The way you think, the way you behave, the way you eat, can influence your life by 30 to 50 years.
-Deepak Chopra
PNA Spotlight: Dr. Manish Aghi
This month the PNA Spotlight focuses on Dr. Manish K. Aghi.Dr. Manish Aghi is a neurosurgeon specializing in brain tumors at UCSF Medical Center. He cares for adult patients with a wide range of conditions, including astrocytomas and anaplastic astrocytomas, oligodendrogliomas, glioblastomas, meningiomas and pituitary adenomas. As principal investigator at the UCSF Brain Tumor Research Center, his interests include glioblastoma angiogenesis, mechanisms of glioblastoma resistance to anti-angiogenic therapy and experimental glioblastoma therapies such as cancer-killing viruses.
Professor Aghi earned his medical degree and a doctoral degree in neurosciences from Harvard Medical School. He completed a residency in neurosurgery at Massachusetts General Hospital. He is a member of the Society for Neuro-Oncology, American Association of Neurological Surgeons, Congress of Neurological Surgeons and Pituitary Network Association. Among his honors are the Preuss and Mahaley awards from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, and the Ronald L. Bittner Award, Synthes Skull Base Award and Integra Foundation Award from the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.
His answers follow.
PNA Medical Corner: Pituitary Centers of Excellence
This month the PNA Medical Corner focuses on an article co-authored by several members and colleagues of the PNA: Drs. Chanson, Kaiser, Laws, van der Lely, and Melmed. It addresses a topic that PNA has sought to promote for decades: the designation of Pituitary Centers of Excellence, where patients can get highly specialized care
Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37640885/
Pilot study to define criteria for Pituitary Tumors Centers of Excellence (PTCOE): results of an audit of leading international centers
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 December 2025
Pituitary story: Long road to diagnosis
A retired Methodist minister from Raleigh, North Carolina named Lib Campbell tells her pituitary story in an article on DailyAdvance.com. She struggled for many years before being diagnosed with a lesion on her pituitary. Read more: https://www.dailyadvance.com/opinion/editorial_columnists/lib-campbell-everyone-is-deserving-of-affordable-health-care-insurance/article_d8ba7dd4-0d19-5eff-80d6-97fa1b598855.html
Pituitary case study: Early signs of acromegaly
Cureus.com features a case study on a 35-year-old man who went to the emergency room for dizzy spells. He also suffered from night sweats, his face was changing progressively, he snored and stopped breathing while resting. Tests showed a pituitary tumor; doctors diagnosed him with acromegaly. Read more:
Pituitary story: Soccer teammates come to the aid of 12-year-old pituitary patient
An article in the Connaught Tribune follows the story of a young girls’ soccer team in Ireland that is raising money toward medical care for two of the young teammates. A 12-year-old girl named Aoife is battling a pituitary tumor, and her friend, 13-year-old Emma has been diagnosed with Langerhans cell histiocytosis. Read more: https://connachttribune.ie/football-community-unites-behind-young-team-mates-both-battling-serious-illness/
Study examines role of age, gender, and stress in pituitary lobe volume
A study featured in Nature.com looks at the way the posterior and anterior lobes of the pituitary change over time and show differences according to gender and stress level. Results show that older adults had a smaller anterior lobe and a larger posterior lobe. They also showed less stress. Women generally have a larger anterior lobe than men. Read more: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-26558-0
Research explores autism in children whose mothers suffer thyroid imbalance in pregnancy
An article in Science Daily looks at an Israeli study that found that mothers who experience thyroid hormone imbalance in pregnancy and go untreated have a higher risk of bearing children with autism. They recommend thyroid checks in pregnancy, as the risk decreases when the thyroid issue is treated. Read more: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251129053353.htm
Research Articles
Research Articles December 2025
Mapping the evolution of pediatric craniopharyngioma research: a bibliometric analysis.
Frome S, Dastagirzada Y, Kurland D, Wisoff J.Childs Nerv Syst. 2025 Nov 29;41(1):389. doi: 10.1007/s00381-025-07050-6.
The interdisciplinary management of craniopharyngioma – practice patterns, outcomes, and insights.
Haselmann J, Roohani S, Wasilewski D, Onken J, Capper D, Kaul D, Ehret F.BMC Cancer. 2025 Nov 28. doi: 10.1186/s12885-025-14991-3. Online ahead of print.
Pituitary Surgery
Training in endoscopic endonasal surgery: EANS young neurosurgeons committee survey.
