Abstract Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is the most common endocrine malignancy, accounting for 85% of differentiated cancers. A small percentage PTC variants are considered more aggressive, such as tall cell variant associated with V600E mutation in BRAF gene and rarer columnar variant, which described only 0.2% cases has a poor prognosis. Although locoregional metastases to neck lymph nodes c...

Genes encoding homeodomain-containing proteins potentially involved in endocrine pancreas development were isolated by combined in silico and nested-PCR approaches. One such transcription factor, Arx, exhibits Ngn3-dependent expression throughout endocrine pancreas development in alpha, beta-precursor, and delta cells. We have used gene targeting in mouse embryonic stem cells to generate Arx lo...

Regulatory proteins have been identified in embryonic development of the endocrine pancreas. It is unknown whether these factors can also play a role in the formation of pancreatic endocrine cells from postnatal nonendocrine cells. The present study demonstrates that adult human pancreatic duct cells can be converted into insulin-expressing cells after ectopic, adenovirus-mediated expression of...

Glucagon and the glucagon-like peptides play important roles in the regulation of glucose homeostasis. Previous studies have demonstrated that approximately 1300 base pairs of rat glucagon gene 5'-flanking sequences direct transgene expression to the pancreas and brain, but not to the intestine, of transgenic mice. These observations suggested that different tissue-specific enhancer elements me...

Multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) syndrome is typified by the occurrence of tumors in two or more hormonal tissues. Whereas the genetics of MEN syndrome is relatively well understood, the tumorigenic mechanisms for these cancers remain relatively obscure. The Cdk4 (R24C) mouse model develops highly penetrant pituitary tumors and endocrine pancreas adenomas, and, as such, this model is appropri...

The endocrine pancreas of the Australian fat-tailed dunnart (Sminthopsis crassicaudata) was investigated by means of immunocytochemistry using the avidin-biotin-peroxidase technique. This was a light microscopic study using this established technique and has not been previously investigated. Serial paraffin sections were stained individually with primary antibodies for anti-porcine glucagon, an...

Progenitor cells in the adult pancreas are potential sources of endocrine beta cells for treating type 1 diabetes. Previously, we identified tri-potent progenitor cells in the adult (2-4month-old) murine pancreas that were capable of self-renewal and differentiation into duct, acinar, and endocrine cells in vitro. These progenitor cells were named pancreatic colony-forming units (PCFUs). Howeve...

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs that play an important role in mediating a broad and expanding range of biological activities. miR-375 is expressed selectively in the pancreas. We have previously shown that selective expression of miR-375 in pancreatic beta cells is controlled by transcriptional mechanisms operating through a TATA box-containing promoter. Expression of m...

The pancreas is located deep in the retroperitoneal space of the upper part of the abdomen (Figure 1). It is almost completely covered by the stomach and duodenum. This elongated gland (12–20 cm in the adult) has a lobe-like structure. Variation in shape and exact body location is common. In most people, the larger part of the gland's head is located to the right of the spine or directly over t...

The past few years have seen an increase in interest about the molecular and genetic events regulating pancreas development. Transcription factors such as Pdx1, p48 and Nkx2.2 have been shown to be essential for the proper differentiation of exocrine and endocrine tissue; however, pancreas development also involves intricate interactions between the pancreatic epithelium and its surrounding mes...