Sermorelin Peptide: hGH, Aging and More

Sermorelin is a synthetic peptide that is the artificially produced counterpart of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH). The growth hormone deficiency (GHD) compound was created by the German company EMD Serono for the context of research models who suffer from the condition. It is hypothesized that the major purpose of the peptide may be to promote the production and release of growth hormone (GH) in the organism.

Research indicates that Sermorelin was used as a diagnostic agent to determine whether or not the pituitary gland of particular research models was operating properly and secreting sufficient quantities of growth hormone.

In addition to detecting hormone insufficiency, the peptide is now being investigated in other research areas, such as sleep cycles and cardiac function and possibly as a new agent for brain tumors.

Sermorelin Peptide: Mechanism of Action

Investigations purport that the shortest synthetic peptide may offer the biological action of natural growth hormone-releasing hormone. Sermorelin includes the first 29 amino acids of growth hormone-releasing hormone for which it is responsible.

Sermorelin, an analog of GHRH, attaches to the growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor in the anterior pituitary gland. This receptor signals the pituitary gland to make and release more growth hormone throughout the organism. Somatotropic cells are responsible for this process.

Since the presentation of synthesized growth hormone (hGH) may cause GH levels in the organism to rise to supraphysiological levels, the mechanism of action of Sermorelin is distinct from that of biosynthetic hGH. Conversely, Sermorelin is primarily used to imitate native GRF and possibly promote the highest natural level of GH secretion.

Sermorelin Peptide Potential

Our group researched specific literature to determine Sermorelin’s pertinent properties and research applications. Three of the more prominent ones are as follows:

Findings imply that Sermorelin may impact the onset of growth hormone deficiency. In contrast to rhGH, Sermorelin does not seem to increase the creation of IGF-1 in the liver. Instead, it has been hypothesized to stimulate the pituitary gland to create and release endogenous growth hormone (hGH). This is believed to give Sermorelin various properties over synthetic growth hormone (hGH).

Because Sermorelin has not been associated to the pro-cancer and pro-diabetes unwanted effects associated with long-term hGH exposure, it is being extensively explored in research related to the onset of GH insufficiency. Scientists speculate that it may also be relevant in longevity research to possibly conserve youthful architecture in skin cell ECM.

Among the growth hormone secretagogues (GHS) that have been speculated as having the potential to assist in managing body composition in hypogonadal male animal models, Sermorelin has been suggested to have potentially valuable impacts on body composition. Deepankar et al. highlighted in a report that was published in 2020 that Sermorelin may “significantly improve body composition” (in hypogonadal male animal models) while also “ameliorating specific hypogonadal symptoms” such as fat accumulation and muscle atrophy.

Although the authors suggest that Sermorelin could be impactful to achieve lean mass gain in hypogonadal male models and ones of subclinical hypogonadism, no published research has investigated the impact of Sermorelin on body composition in functional animal models. This signifies that additional research is needed in this particular area.

During research conducted in 1992, the results of the study implied that Sermorelin may have the potential to induce anti-aging action on cell cycles. A short-term presentation of Sermorelin was hypothesized to be potentially relevant in reversing age-related declines in growth hormone (GH) and levels of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) in male aminal research models.

After receiving nightly concentrations of Sermorelin for sixteen weeks, research models appeared to have exhibited a “significant increase in skin thickness,” according to the findings of a single-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled experiment conducted in 1997. Additionally, the peptide-induced large improvements in libido in male research models increased lean body mass significantly. The experiment’s male test subjects were theorized to acquire an average of 1.26 kg of lean body mass by the time the experiment was over.

A possible approach for scarring caused by myocardial infarction in swine has been examined using Sermorelin in conjunction with other GHRH agonists. It has been theorized that Sermorelin may be valuable in research related to heart function. In animal models of a heart attack, the research conducted in 2015 suggested that Sermorelin appeared to yield a variety of properties, including the following:

• Reduction in remodeling after a heart attack after the event
• Increased development of blood vessels in damaged tissue
• A decrease in the number of dead cardiomyocytes

Sermorelin’s potential to address issues that are the consequence of cardiac remodeling and its potential ability to mend damaged myocytes after a heart attack are two reasons why there is interest in studying the properties that Sermorelin may provide in heart function.