“He who has health has hope; and he who has hope, has everything.” – Thomas Carlyle
PNA Spotlight: Dr. Juan Fernandez-Miranda
This month the PNA Spotlight focuses on Dr. Juan Carlos Fernandez-Miranda, a Professor of Neurosurgery and the Surgical Director of Brain Tumor, Skull Base and Pituitary Centers at Stanford University. Dr. Fernandez-Miranda did a neurosurgery residency at La Paz University Hospital in Madrid, Spain. He completed a fellowship in microsurgical neuroanatomy at the University of Florida. He did clinical training in cerebrovascular surgery at the University of Virginia, and in endoscopic endonasal and open skull base surgery at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). He joined the faculty at Stanford earlier this year. He was kind enough to answer some questions from the PNA. His answers are below:
Count on your Xeris CareConnection™ Team for unparalleled Cushing’s Support
Cushing’s can be challenging, but there is support so patients can feel like themselves again. The main goal of treating Cushing’s is to get cortisol levels back to normal. This Pituitary Awareness Month, Xeris Pharmaceuticals® is highlighting the importance of one-on-one support for patients living with Cushing’s Syndrome and support for HCPs treating Cushing’s Syndrome.
Sign up to get dedicated support:
Patients: Sign up for support | Recorlev® (levoketoconazole)
HCP’s: Connect with Xeris support | RECORLEV® (levoketoconazole)
Have more questions? Call for more support at 1-844-444-RCLV (7258)
PNA Medical Corner: Cushing Disease and Double Pituitary Adenoma
This month in the PNA Medical Corner we focus on a study coauthored by two members of the PNA: Drs. Adriana Ioachimescu and Nathan Zwagerman. The research is a case study of a woman with two pituitary tumors.
Consecutive resections of double pituitary adenoma for resolution of Cushing disease: illustrative case
Featured News and Updates
The FDA has approved NGENLA (somatrogon-ghla)
The FDA has approved NGENLA (somatrogon-ghla), a once-weekly, human growth hormone analog indicated for treatment of pediatric patients aged three years and older who have growth failure due to an inadequate secretion of endogenous growth hormone.
News Articles October 2024
New acromegaly drug on the horizon
A new drug for treatment and long-term maintenance therapy for acromegaly is now on the horizon. Crinetics Pharmaceuticals recently submitted its first new drug application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for paltusotine, which is a once-daily oral selectively-targeted somatostatin receptor type 2 nonpeptide agonist.
Crinetics says researchers used data from from 18 clinical trials in the application, including two Phase 3 trials that evaluated paltusotine for acromegaly in medically untreated and treated patients. Patients tolerated the treatment well, the medication achieved biochemical control by maintaining IGF-1 levels and improved patients’ symptoms compared to placebo. The company says it expects to hear back from the FDA by December.
Paltusotine, is the first drug of its type to complete Phase 3 clinical development for acromegaly and is now in Phase 2 clinical development for carcinoid syndrome associated with neuroendocrine tumors. Read the company’s press release here.
Can machine learning to predict hormone deficiency after pituitary surgery?
A study featured on Nature.com used machine learning algorithms to predict whether patients would develop arginine vasopressin deficiency after transsphenoidal surgery to remove a pituitary adenoma. Read more here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-72486-w
Pituitary apoplexy strikes groom on wedding day
An article in People.com tells the story of a groom in England who had to leave his wedding reception early due to a severe headache – one that turned out to be a hemorrhaging pituitary tumor. Read more here: https://people.com/groom-migraine-wedding-day-tumor-popped-8718083
Researchers try to make synthetic oxytocin for pain relief
An article in the Focus.news looks at efforts to replicate the hormone oxytocin in the lab – in an effort to develop a painkiller that would be safer than opioids. Read more here: https://www.thefocus.news/lifestyle/scientists-are-hoping-to-replicate-the-cuddle-hormone-for-healthy-long-term-pain-relief/
Research Articles
October 2024 Research Articles
Pituitary Tumors
Duru M, Demir AN, Oz A, Kargin OA, Altunc AT, Demirel O, Arslan S, Kizilkilic O, Poyraz BC, Kadioglu P.J Endocrinol Invest. 2024 Oct 3. doi: 10.1007/s40618-024-02442-y. Online ahead of print.
