Calcitonin

THE calcium-lowering and phosphate-lowering hormone calcitonin was discovered by Copp et al. in 1962,1 and it was soon viewed as a major calcium-regulating factor, along with parathyroid hormone (PTH) and vitamin D.2 However, the lack of clearly definable syndromes of calcitonin excess or deficiency led to suggestions that calcitonin is a vestigial hormone in human beings. Some even called it a "hormone in search of a function," and despite nearly 20 years of active investigation the exact role of calcitonin in human physiology remains controversial. The hormone has nonetheless acquired a secure place in the treatment of Paget's disease of . . .