Role of SOCS2 in growth hormone actions.

Growth hormone (GH) has numerous effects in the body and is most commonly known for its role in regulating metabolism and body growth. Because GH is involved in many aspects of cell function, its signaling is tightly controlled by several pathways at both the extracellular and intracellular level. Suppressor of cytokine signaling-2 (SOCS2) is one such intracellular regulator of GH signal transduction. Expression of SOCS2 is tightly regulated and alteration of its levels leads to marked abnormalities in metabolism and growth. Unexpectedly, GH and SOCS2 have been recently shown to regulate neural development, neural stem cell differentiation and neuronal growth -- functions that might have important therapeutic implications for both repairing nervous system injuries and treating neurological disease.