Pituitary Tumors: An Update in the Pathogenetic Mechanisms, the Diagnostic Methods and the Therapeutic Approaches
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Oncology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 September 2025 | Viewed by 2626
Special Issue Editor
Interests: neurooncology; neurodegenerative diseases; traumatic brain injury/chronic traumatic encephalopathy; demyelinating diseases; neurodevelopmental disorders; neuromuscular disorders
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The 5th Edition of the WHO Classification of Endocrine and Neuroendocrine Tumors has introduced several changes with respect to neoplasms arising in the pituitary gland.
On the one hand, the previously used term “Pituitary Adenomas (PAs)”, for the neoplasms arising in the anterior lobe, has been replaced by the newly developed term “Pituitary Neuroendocrine Tumors (PitNETs)”. In addition, the term “metastatic PitNET” has been favored as an alternative to “Pituitary Carcinoma”. Furthermore, in the current classification, a detailed histological subtyping is proposed according to the tumor cell lineage, cell type and other relevant characteristics. In this context, the use of immunohistochemistry, for the pituitary transcription factors (PIT1, TPIT, SF1, GATA3 and ERα), is recommended, in order to identify the major lineage-defined PitNET types and subtypes.
On the other hand, important changes have also included posterior lobe tumors. Thus, the terms spindle cell oncocytoma, granular cell tumor and sellar ependymoma have been replaced by the terms oncocytic pituicytoma, granular pituicytoma and ependymal pituicytoma, as the former are now considered variants of the classical pituicytoma.
Finally, tumors with a hypothalamic neuronal differentiation are recognized either as neurocytomas or gangliocytomas, showing the characteristic histological picture as elsewhere in the Central Nervous System (CNS).
The aforementioned significant changes and others that have been adopted in the new classification are the result of the continuous research in the field of pituitary tumors, which has allowed us to elucidate, at least to some extent, their pathogenesis. Undoubtedly, the acquired knowledge has influenced immensely the development of novel diagnostic approaches, used for their identification and more accurate characterization, which in turn has also contributed to the development of more precise treatment strategies.
It is the aim of this Special Issue to demonstrate the recent achievements in the pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of these neoplasms. Therefore, any contribution in the form of a research or review paper is encouraged and welcomed.
Prof. Dr. Dimitrios Kanakis
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (PitNETs)
- pituitary transcription factors
- PIT1
- TPIT
- SF1
- GATA3
- ERα
- pituicytoma
- hypothalamic neurocytoma
- hypothalamic gangliocytoma
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
