According to a story from Healio, Cushing’s disease, a cause of Cushing’s syndrome, can still be a deadly disease if it remains untreated. However, recent developments in the treatment of the illness have made the possibility of a cure a whole lot closer to becoming a reality. While disease recurrence is common with many current therapies, the discovery of new treatment targets, such as certain molecules and drivers of pituitary tumors, could allow for the deployment of highly precise therapies that have a much greater chance of success.
About Cushing’s Disease
Cushing’s disease is a rare disease that appears as the result of prolonged cortisol exposure. It is a frequent trigger of Cushing’s syndrome. Cushing’s disease is caused by abnormalities that cause the body to release more cortisol than usual, such as a tumor affecting the pituitary or adrenal glands. Cushing’s disease is also associated with diabetes, which is a common comorbidity. The illness can cause a variety of symptoms that appear with Cushing’s syndrome and can become more serious over time, including cerebral atrophy, hypercholesterolemia, rapid weight gain, baldness, mood instability, depression, hirsutism, sexual dysfunction, muscle and bone weakness, menstrual abnormalities, osteoporosis, diabetes, hypertension, sleep problems, immune system suppression, and memory problems. Treatment may include surgery to remove tumors, certain medications, and pituitary radiation therapy. To learn more about Cushing’s disease, click here.
New Innovations on the Horizon
There is still significant progress that needs to be made in treating Cushing’s disease. While life expectancy is effectively normal in patients that succeed in achieving remission, these patients still don’t obtain the same quality of life as an unaffected person. Part of the problem is that procedures such as surgery are only effective for remission about 60 to 70 percent of the time and many treatments also have serious adverse effects.
There are a number of therapies in late stage trials that have shown potential, such as levoketoconazole and osilodrostat. There are also others that are earlier in development. These approaches offer hope for the patients that fail to enter remission with current treatments, which is unfortunately a significant number. For these individuals, getting involved in some of the promising trials that will soon appear could be a good option.