Xu L, Lei Z, Wang Q, Jiang Q, Xing B, Li X, Guo X, Wang Z, Li S, Huang Y, Lei T.Antioxid Redox Signal. 2024 Oct 3. doi: 10.1089/ars.2024.0611. Online ahead of print.
Beyond Epistaxis: A Rare Case of Ectopic Sinonasal Adamantinomatous Craniopharyngioma.
Selva Kumaran K, Shamsudin NS, Dalip Singh HS, Devesahayam PR.Cureus. 2024 Sep 1;16(9):e68357. doi: 10.7759/cureus.68357. eCollection 2024 Sep.
Posterior pituitary tumors and other rare entities involving the pituitary gland.
Roncaroli F, Giannini C.Brain Pathol. 2024 Sep 30:e13307. doi: 10.1111/bpa.13307. Online ahead of print.PMID: 39350562 Review.
Pituitary Apoplexy in Pregnancy: Neonatal Implications.
Megan Y, Melissa S.Neoreviews. 2024 Oct 1;25(10):e660-e663. doi: 10.1542/neo.25-10-e660.
Zaher M, Kolmetzky DW, Al-Atrache Z, Vimawala S, Kolia NR, Godil SS.J Neurosurg Case Lessons. 2024 Sep 30;8(14):CASE24326. doi: 10.3171/CASE24326. Print 2024 Sep 30.
Zhang L, Yan S, Xie SK, Wei YT, Liu HP, Li Y, Wu HB, Wang HL, Xu PF.Endocr Connect. 2024 Sep 1:EC-24-0378. doi: 10.1530/EC-24-0378. Online ahead of print.
Acromegaly
Aliyeva T, Muniz J, Soares GM, Firdausa S, Mirza L.Pituitary. 2024 Oct 1. doi: 10.1007/s11102-024-01461-5. Online ahead of print.
Cushing’s
Braun LT, Vogel F, Nowak E, Rubinstein G, Zopp S, Ritzel K, Beuschlein F, Reincke M.Eur J Endocrinol. 2024 Oct 1:lvae127. doi: 10.1093/ejendo/lvae127. Online ahead of print.
Pituitary Surgery
De Nigris Vasconcellos F, Vilela MAD, Torrico FG, Scalise MA, Vargas VPS, Mendieta CD, Pichardo-Rojas P, Rosi MEA, Fleury LT, de Brito Rebelo ND, Benjamin C, Sheehan JP.Acta Neurochir (Wien). 2024 Oct 2;166(1):392. doi: 10.1007/s00701-024-06296-4.PMID: 39356336 Review.
Editor’s note: Dr. Sheehan is a member of the PNA.
Hormonal Health
Shimon I.Rev Endocr Metab Disord. 2024 Oct 2. doi: 10.1007/s11154-024-09902-z. Online ahead of print.PMID: 39356415 Review.
Saadeh NA, Obeidat M, Shboul M.Appl Clin Genet. 2024 Sep 26;17:143-149. doi: 10.2147/TACG.S466919. eCollection 2024.
Copyright © 2024 Pituitary Network Association All rights reserved.
Disclaimer: PNA does not engage in the practice of medicine. It is not a medical authority, nor does it claim to have medical expertise. In all cases, PNA recommends that you consult your own physician regarding any course of treatment or medication.
Our mailing address is:
Pituitary Network Association
P.O. Box 1958
Thousand Oaks, CA 91358
(805) 499-9973 Phone - (805) 480-0633 Fax
Email info@pituitary.org
You are receiving this Newsletter because you have shown interest in receiving information about our activities.
If you do not want to receive any more emails from PNA, Unsubscribe.
