NETTRO connects patients, researchers, clinicians, and industry to move discoveries from the lab to the people who need them.
The Neuroendocrine Tumor Translational Research Organization (NETTRO) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit created to shorten the distance between discovery and care for rare pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (PitNETs).
The pituitary gland is a pea‑sized gland at the base of the brain; it is often called the “master” endocrine gland because it secretes hormones that regulate many other endocrine glands. Tumors arising in or near the pituitary may be benign yet behave as chronic hormonal disorders. Patients often endure years of misdiagnosis and incomplete treatment, and translational research on PitNETs remains under‑studied compared with other endocrine tumors.
We support patient-driven science and community engagement to improve outcomes. We inform patient insights, clinician expertise, scientific advances and accessibility from payers with one another, leading to more effective diagnostics, therapies and quality of life outcomes.
Throughout October, NETTRO is raising $6,000 in seed funding for the technology that powers our work, from connecting with patients and supporters to running our daily operations. These systems support NETTRO's programs, including our research partnership with BioPitNeT, helping a new, volunteer-led nonprofit become fully operational.
NETTRO is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
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Connect patients, researchers, clinicians, and industry around a shared commitment to translational research with a focus on pituitary neuroendocrine tumors.
Ensure patients shape the questions, methods, and outcomes at every stage of the research process.
Catalyze science through partnerships and patient-informed frameworks.
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The National Biorepository and Resource for Pituitary Neuroendocrine Tumor Translational Research (BioPitNeT) is an open source, shared biobank of pituitary tumor samples and the patient data that goes with them. Researchers can use it to study how these tumors differ from one another, how they are mapped and what might lead to more targeted tumor treatments.
In 2024, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) awarded the interdisciplinary team the RC2 High Impact, Interdisciplinary Science in NIDDK Research Areas grant to establish BioPitNeT.
To establish the biorepository resources, including organoids, that are traced
to the patients’ PitNET tissue of origin
To develop a PitNET clinically relevant classification system for Cushing’s Disease
To establish induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSCs) lines genetically engineered to
model corticotroph subtype PitNETs as a resource for investigating genetic
underlying mechanisms of Cushing’s Disease.
As a patient diagnosed with Cushing’s disease, you may be exploring options for surgically removing the tumor. Your tumor tissue, usually discarded, could help advance PitNET research. Your privacy is protected, your care will not change.
For more information about what participating in BioPitNeT might look like for you, download a copy of our patient brochure below.
Visit BioPitNeT.uga.edu to learn more!
NETTRO is built as a connective tissue, not a competitor, for neuroendocrine communities. We formalize partnerships with a variety of stakeholders involved in the bench-to-bedside process to promote truly translational research.
The heart of everything we do. Patient voice shapes our research priorities and programs.
We partner with research teams to ensure patient-informed science reaches the lab.
We amplify existing research efforts rather than duplicate them.
We bridge clinical expertise with patient experience to improve diagnostic and treatment pathways.
We connect industry partners with the patient community to align research with real-world needs.
We ensure that breakthrough research translates into accessible care for patients.
Whether your work involves science, care, lived experience of pituitary neuroendocrine tumors, or simply have a passion to support those that do, we want to hear from you.
