Cushing Disease

It is important to distinguish between Cushing disease and Cushing syndrome. While both are based on high levels of cortisol circulating in the body, Cushing disease is specifically caused by a generally benign tumor of the pituitary gland which secretes excess levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), leading to overproduction of cortisol in the adrenal glands. Cushing syndrome, on the other hand, refers to the symptoms caused by elevated levels of cortisol in the body due to any cause, and is also called hypercortisolism or hyperadrenocorticism. In addition to the Cushing disease promoting pituitary tumor, a number of additional circumstances may lead to the development of Cushing Syndrome. Elevated levels of cortisol often are a result of a prolonged use of corticosteroids, which may be prescribed for the treatment of allergies, asthma, or autoimmune diseases. However, elevated cortisol levels may also occur with cancerous or benign tumors of the ACTH-producing lungs, pancreas, or thyroid stimulating an excess production of cortisol. Cushing syndrome is fairly rare, affecting 10 -15

With the hopes of curing the patient’s afflictions, these newly grown cells would then be transplanted into the patient. With this approach come major problems such as the formation of tumours, which is caused by the distinguishing trait of stem cells. Because stem cells are able to divide for an unlimited amount of time, it has been found that the cells will not know when to stop dividing and they will continue to divide even after being transplanted into the patient (Herold 48). This form of treatment is counterproductive, as uncontrollable cell division will produce tumours and potentially cause cancer, which is one of the ailments that stem cell research promises to cure.

Cushing’s syndrome (also known as Cushing’s disease) is a disorder of the endocrine system. The disease is caused by the excess production, or in some cases excess consumption, of the hormone cortisol. The disease can be caused by tumors on the pituitary gland, adrenal gland complications, and the usage of corticosteroids. Cushing’s syndrome is difficult to diagnose due to its rarity, and there is no specific test to diagnose it. Symptoms of Cushing’s syndrome include obesity, “moon face”, slow growth rate, skin changes, and muscle and bone changes. Cushing’s syndrome is treatable. Some of the treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation.

normal cell. These extra cells form a mass of tissue that is a tumor. Cancer forms in the genes of

The ability to manipulate the stem cell corresponding to a specific organ/tissue remains important. A type of stem cell that can be manipulated is the embryonic stem cell. These stem cells descend from embryos aging from three to five days (Watt) (Driskell). During earlier stages, scientists describe embryonic stem cells as “blastocysts” which contain over one-hundred and fifty cells (Watt) (Driskell). They duplicate into more cells or transform to any cell located in the body (Watt) (Driskell). This “duplication” allows embryonic stem cells to regenerate and repair diseased tissues. Embryonic stem cells gain importance in cancer treatments—if doctors diagnose patients with leukemia, then during chemotherapy, the doctor can infuse embryonic stem cells into the body. Since the cells are young, they can repair the targeted cell, aiding cancer treatments and the patient. In addition, this technique is used with another type of embryonic stem cell called “pluripotent stem cells”. Pluripotent stem cells originate as inner mast cells (cells

Cushing’s disease is a disease of the endocrine system that is recognized by the overproduction of the pituitary gland which releases the hormone adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) that in return leads to an overactive adrenal gland which produces a stress hormone called cortisol. The overproduction is caused by a tumor or additional growth at the base of the brain. This tumor is called an adenoma which is usually not a cancerous growth.

Cushing's syndrome or hypercortisolism is an endocrine disorder of the adrenal glands. It is the body's tissues overexposure to cortisol which is produced by the adrenal gland. Overexposure to cortisol can result from long-term use of synthetic glucocorticoid hormones to treat inflammatory diseases. Another cause are pituitary adenomas or benign tumor growths of the pituitary gland that secretes ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone) which triggers cortisol overproduction. Symptoms encompass upper body obesity, severe fatigue,muscle weakness, high blood pressure, backache, elevated blood sugar, easy bruising, and bluish-red stretch marks on the skin. In women, increased growth of facial and body hair, and irregular menstrual periods that may

antigens, and their responsiveness to certain growth factors.” These characteristics show how stem cells are both complex in nature and are a perfect solution to many of the medical issues that are occurring today (See figure 1).

A cell that has the ability to develop or duplicate into any other type of cell the body may have whilst still alive, whether it be a specialised cell or other stem cells, by using the cell-division cycle, is what we call a stem cell. Stem cells can be uncovered from various sites around the body, such as amniotic fluid, which can be retrieved during a pregnancy, placenta and cord tissue during the development of embryos, umbilical cord blood that is saved after the umbilical cord is cut, teeth, embryos that are willingly donated during the blastocyst stage (4-5 days after fertilization), and adult bone marrow. Each of these stem cell types, wherever their source might be, holds the priceless competence to work as a huge medical advantage,

The duo's research, supported by the National Institutes of Health and Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, further supports an existing theory that cancer is a stem cell disease. Multiple studies have shown that even within the same lesion, not all cancer cells are the same. Researchers also often find cancerous stem cells within a lesion, and many believe these cells are the key to preventing the initiation and relapse of cancer.

Stem cells are a growing phenomenon in the cancer research world. Researchers are getting closer and closer to a cure, they are exploring other options to treat cancer. Stem cells are relatively new to the medical world, making their first appearance in 1956 (”Timeline for Stem Cell Research”, 1), and as with everything, there are flaws. Despite these flaws, stem cell treatment is something more people are turning to, as it is widely becoming one of the most popular ways to treat cancer (besides radiation and chemotherapy, respectively). Stem cell treatments are not accepted by all, as the rising questions are becoming, ‘Do stem cells worsen cancer?’, or better yet ‘Can stem cell treatments give rise to new types of cancer?’ My purpose in this paper is to discuss not only the bad, but also the good in stem cells.

Researchers discovered another factor that would put people at risk of getting cancer. Poor lifestyle choices and inherited genes are known to increase a person’s risk of developing cancer, but research concludes that stem cells division are a major contributors to cancer overall. Stem cells are one of the human body's master cells because they are able to maintain the ability to divide throughout life, give rise to cells that can become highly specialized, take the place of cells that die or lost and renew and repair any body tissue. However, there is a risk that genetic mutations will randomly appear as our stem cells divide. The cancer risk varies in the tissue since they are the only cell type with the ability to carry a tumor. Habibul

Cushing syndrome very rarely can be inherited. A person may inherit a high risk of getting tumors in their endocrine glands,

Mural UA has the highest recurrence rate. According to Li et al., the recurrence rate for mural UA is 35.7% [9]. According to Lau et al., resection , enucleation, enucleation along with application of carnoy’s solution, marsupialization followed by enucleation have recurrence rates of 3.6%, 30.5%, 16%, 18% respectively[6]. As UA is surrounded by fibrous capsule and usually cystic, well localized the prognosis is good. But when it breaches the periphery of the fibrous capsule behaves more aggressively [10]. As recurrence of UA is long delayed, long-term postoperative follow-up is required [3,

Stem cell research is the study of basic cells that are grown in laboratories where tests are made to determine the essential properties of the cells. Over the past few decades, stem cell research has become a popular scientific debate and controversy. Stem cell research is still considered to be relatively new technology that is responsible for taking human cells and developing them into 220 different cells in the human body. Stem cell research has the potential to help disease research and management (Murnaghan, 2010). The two most common stem cells that scientist work within animals and humans are embryonic and non-embryonic (“somatic” or “adult”) stem cells (Stem cell basics, 2009). This paper will examine the two different types