Endocrine Abstracts

Serum testosterone levels decline progressively with age. An estimated 20% of men over the age of 60 years have testosterone levels below the normal range for young men. Ageing men display symptoms similar to those observed in young men with hypogonadism. These symptoms combined with low serum testosterone comprise the entity often referred to as andropause. However, the clinical significance of this decline in testosterone levels remains uncertain. Whereas the testosterone su...

The burgeoning interest in treating androgen deficiency against the background of the age-related decline in circulating testosterone in middle-aged and elderly men has outpaced the accrual of an adequate evidence base on causation, natural history, and accuracy/validity of diagnosis. The relevance of age-related hormonal changes in the somatotrohic and adrenal axes are currently also unclear. Fuelled by the increased choice of androgen preparations and heightened patient expe...

Prostate cancer cells show a variable expression of androgen receptor (AR). Its function is influenced by coregulatory proteins that may interact with the N-terminal and/or ligand-binding domain. Cofactor expression and function may be altered in prostate cancer. Studies by my group were focused on the transcriptional integrator CBP and its functional homologue p300 in prostate cancer. We found that CBP selectively potentiates activation of the AR by the non-steroidal anti-and...

The testis provides stem cell niches which are populated by spermatogonial stem cells. The seminiferous epithelium is the exclusive site where germline cells are proliferating and entering meiosis in the adult organism. The existence of stem cells offers clinically relevant options for preservation and restoration of male fertility. New approaches based on male germ cell transplantation and testicular tissue grafting can be applied to generate sperm. Germ cell transplantation ...