Growth hormone - releasing hormone antagonists induce autophagy in cancer cells.

Growth hormone & IGF research : official journal of the Growth Hormone Research Society and the International IGF Research Society2025PMID: 41075421

View on PubMed DOI: 10.1016/j.ghir.2025.101668

Sermorelin

Plain Language Summary

This study found that a GHRH antagonist (JV-1-36) can trigger autophagy, a cellular self-cleaning process, in breast and lung cancer cells that express the GHRH receptor. Cancer cells treated with the antagonist showed increased levels of multiple autophagy-related proteins, while cells lacking the GHRH receptor did not respond. These findings suggest that autophagy induction may be one of the mechanisms through which GHRH antagonists exert their beneficial anticancer effects.

Abstract

GHRH antagonists (GHRHAnt) were developed to suppress cancers and have been associated with robust anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative activities. The mechanisms involved in those effects are not completely understood. MDA-MB-468 and A549 cancer cells, which express GHRH receptors, were treated with GHRHAnt JV-1-36, to evaluate the effects of that compound in autophagy. JV-1-36 induces autophagy in MDA-MB-468 and A549 cells since exposure to the aforementioned peptide elevated the expression levels of the autophagy-related protein (ATG) - 5, ATG - 3, ATG - 7, and ATG-16L1. In contrast, MCF-7 cells - which do not express GHRH receptors - did not respond to GHRHAnt. Our findings suggest that the beneficial effects of GHRHAnt in cancers may involve autophagy. Further studies will attempt to delineate the underlying mechanisms.

Authors

Sigdel, Madan; Fakir, Saikat; Sarker, Md Matiur Rahman; Barabutis, Nektarios

Keywords

Autophagy-related proteinsBreast cancerGHRHLung cancerPeptides