Ghrelin is a recently identified 28-amino-acid peptide, capable of stimulating pituitary growth hormone release in humans and other mammals. It is mainly secreted from the gastric mucosa, but it is also widely expressed in a variety of tissues, in both normal and malignant conditions. Ghrelin has a multiplicity of physiological functions in gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, pulmonary and immune system, and also exerts a variety of roles, from increasing food intake (orexigenic effect) to affecting cell proliferation. The actions of ghrelin are mediated by the ghrelin receptor, also known as the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS-R). The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the expression and putative role of ghrelin and its receptor in cancer. Ghrelin and its receptor are detected in tumor tissues, and evidence is emerging that ghrelin plays an autocrine/paracrine role in cancer and could serve as a diagnostic or prognostic tool or as therapeutic target.
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