Iacopo Gesmundo, Francesca Pedrolli, Renzhi Cai, Wei Sha, Andrew V Schally, Riccarda Granata
{"title":"Growth hormone-releasing hormone and cancer.","authors":"Iacopo Gesmundo, Francesca Pedrolli, Renzhi Cai, Wei Sha, Andrew V Schally, Riccarda Granata","doi":"10.1007/s11154-024-09919-4","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The hypothalamic hormone growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), in addition to promoting the synthesis and release of growth hormone (GH), stimulates the proliferation of human normal and malignant cells by binding to GHRH-receptor (GHRH-R) and its main splice variant, SV1. Both GHRH and GHRH-Rs are expressed in various cancers, forming a stimulatory pathway for cancer cell growth; additionally, SV1 possesses ligand independent proliferative effects. Therefore, targeting GHRH-Rs pharmacologically has been proposed for the treatment of cancer. Various classes of synthetic GHRH antagonists have been developed, endowed with strong anticancer activity in vitro and in vivo, in addition to displaying anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and immune-modulatory functions. GHRH antagonists exert indirect effects by blocking the pituitary GH/hepatic insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) axis, or directly inhibiting the binding of GHRH on tumor GHRH-Rs. Additionally, GHRH antagonists block the mitogenic functions of SV1 in tumor cells. This review illustrates the main findings on the antitumor effects of GHRH antagonists in experimental human cancers, along with their underlying mechanisms. The development of GHRH antagonists, with reduced toxicity and high stability, could lead to novel therapeutic agents for the treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases.</p>","PeriodicalId":21106,"journal":{"name":"Reviews in Endocrine & Metabolic Disorders","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.9000,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Reviews in Endocrine & Metabolic Disorders","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11154-024-09919-4","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ENDOCRINOLOGY & METABOLISM","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
The hypothalamic hormone growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), in addition to promoting the synthesis and release of growth hormone (GH), stimulates the proliferation of human normal and malignant cells by binding to GHRH-receptor (GHRH-R) and its main splice variant, SV1. Both GHRH and GHRH-Rs are expressed in various cancers, forming a stimulatory pathway for cancer cell growth; additionally, SV1 possesses ligand independent proliferative effects. Therefore, targeting GHRH-Rs pharmacologically has been proposed for the treatment of cancer. Various classes of synthetic GHRH antagonists have been developed, endowed with strong anticancer activity in vitro and in vivo, in addition to displaying anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and immune-modulatory functions. GHRH antagonists exert indirect effects by blocking the pituitary GH/hepatic insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) axis, or directly inhibiting the binding of GHRH on tumor GHRH-Rs. Additionally, GHRH antagonists block the mitogenic functions of SV1 in tumor cells. This review illustrates the main findings on the antitumor effects of GHRH antagonists in experimental human cancers, along with their underlying mechanisms. The development of GHRH antagonists, with reduced toxicity and high stability, could lead to novel therapeutic agents for the treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases.
期刊介绍:
Reviews in Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders is an international journal dedicated to the field of endocrinology and metabolism. It aims to provide the latest advancements in this rapidly advancing field to students, clinicians, and researchers. Unlike other journals, each quarterly issue of this review journal focuses on a specific topic and features ten to twelve articles written by world leaders in the field. These articles provide brief overviews of the latest developments, offering insights into both the basic aspects of the disease and its clinical implications. This format allows individuals in all areas of the field, including students, academic clinicians, and practicing clinicians, to understand the disease process and apply their knowledge to their specific areas of interest. The journal also includes selected readings and other essential references to encourage further in-depth exploration of specific topics.