Sema3d and PHPT (IMAGE)

Duke-NUS Medical School

Sema3d and PHPT

Caption

Four small parathyroid glands located in the neck behind the larger thyroid are responsible for managing healthy blood calcium levels. Primary hyperparathyroidism is marked by excessive parathyroid hormone secretion due to parathyroid hyperplasia, which leads to increased serum calcium levels and causes kidney stones, neuropsychiatric disorders and bone abnormalities. Researchers in Singapore and India, led by Duke-NUS Medical School, found that a signalling protein required for parathyroid gland development, called semaphorin3d (Sema3d), protects the glands from excessive growth by inhibiting cell proliferation.

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Duke-NUS Medical School

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