17 O - Role of antiestrogens as antifribotic agents

A young patient with Gardner's Syndrome and a huge multi recurring retrcperitoneal dearoid tumor has been recently trated with the anti estrogenic Toremifene (T) drug and a colliquative necrosis of the tumor has been obtained. The antiproliferative effect of T in desmoid tunas remains unknown At high doses T appears to exert a cytolitic effect indipendent of its antiestrogenic action. T may stimulate stromal fibroblast to produce TGF beta a negative paracrine growth factor for epitthelial cells. TGF beta is the cytokine that initiates and terminates tissue repair, and whose sustained production underlies the development of tissue fibrosis. In rats with pulmonary fibrosis experimentally induced total lung TGF content was several times higher than in normal rats. In humans with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis Tgf beta 1 is increased in alveolar walls. The increased production of TGF beta preceded the synthesis of collagen, fibronectin and proteoglycans. The Authors intend to evaluete experimentally the T efficacy of influencing on the synthesis of TGF beta and of preventing pulmonary fibrosis. Toremifene could have a role as usefull antifibrotic agent.