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Peptide

Sermorelin

Sermorelin (GHRH 1-29) is a 29-amino-acid synthetic analog of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) that retains full biological activity. It was FDA-approved in 1990 for diagnostic use and in 1997 for treating childhood growth hormone deficiency. Sermorelin stimulates natural GH release from the pituitary gland through the hypothalamic-pituitary axis, producing physiological GH patterns with built-in safety through somatostatin feedback regulation.

Research notice. This page is for education and research. Peptides may not be FDA-approved for human use and may only be legally available for research. Talk to a qualified clinician before considering any peptide.

Best evidence
Grade A
Conditions studied
6
Outcomes
18
Graded outcomes
3771

Evidence by condition

  • Strong
  • Moderate
  • Limited
  • Very limited

6 conditions, plus general outcomes

Metabolic Health: outcomes studied for Sermorelin
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
Growth Hormone Release

Sermorelin nearly doubled 12-hour mean GH release in elderly men and elevated peak GH amplitude. Effects were sustained with the majority of GH release preserved at night in physiological patterns.

Improves (the measure goes up)Large effect11 studies
IGF-1 Levels

Sermorelin elevated IGF-1 levels in elderly men in a dose-dependent manner, approaching levels seen in younger men. Elevations persisted for 2 weeks after stopping treatment.

Changes; see studiesModerate effect11 studies
Insulin Sensitivity

A significant increase in insulin sensitivity occurred in elderly men (P < 0.05) following 4 months of GHRH analog treatment, though not in women.

Improves (the measure goes up)Moderate effect1 study

Studies that measured insulin sensitivity

Bone Health: outcomes studied for Sermorelin
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
Height Velocity (Children)

Sermorelin induced catch-up growth in GH-deficient children with significant increases in height velocity sustained during 12 months of treatment, with effects maintained for up to 36 months.

Improves (the measure goes up)Large effect11 studies

General

  • Hormone Levels: improves
  • Anti-Cancer Activity: improves
  • Anti-Inflammatory Activity: improves
General: outcomes studied for Sermorelin
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
Hormone Levels

54 human trials and systematic reviews support this finding. Evidence includes systematic reviews/meta-analyses. Human clinical trial data available.

Improves (the measure goes up)Moderate effect10 studies

Studies that measured hormone levels

Anti-Cancer Activity

18 human trials support this finding. Human clinical trial data available.

Improves (the measure goes up)Moderate effect10 studies

Studies that measured anti-cancer activity

Anti-Inflammatory Activity

6 human trials support this finding. Human clinical trial data available.

Improves (the measure goes up)Small effect6 studies
Pulmonary Function

5 preclinical studies support this finding. Primarily preclinical evidence.

Improves (the measure goes up)Small effect5 studies
Cardiac Protection

4 human trials support this finding. Human clinical trial data available.

Improves (the measure goes up)Small effect4 studies

Studies that measured cardiac protection

Cancer Cell Apoptosis

3 preclinical studies support this finding. Primarily preclinical evidence.

Improves (the measure goes up)Small effect3 studies
Blood Glucose Control

3 preclinical studies support this finding. Primarily preclinical evidence.

Improves (the measure goes down)Small effect2 studies
Immune Function

3 human trials support this finding. Human clinical trial data available.

Improves (the measure goes up)Small effect
Corneal/Ocular Health

2 preclinical studies support this finding. Primarily preclinical evidence.

Improves (the measure goes up)Small effect2 studies

Cognitive Function

  • Cognitive Function: improves
Cognitive Function: outcomes studied for Sermorelin
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
Cognitive Function

Six months of GHRH treatment improved performance on tests of fluid intelligence including working memory, planning, selective attention, and processing speed in healthy older adults.

Improves (the measure goes up)Small effect2 studies

Body Composition

  • Lean Body Mass: improves
  • Muscle Strength: improves
Body Composition: outcomes studied for Sermorelin
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
Lean Body Mass

GHRH analog treatment significantly increased lean body mass in elderly men (P < 0.05) in a 4-month randomized controlled trial.

Improves (the measure goes up)Moderate effect1 study

Studies that measured lean body mass

Muscle Strength

Six weeks of nightly sermorelin led to significant improvements in 2 of 6 muscle strength tests and the abdominal crunch muscle endurance test in elderly men.

