Translational Implications of the Parathyroid Calcium Receptor

We live in the era of the Human Genome Project, human and mouse genetics, proteomics, evidence-based medicine, intelligent drug design, and a new “road map” for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that relies on multidisciplinary, translationally directed teams of basic scientists and clinicians focused on specific goals related to human health. Nonetheless, it is rare indeed that an unanticipated discovery in basic science leads within a decade to the development and commercialization of an entirely new therapeutic class of agents.It has been known for decades that serum calcium regulates the secretion of parathyroid hormone by the parathyroid glands . . .