Abstract
Disclosure: Y. Zavros: None. A.S. Little: None. S. Santagata: None. J.M. Wells: None. C. Mayhew: None. A.H. Kim: None. G. Zada: None. J. Chakrabarti: None. J.M. Eschbacher: None. K.C. Yuen: None. J.J. Evans: None. D.R. Pacione: None. R. Pandey: None. J.P. Mochel: None. K. Allenspach: None. G. Jordan: None. Chronic hypercortisolism resulting from an adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-secreting Pituitary Neuroendocrine Tumor (PitNET), or Cushing’s disease (CD) exerts detrimental health effects, including increased cardiovascular events, strokes, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, depression, anxiety, and increased risk of cancer and death. Despite decades of research, current treatments for CD remain suboptimal, with substantial unmet needs in translational research. The development of targeted therapies is challenging due to limited knowledge of the molecular mechanisms of tumorigenesis and heterogeneity. The rarity and biological complexity of CD requires collaboration among multiple centers and interdisciplinary teams comprising of translational scientists and clinical investigators. In 2024, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) awarded our interdisciplinary team, comprising the University of Georgia, Barrow Neurological Institute, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, University of Southern California, Washington University in St. Louis, New York University, Thomas Jefferson University, and the University of Arizona, the RC2 High Impact, Interdisciplinary Science in NIDDK Research Areas grant to establish The National Biorepository and Resource for Pituitary Neuroendocrine Tumor Translational Research (BioPitNeT). The Registry for Adenomas of the PItuitary and Related Disorders (RAPID), a multicenter US consortium founded in 2021 by grateful patients, supports multi-center collaboration to advance the diagnosis and treatment of PitNETs. Five RAPID centers (Barrow Neurological Institute, University of Southern California, Washington University in St. Louis, New York University, Thomas Jefferson University) are currently involved in the BioPitNeT consortium. The BioPitNeT brings together experts in medical and surgical treatments, neuropathology, molecular genetics, molecular pathology and multi-plex spatial imaging, organoid and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) technology, canine comparative oncology, and translational bioinformatics. Through community engagement and patient advocacy, the effective communication of the BioPitNeT progress and resources to the scientific and patient communities is achieved. The goal of the BioPitNeT is to break down scientific and medical silos that hinder translation of scientific discoveries to patient care by: 1) establishing a centralized biorepository of organoids benchmarked to patient PitNET tissue of origin, 2) accelerating biomarker identification and targeted therapy development through the PITuitary Molecular Atlas Project (PITMAP), and 3) creating a biobank of genetically engineered iPSC lines modeling corticotroph subtype PitNETs to identify genetic causes and molecular mechanisms of CD. Presentation: Sunday, July 13, 2025