GH / IGF-1 AXIS / REFERENCES

Sources

The peer-reviewed literature behind every citation on this desk — primary research, clinical trials, regulatory monographs, and systematic reviews.

Reference index

Every bracketed citation number across this desk — on the compound pages, the comparison page, and the FAQ — maps to an entry in this list. Sources are drawn from PubMed-indexed peer-reviewed journals, regulatory agency databases (FDA, NIH), and authoritative clinical reference databases (LiverTox). Where a DOI or PubMed URL is available it is recorded with the citation; none of the sources here were inferred, extrapolated, or reconstructed from secondary references.

The list spans five tesamorelin RCTs and mechanistic studies [1][5]; ipamorelin pharmacology, PK, clinical trial, and safety literature [6][12]; and MOTS-c molecular biology, aging, and observational clinical data [13][17]. The renderer displays the full index below.

  1. Badran AS, et al. Body composition, hepatic fat, metabolic, and safety outcomes of Tesamorelin, a GHRH analogue, in HIV-associated lipodystrophy: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Obesity Research & Clinical Practice. 2026;20(1):2-12.
  2. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (LiverTox). Tesamorelin - LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury. NCBI Bookshelf (NIH). 2018.
  3. Stanley TL, Feldpausch MN, Oh J, Branch KL, Lee H, Torriani M, Grinspoon SK. Effect of tesamorelin on visceral fat and liver fat in HIV-infected patients with abdominal fat accumulation: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2014;312(4):380-389.
  4. Stanley TL, Chen CY, Branch KL, Makimura H, Grinspoon SK. Effects of a growth hormone-releasing hormone analog on endogenous GH pulsatility and insulin sensitivity in healthy men. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2011;96(1):150-158.
  5. Falutz J, Allas S, Mamputu JC, Potvin D, Kotler D, Somero M, Berger D, Brown S, Richmond G, Fessel J, Turner R, Grinspoon S. Long-term safety and effects of tesamorelin, a growth hormone-releasing factor analogue, in HIV patients with abdominal fat accumulation. AIDS. 2008;22(14):1719-1728.
  6. Lu Z, Ngan MP, Liu JYH, Yang L, Tu L, Chan SW, Giuliano C, Lovati E, Pietra C, Rudd JA. The growth hormone secretagogue receptor 1a agonists, anamorelin and ipamorelin, inhibit cisplatin-induced weight loss in ferrets: Anamorelin also exhibits anti-emetic effects via a central mechanism. Physiology & Behavior. 2024;284:114644.
  7. Stokes AH, Falls JG, Yoon L, Cariello N, Faiola B, Colton HM, Jordan HL, Berridge BR. Integrated approach to early detection of cardiovascular toxicity induced by a ghrelin receptor agonist. International Journal of Toxicology. 2015;34(2):151-161.
  8. Beck DE, Sweeney WB, McCarter MD; Ipamorelin 201 Study Group. Prospective, randomized, controlled, proof-of-concept study of the ghrelin mimetic ipamorelin for the management of postoperative ileus in bowel resection patients. International Journal of Colorectal Disease. 2014;29(12):1527-1534.
  9. Gobburu JV, Agerso H, Jusko WJ, Ynddal L. Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modeling of ipamorelin, a growth hormone releasing peptide, in human volunteers. Pharmaceutical Research. 1999;16(9):1412-1416.
  10. Johansen PB, Nowak J, Skjaerbaek C, Flyvbjerg A, Andreassen TT, Wilken M, Orskov H. Ipamorelin, a new growth-hormone-releasing peptide, induces longitudinal bone growth in rats. Growth Hormone & IGF Research. 1999;9(2):106-113.
  11. Raun K, Hansen BS, Johansen NL, Thogersen H, Madsen K, Ankersen M, Andersen PH. Ipamorelin, the first selective growth hormone secretagogue. European Journal of Endocrinology. 1998;139(5):552-561.
  12. Mayfield CK, et al. Injectable Peptide Therapy: A Primer for Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Physicians. The American journal of sports medicine. 2026;54:223-229.
  13. Kumagai H, Kim SJ, Miller B, et al. MOTS-c modulates skeletal muscle function by directly binding and activating CK2. iScience. 2024;27(11):111212.
  14. Bolignano D, Greco M, Presta P, Duni A, et al. The Mitochondrial-Derived Peptide MOTS-c May Refine Mortality and Cardiovascular Risk Prediction in Chronic Hemodialysis Patients: A Multicenter Cohort Study. Blood Purification. 2024;53(10):824-837.
  15. Wan W, Zhang L, Lin Y, Rao X, Wang X, Hua F, Ying J. Mitochondria-derived peptide MOTS-c: effects and mechanisms related to stress, metabolism and aging. Journal of Translational Medicine. 2023;21(1):36.
  16. Reynolds JC, Lai RW, Woodhead JST, Joly JH, Mitchell CJ, Cameron-Smith D, Lu R, Cohen P, Graham NA, Benayoun BA, Merry TL, Lee C. MOTS-c is an exercise-induced mitochondrial-encoded regulator of age-dependent physical decline and muscle homeostasis. Nature Communications. 2021;12(1):470.
  17. Kim KH, Son JM, Benayoun BA, Lee C. The Mitochondrial-Encoded Peptide MOTS-c Translocates to the Nucleus to Regulate Nuclear Gene Expression in Response to Metabolic Stress. Cell Metabolism. 2018;28(3):516-524.e7.