[Met5, Arg6, Phe7] Enkephalin, amide

Opioid growth factor (OGF) and its receptor form a biological axis that tonically regulates cell proliferation by delaying the G1/S interface of the cell cycle under homeostatic conditions or in neoplasia. Exogenous OGF represses growth of human pancreatic cancer cells in culture and in nude mice. OGF therapy alone or in combination with standard chemotherapies results in enhanced inhibition of DNA synthesis and tumor growth.