The new target of gastric cancer has been found

Professor Zhang Hao of Shantou University and Nobel Laureate Professor Andrew Schally of Miami University have found found through recombinant human proteins that growth hormone receptor (GHRH-R) can be used as a new target in the treatment of gastric cancer. The research was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) on December 7th.

Gastric cancer is the world's highest incidence of tumors in the top four, and it is one of the leading causes of death of cancer. There are nearly half of the world's new cases of gastric cancer in China. Clinical treatment for gastric cancer includes surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. But the treatment effect is limited, and the recurrence rate can still be as high as about 40% forⅡ Ⅳ stage gastric cancer patients.

It is understood that gastric cancer is a heterogeneous malignant tumor, and to take personalized treatment program for different targets is the key to capture gastric cancer. At present, despite the molecular heterogeneity of gastric cancer has been carried out in terms of molecular typing; the data come from a limited population of gastric cancer patients. There is no clear and recognized molecular classification of gastric cancer, and related study has not played a role in clinical treatment.

Growth Hormone-Releasing Honnone (GHRH) is a classic endocrine hormone. Under physiological conditions, GHRH is secreted by human hypothalamus and plays a role in regulation of GHRH-R binding to pituitary cells. Recently, GHRH and GHRH-R pathways have also been found to be abnormally expressed in tumors.

Zhang Hao group found that GHRH-R levels in protein in samples, RNA and DNA in gastric cancer patients were abnormal. Abnormal expression of GHRH-R is closely related to the prognosis of cancer patients and can be used as an indicator of prognosis. The researchers used their own synthesis of the target GHRH-R of the polypeptide to carry out treatment studies and found that the targeting of the peptide can be effective to inhibit the tumor growth in vitro and in vivo.

The study showed that the peptide drug targeting GHRH-R blocked the activity of the key proteins of inflammatory carcinomas NFkB and STAT3 by reducing PAK1, a tumor node gene. This study provides important evidence for clinical trials of targeting GHRH-R drugs in the treatment of malignancies. Cusabio offers good-quality recombinant proteins such as recombinant PIGR at good prices.