Growth Hormone and Human Disease
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pathology, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 April 2024) | Viewed by 3572
Special Issue Editor
Interests: growth hormone (GH) deficiency; GH insensitivity; GH therapy; insulin-like growth factors (IGF); IGF binding proteins; intrauterine growth retardation; fetal programming; personalized medicine; artificial neural networks; prediction models
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Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The main function of the growth hormone (GH) in childhood is to promote linear growth until bone epiphyses are closed, while the metabolic effects of GH are important throughout life. Thus, GH substitution is a standard treatment in children with GH deficiency (GHD) and in adults with severe GHD. The beneficial effects of using GH administrations in some diseases not related to GH deficiency have also been documented and GH therapy has been approved for indications other than GHD. Examples of genetically determined disorders, in which GH therapy is fully approved for growth promotion, include Turner syndrome (TS) and Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS). In the case of PWS, the effects of early GH therapy (not only on metabolism, but also on cognitive and adaptive performance of treated children) are also of huge significance. In recent years, there is increasing interest in the beneficial effects of the GH on the repair of brain damage. It has also been reported that exogenous GH may have beneficial effects in children with the glucocorticoid-induced retardation of bone growth. Other indications for GH therapy are related to poor gonadal function and infertility, e.g., beneficial effects of GH administration during controlled ovarian stimulation have been documented in previously poor-responding or non-responding women. On the other hand, GH excess is related to the increased risk of different cancers and to a variety of other complications, as observed in the patients with gigantism/acromegaly. Molecular mechanisms of GH action, both directly in target tissues and indirectly via growth factors, are being better understood, but still require full explanations.
Researchers are invited to submit their original research or reviews for this Special Issue of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, entitled “Growth Hormone and Human Disease”, which will cover the topics mentioned above or other issues related to different aspects of GHD, GH therapy, and GH excess.
Dr. Joanna Smyczyńska
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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