Plasmid-based growth hormone-releasing hormone supplementation and its applications.

ABSTRACT

A single dose of a plasmid expressing growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) has been safely used in a number of animal species and applications to physiologically increase growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-I for over a year. An array of constructs encoding for analogs of, or species-specific, GHRH has been tested to treat anemia and cachexia associated with cancer and its treatment, and renal failure, as well as to increase immune surveillance and animal welfare. The positive results obtained with plasmid-based GHRH in companion and farm animals may be translated to a number of human applications.