Role of growth hormone (GH) in the treatment on neural diseases: From neuroprotection to neural repair

Growth hormone (GH) is a pleiotropic hormone that exerts important functions in the control of brain development as well as in the regulation neuronal differentiation and function, together with several behavioral and psychological effects that have been linked to its modulatory actions on brain neurotransmitters. In addition, the possibility that GM may play a role on brain repair after injury has been also envisaged, and a number of reports have shown that GH administration following injury confers neuroprotection and accelerates the recovery of some neural functions. In this review we have analyzed the state of the art of GH administration in several neural diseases. Though more studies are still necessary in order to completely understand the importance of GM in these processes, the promising results obtained so far, together with the absence of untoward effects during GM therapy, encourages the development of clinical assays in order to further support the use GH treatment in neural diseases in which neuroprotection and/or neuroregeneration are involved. (C) 2013 Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd and the Japan Neuroscience Society.