Artigos Originais, Revisões e Atualizações October 01, 2005 October 01, 2005

Molecular mechanisms envolved in adrenocortical tumorigenesis

DOI: 10.1590/S0004-27302005000500016

The adrenocortical tumorigenesis is a complex process, which involves multiple genetic changes. A better knowledge on the mechanisms involved in tumor development would enable an early identification of malignant disease and also lead to the development of new treatment strategies. Althought in the recent years a large amount of data was produced, the exact mechanisms that lead to adrenocortical tumor development remains poorly understood. Most of the studies produced were based on the candidate-gene strategy, which has its own limitations. A genome-wide approach, such as microarrays, will surely shed some light into the mechanisms responsible for adrenocortical tumorigenesis. In this review, we summarize the most recent data available on this complex process.