Lead researcher
Dr. Kristy A. Brown
Main finding
This review summarizes our current understanding of the role of the gut-derived peptide hormones, ghrelin and des-acyl ghrelin, in hormone-dependent cancers, breast cancer in particular.
Centre
Centre for Cancer Research
Research group
Metabolism and Cancer
Journal and article title
Most surprising
The ghrelin/des-acyl ghrelin-cancer axis is complex, one reason being that tumour cells have been shown to express splice variants of ghrelin, and ghrelin and des-acyl ghrelin might act at receptors other than the cognate ghrelin receptor in tumours. Effects of ghrelin and des-acyl ghrelin on energy homeostasis may also affect tumor development and growth.
Future implications
The gut-derived peptide hormones ghrelin and des-acyl ghrelin may be useful for the treatment of breast cancer with limited toxicity.
Disease/health impact
Breast cancer
