The study found that the hormone GHRH, which sermorelin mimics, can make certain lung neuroendocrine tumor cells grow faster and release more factors that promote blood vessel formation and tumor activity. This suggests that using GHRH‑like peptides could potentially stimulate tumor growth in susceptible tissues, so caution is advised for anyone considering them for anti‑aging or performance purposes.

Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) and its receptors have been implicated in a variety of cellular processes like cell survival, proliferation, apoptosis, angiogenesis and neoplastic transformation of various non-pituitary tissues. Here, we investigated for the first time the in vitro effect of GHRH(1-29)NH2 on the proliferation and the secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and chromogranin A by the human bronchial neuroendocrine tumor cells NCI-H727. GHRH(1-29)NH2 at the concentrations of 10(-8)-10(-6)M increased the proliferation of these cells and this effect was associated with a statistically significant increase in VEGF and chromogranin A secretion into the supernatants of the tested cells. Our findings indicate that GHRH functions as a trophic hormone for bronchial neuroendocrine (NET) tumors.