Normal pituitary gland development involves invagination of oral ectoderm to create Rathkes Pouch and evagination of the overlying neural ectoderm, which contains the FGF and BMP signaling center that stimulates pituitary growth. The stem cells in Rathkes pouch express SOX2 and PROP1, and as they transition to differentiation, they delaminate from the ventral aspect of the cleft, migrate ventrally and rostrally, and become the glandular parenchyma of the anterior lobe. Notch signaling is required to prevent premature differentiation and PROP1 is necessary to establish the stem cell pool and promote an epithelial to mesenchymal-like transition, releasing progenitors from the niche. However, the molecular mechanisms for stimulating progenitors to migrate and differentiate are unknown.
Understanding these processes is of central importance for understanding pituitary organogenesis and the pathophysiology associated disorders.
This article collection welcomes studies with a focus on pituitary and hypothalamic stem cells in animal models, human and in vitro system.
Research articles, reviews and mini-review on new advances in research using state-of-the-art technologies are of particular interest.
Normal pituitary gland development involves invagination of oral ectoderm to create Rathkes Pouch and evagination of the overlying neural ectoderm, which contains the FGF and BMP signaling center that stimulates pituitary growth. The stem cells in Rathkes pouch express SOX2 and PROP1, and as they transition to differentiation, they delaminate from the ventral aspect of the cleft, migrate ventrally and rostrally, and become the glandular parenchyma of the anterior lobe. Notch signaling is required to prevent premature differentiation and PROP1 is necessary to establish the stem cell pool and promote an epithelial to mesenchymal-like transition, releasing progenitors from the niche. However, the molecular mechanisms for stimulating progenitors to migrate and differentiate are unknown.
Understanding these processes is of central importance for understanding pituitary organogenesis and the pathophysiology associated disorders.
This article collection welcomes studies with a focus on pituitary and hypothalamic stem cells in animal models, human and in vitro system.
Research articles, reviews and mini-review on new advances in research using state-of-the-art technologies are of particular interest.