Pituitary tumor-transforming gene 1 and endocrine cancers: an up-to-date review through history, current insights and future perspectives

Pituitary tumor-transforming gene 1 (PTTG1), discovered in 1997 by Pei and Melmed, takes part in cellular replication, cell cycle control, DNA repair mechanisms, organogenesis, metabolism regulation, cellular transformation, and senescence. Its biological actions include protein–protein interactions, modulation of gene transcription, and other than intracellular and autocrine mechanisms, even paracrine activities. For the reasons mentioned above, PTTG1 stands out as a multifaceted regulator of cancer biology; it is involved in genomic and chromosomal instability, local invasiveness, neo-lymphangiogenesis, and metastatic spreading. In solid neoplasms, endocrine neoplasms, although deemed rare, have experienced a significant increase in diagnostic incidence in recent years. Endocrine cancers are still a major challenge in healthcare and research since several questions remain unanswered, even though researchers have made considerable efforts to uncover their causes. Twenty-seven years have passed since PTTG1’s discovery, and several works have been published. However, only the tip of the iceberg has been unveiled. Herein, we review current knowledge of PTTG1’s action in endocrine cancers, such as pituitary, thyroid, testicular, adrenal, pancreatic, and ovarian.