Review
Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 2, 999-1017 (December 2003) | doi:10.1038/nrd1255
There is a Correction (1 December 2005) associated with this article.
Opportunities in somatostatin research: biological, chemical and therapeutic aspects
Gisbert Weckbecker1, Ian Lewis1, Rainer Albert1, Herbert A. Schmid1, Daniel Hoyer1 & Christian Bruns1 About the authors
Abstract
Somatostatins — also known as somatotropin-release inhibiting factors (SRIFs) — are a family of cyclopeptides that have broad inhibitory effects on the secretion of hormones such as growth hormone, insulin and glucagon. These effects have formed the basis for the clinical use of SRIF analogues in the treatment of acromegaly and endocrine tumours. The discovery of the five SRIF receptor subtypes in the 1990s further enhanced our understanding of the biological roles of SRIFs, and paved the way for new therapeutic opportunities. Here we review recent advances in SRIF biology, the chemistry of SRIF agonists and antagonists, and the therapeutic potential of such compounds in a wide range of established and novel indications.
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Author affiliations
- Transplantation and Immunology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Novartis Pharma AG, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland.
Correspondence to: Gisbert Weckbecker1 Email: gisbert.weckbecker@pharma.novartis.com
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