# Development of new therapies for cancer and other diseases and conditions using analogs of growth hormone-releasing hormones (GHRH)

> **NIH VA I01** · MIAMI VA HEALTH CARE SYSTEM · 2021 · —

## Abstract

In view of documented activities and potential extensive applications of the antagonistic and agonistic analogs
of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) in various areas of medicine, including the treatment of cancer,
infarcted heart, diabetes, wounds and eye diseases, these projects will continue. Our main goal will be further
development of analogs of GHRH, which appear to be free of side effects. Newly synthesized antagonists of
growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) of AVR class with high antitumor activities will be evaluated for their
inhibitory effects on growth of various malignancies, including castration resistant prostate carcinoma (CRPC),
small cell and non-small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC and non-SCLC), pancreatic carcinoma, colorectal and
gastric cancers, breast, ovarian and endometrial cancers, malignant brain tumors, as well as leukemia. All these
cancers express receptors for GHRH to which the anti-tumor GHRH analogs are targeted. The oncological
evaluations will be carried out in various human cancer lines xenografted into athymic mice and in vitro. The
cancers selected represent major national and international health problems that all affect US veterans and are
responsible for a large number of deaths. About 30,000 men with CRPC, die yearly in the USA. We will evaluate
experimentally, new approaches for treatment of CRPC, based on new potent AVR class GHRH antagonists.
The incidence of these cancers and the mortality rates in VA patients generally reflect similar rates for the US
population of corresponding age groups. Therefore, the results of the proposed research will be of benefit to
both the male and female VA patient population. Alzheimer’s disease is a serious global health problem. GHRH
antagonists of Miami class, such as MIA-690 show beneficial effects in transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer’s
disease (AD) and evaluation of the effects of new AVR class GHRH antagonists will continue in collaboration
with several VA and non-VA groups. GHRH antagonists of MIA Class and AVR Class will be also tested in
models of eye diseases, dyslipidemia, and lung diseases, like fibrosis and sarcoidosis. The investigator will also
continue his work on agonists of GHRH of MR Class, such as MR-409, which have been previously synthesized.
This work will include the evaluation in some cancers, especially CRPC of recently discovered anti-tumor effects
of GHRH agonists mediated by downregulation of GHRH receptors. However, the main evaluations of GHRH
agonists will be done in experimental studies in animals for uses in cardiology, treatment of diabetes, wound
healing and eye diseases, such as uveitis. Both the agonists and antagonists of GHRH exert antioxidative anti-
inflammatory effects. These preclinical studies will be carried out with several groups of expert collaborators.
Agonists of GHRH act on cells with receptors for GHRH and in cardiology improve cardiac structure and function.
Thus, in collaboration, agonists of GHRH of MR class...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10176142
- **Project number:** 5I01BX005051-02
- **Recipient organization:** MIAMI VA HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
- **Principal Investigator:** Andrew Schally
- **Activity code:** I01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-04-01 → 2024-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10176142

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10176142, Development of new therapies for cancer and other diseases and conditions using analogs of growth hormone-releasing hormones (GHRH) (5I01BX005051-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10176142. Licensed CC0.

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