Zoli M, Aldea C, Bauer M, Belo D, Drosos E, Jadoon S, Kaprovoy S, Lepic M, Lippa L, Mohme M, Motov S, Spiriev T, Stastna D, Stengel FC, Raffa G.Neurosurg Rev. 2025 Nov 28;49(1):31. doi: 10.1007/s10143-025-03962-8.
Joustra GE, van Rhee NF, den Heijer MC, Korsten-Meijer AGW, Feijen RA, Halmos GB, Kuijlen JMA, Vermeulen KM.Head Neck. 2025 Nov 28. doi: 10.1002/hed.70103. Online ahead of print.’
Cushing’s Disease
Hypercoagulability in Cushing’s syndrome: past, present, future.
Akirov A, Fleseriu M.Arch Endocrinol Metab. 2025 Nov 28;70(special 1):e250062. doi: 10.20945/2359-4292-2025-0095.Review.
Editor’s note: Dr Fleseriu is a longtime member of the PNA.
Lyu X, Liu J, Zhang D, Zhang X, Zhu H, Chen S, Lu L, Pan H.BMC Endocr Disord. 2025 Nov 27;25(1):275. doi: 10.1186/s12902-025-02092-y.
Hypophysitis
Primary hypophysitis: Classification review.
Turin CG, Kleinschmidt-DeMasters BK.J Neuropathol Exp Neurol. 2025 Nov 29:nlaf135. doi: 10.1093/jnen/nlaf135. Online ahead of print.41317043
Miquel L, Testud B, Albarel F, Appay R, Graillon T, Cuny T, Dufour H, Ebbo M, Brue T, Jarrot PA, Schleinitz N, Castinetti F.Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2025 Nov 27. doi: 10.1038/s41574-025-01200-1. Online ahead of print.
AI/ Machine Learning
Subba AB, Sunaniya AK, Mukherjee A.IEEE J Biomed Health Inform. 2025 Nov 27;PP. doi: 10.1109/JBHI.2025.3638154. Online ahead of print.
Hormonal health
Differential role of anterior and posterior pituitary lobes in healthy aging and perceived stress.
Doucet GE, Davis M, Mertens AT, Picci G.Sci Rep. 2025 Nov 27;15(1):42409. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-26558-0.
Li G, Li M, Xie B, Chen J, Li S, Luo S, Mo C.World Neurosurg. 2025 Nov 28:124692. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2025.124692. Online ahead of print.
Large-scale comparison of two immunoassays for adrenocorticotropic hormone in human plasma.
Li Y, Louie JZ, Burgess TE, Bare LA, McPhaul MJ.Sci Rep. 2025 Nov 29. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-26501-3. Online ahead of print.
Leibnitz S, Christ-Crain M, Atila C.Arch Endocrinol Metab. 2025 Nov 28;70(special 1):e20250259. doi: 10.20945/2359-4292-2025-0259.Review.
Diagnostic/Research
EndoCompass Project: Research Roadmap for Reproductive and Developmental Endocrinology.
Cools M, Krausz C, Juul A, Macut D, Andersen MS, Andersson AM, Andoniadou CL, Ahmed SF, Bakker J, Bashamboo A, Behre HM, Bonomi M, Busch AS, De Roo C, Dessens A, Fakhar-I-Adil M, Fanelli F, Fisher AD, Flück C, Gambineri A, Giwercman A, Gravholt CH, Hannema S, Heindryckx B, Hiort O, Hornig NC, Howard S, Ibáñez L, Jensen MB, Jørgensen N, Livadas S, Lucas-Herald A, Mastorakos G, Meriggiola MC, Ong K, Palibrk MO, Pignatelli D, Pitteloud N, Rajpert-De Meyts E, Rey R, Robeva R, Pozza C, Schlatt S, Spaggiari G, Tack L, Tena-Sempere M, Tournaye H, T’Sjoen G, Van Mello N, Vena W, Yildiz BO, de Zegher F.Horm Res Paediatr. 2025 Nov 27:1-23. doi: 10.1159/000549203. Online ahead of print.
EndoCompass and Neuroendocrine Tumor Endocrinology.
Castano JP, Dattani MT, Grozinsky-Glasberg S, Karavitaki N, Pavel ME, Andoniadou C, Alexandraki K, Capatina C, Cerbone M, Ferone D, Gan HW, Hofland J, Hofland L, Ibanez-Costa A, Ilie MD, Isidori AM, Korbonits M, Kos-Kudła B, Maghnie M, Mantovani G, Marazuela M, Raverot G, Scarpa A, Schilbach K, Theodoropoulou M, van Santen HM, Zatelli MC.Horm Res Paediatr. 2025 Nov 27:1-16. doi: 10.1159/000549145. Online ahead of print.
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