Genome-wide profiling of congenital insulin-like growth factor-1 deficient patients: translational implications in cancer prevention and metabolism

Laron syndrome (LS) is a rare genetic disorder identified in the 1950s by Professor Zvi Laron. LS results from mutation of the growth hormone receptor (GH-R) gene, leading to congenital insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF1) deficiency and dwarfism. Recent epidemiological studies have shown that LS patients do not develop cancer, emphasizing the crucial role of the IGF1 axis in cancer biology. Genome-wide profiling of LS patients conducted in our laboratory led to the identification of genes and signaling pathways that are over- or under-represented in LS compared to healthy controls of the same age range and ethnic group. Differentially expressed genes may be responsible for the association between lifetime low IGF1 values and protection from cancer. This experiment of nature may provide invaluable information that might translate into novel therapeutic approaches in modern oncology.