Previous reports exploring the role of CRH in the regulation of cell proliferation suggest that the effect is not general but specific with respect to the cellular context: an anti-proliferative CRH effect was reported in neuroblastoma SK-N-SH cells46 and tumour cell lines derived from pituitary, endometrium and breast47–50 whereas a CRH-favoured tumorigenic action was described in epidermis and gastric cancer models51, 52. Here, CRH is linked to neoplasm.