About Tesamorelin
Tesamorelin is a synthetic analogue of Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone (GHRH) — the endogenous peptide that stimulates pituitary release of growth hormone. It is a 44-amino acid peptide that mimics the full sequence of human GHRH with a modification that extends its half-life. The compound stimulates pulsatile GH release, preserving the natural pattern of GH secretion.
By binding to GHRH receptors on pituitary somatotroph cells, tesamorelin stimulates the synthesis and pulsatile release of endogenous growth hormone. This in turn increases hepatic production of IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1), which mediates many of the downstream effects of GH. Research with tesamorelin has focused on visceral adipose tissue reduction, lean mass preservation, and lipid metabolism. Published studies in JAMA demonstrated significant reductions in visceral fat with tesamorelin treatment in specific patient populations.
Research Applications
Tesamorelin is used in research investigating GHRH receptor activation, pulsatile growth hormone release, IGF-1 elevation, visceral adipose tissue reduction, lipid metabolism, and lean body mass preservation. It is of interest in studies comparing GHRH analogues to direct GH administration and in body composition research.