Mutated stem cells trigger pituitary tumours in children

October 8, 2013

A type of pituitary tumour known as craniopharyngioma appears to form via a different mechanism to that thought to occur in more common tumours, according to a paper in the journal Cell Stem Cell. The novel findings, generated by a team led by the UCL Institute of Child Health (ICH), will be further explored to better understand how cell signalling triggers the growth of such tumours – the third most common brain tumour in children – and whether new treatments could be devised to block these signals. (Medical Xpress)