Associate member of the Russian Academy of Science E.N. Grineva: “...endocrinology is a part of, and to some extent underlies, any other area of expertise”

Abstract

An interview with Elena Nikolaevna Grineva, an associate member of the Russian Academy of Science, Dr. Med. Sci.; Director of the Institute of Endocrinology at V.A. Almazov National Medical Research Centre.

Elena Nikolaevna told us that she had dreamt of becoming a doctor since her childhood; and after graduation, she joined the research centre, which is now named after V.A. Almazov. She participated in creation of a new endocrinology service, so that not only patients with diabetes mellitus and thyroid gland disorders, but also a large group of patients with pituitary gland disorders, including hormonally active masses, adrenal diseases, neuroendocrine tumours, could be followed up by an endocrinologist.

During the interview, Professor described in detail the main studies, conducted by the six laboratories of the Institute of Endocrinology. Also, she explained how functional imaging helps in diagnosing neuroendocrine tumours and how theranostics was developing. The future of neuroendocrinology is peptide receptor radiotherapy. Special attention was paid to the possible use of cell technologies for the therapy of diabetes mellitus.

The interview is concluded with a story about the study of long-term endocrine effects of COVID-19. Many endocrine organs (pancreas and thyroid gland, pituitary gland, testicles, ovaries, suprarenal glands) express ACE2, via which coronavirus penetrates the cell. It can result in their direct or immunemediated damage.