title: Developments in ghrelin biology and potential clinical relevance.
abstract: The spiropiperidine, MK0677, has been exploited to characterize and expression clone the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS-R). Cloning of this receptor led to identification of its natural ligands, ghrelin and adenosine. Targeted disruption of the Ghsr gene demonstrated unambiguously that the GH-releasing and orexigenic properties of ghrelin are dependent on Ghsr expression and that the orexigenic signal is mediated through neuropeptide Y and agouti-related peptide neurons. This review summarizes new developments in our understanding of the physiological roles of ghrelin and its receptor (GHS-R). Recent discoveries of the effects of ghrelin on the thymus and proinflammatory and chemotactic cytokine pathways stimulate renewed interest in potential clinical applications, which include age-associated disorders, such as metabolic disease, sarcopenia, congestive heart failure, atherosclerosis and anorexia.
authors.affiliation: Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA. rsmith@bcm.tmc.edu
authors.forename: Roy G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Yuxiang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000855:Anorexia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D054439:Ghrelin; D006801:Humans; D008659:Metabolic Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D036361:Peptide Hormones / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D054439:Ghrelin; D036361:Peptide Hormones