First successful primate transplant of human pituitary tissue boosts cortisol levels

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Add as preferred source Left: Tissue structure showing the transplanted cell cluster within the surrounding tissue. Right: The same region stained for ACTH, the hormone these pituitary cells naturally produce. Brown staining indicates active ACTH production, confirming the cells remained functional despite ongoing immune rejection. Credit: Kondo et al., 2026, Stem Cell Research & Therapy (CC BY-NC-ND) Researchers in Japan have transplanted pituitary tissue grown from human stem cells into a primate whose pituitary gland had been surgically removed, successfully restoring critical hormone signals. Led by researchers from Nagoya University in Japan, the team showed that the same method worked in mice over a longer period.