生终身影响。这篇综述探讨了目前旨在更好地了解垂体干细胞特性以及该器官中该细胞群正常调节的方法，并讨论了在疾病状态或再生医学方法下操纵垂体干细胞的未来途径。
