The study tested a drug called MIA-602, which blocks growth‑hormone‑releasing hormone receptors, and found it can kill certain leukemia cells in the lab and shrink tumors in mice, even when those cells are resistant to the chemotherapy drug doxorubicin. This research is focused on cancer treatment, not on improving longevity, metabolism, or performance for healthy people.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is characterized by the rapid proliferation of mutagenic hematopoietic progenitors in the bone marrow. Conventional therapies include chemotherapy and bone marrow stem cell transplantation; however, they are often associated with poor prognosis. Notably, growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) receptor antagonist MIA-602 has been shown to impede the growth of various human cancer cell lines, including AML. This investigation examined the impact of MIA-602 as monotherapy and in combination with Doxorubicin on three Doxorubicin-resistant AML cell lines, KG-1A, U-937, and K-562. The <i>in vitro</i> results revealed a significant reduction in cell viability for all treated wild-type cells. Doxorubicin-resistant clones were similarly susceptible to MIA-602 as the wild-type counterpart. Our <i>in vivo</i> experiment of xenografted nude mice with Doxorubicin-resistant K-562 revealed a reduction in tumor volume with MIA-602 treatment compared to control. Our study demonstrates that these three AML cell lines, and their Doxorubicin-resistant clones, are susceptible to GHRH antagonist MIA-602.