Improves (the measure goes up)Small effect1 study

Studies that measured muscle strength

Skin Health

  • Skin Thickness: improves
Skin Health: outcomes studied for Sermorelin
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
Skin Thickness

A significant increase in skin thickness was observed in both elderly men and women following 4 months of GHRH analog treatment.

Improves (the measure goes up)Moderate effect1 study

Studies that measured skin thickness

Mental Health

  • General Well-Being: improves
Mental Health: outcomes studied for Sermorelin
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
General Well-Being

Quality of life parameters showed significant improvement in general well-being (P < 0.05) and libido (P < 0.01) in elderly men following 4 months of treatment.

Improves (the measure goes up)Moderate effect1 study

Studies that measured general well-being

Key findings

  • Growth Hormone ReleaseMetabolic HealthImproves (the measure goes up)
  • IGF-1 LevelsMetabolic HealthChanges; see studies
  • Height Velocity (Children)Bone HealthImproves (the measure goes up)

Studies cited

47 studies from PubMed

  1. Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone Antagonists Increase Radiosensitivity in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells.International journal of molecular sciences, 2025 · PMID 40244089
  2. Growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor antagonist MIA-602 attenuates cardiopulmonary injury induced by BSL-2 rVSV-SARS-CoV-2 in hACE2 mice.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2023 · PMID 37983492
  3. Growth hormone-releasing hormone antagonist MIA-602 inhibits inflammation induced by SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and bacterial lipopolysaccharide synergism in macrophages and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells.Frontiers in immunology, 2023 · PMID 37649486
  4. GHRH agonist MR-409 protects β-cells from streptozotocin-induced diabetes.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2023 · PMID 37307472
  5. Synthesis of potent antagonists of receptors for growth hormone-releasing hormone with antitumor and anti-inflammatory activity.Peptides, 2022 · PMID 34952135
  6. Impact of growth hormone-releasing hormone antagonist on decidual stromal cell growth and apoptosis in vitro†.Biology of reproduction, 2022 · PMID 34792103
  7. Growth hormone-releasing hormone agonists ameliorate chronic kidney disease-induced heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2021 · PMID 33468654
  8. Effects of growth hormone-releasing hormone agonistic analog MR-409 on insulin-secreting cells under cyclopiazonic acid-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress.Molecular and cellular endocrinology, 2021 · PMID 34252492
  9. Growth hormone secretagogues: history, mechanism of action, and clinical developmentJCSM Rapid Commun, 2020 · PMID 31694394
  10. Antinflammatory, antioxidant, and behavioral effects induced by administration of growth hormone-releasing hormone analogs in mice.Scientific reports, 2020 · PMID 31959947
  11. Signaling mechanisms of growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor in LPS-induced acute ocular inflammation.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2020 · PMID 32123064
  12. Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone Receptor Antagonist Modulates Lung Inflammation and Fibrosis due to Bleomycin.Lung, 2019 · PMID 31392398
  13. Inhibition of experimental small-cell and non-small-cell lung cancers by novel antagonists of growth hormone-releasing hormone.International journal of cancer, 2018 · PMID 29435973
  14. Growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor antagonists modify molecular machinery in the progression of prostate cancer.The Prostate, 2018 · PMID 29748961
  15. Induction of Apoptosis in Pterygium Cells by Antagonists of Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone Receptors.Investigative ophthalmology & visual science, 2018 · PMID 30357400
  16. Anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects of GHRH antagonists in prostate cancer.Oncotarget, 2016 · PMID 27448980
  17. Growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor antagonists inhibit human gastric cancer through downregulation of PAK1-STAT3/NF-κB signaling.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2016 · PMID 27930339
  18. Antagonists of growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor induce apoptosis specifically in retinoblastoma cells.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2016 · PMID 27911838
  19. New therapeutic approach to heart failure due to myocardial infarction based on targeting growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor.Oncotarget, 2015 · PMID 25797248
  20. Growth hormone-releasing hormone agonists reduce myocardial infarct scar in swine with subacute ischemic cardiomyopathy.Journal of the American Heart Association, 2015 · PMID 25827134
  21. Antagonist of GH-releasing hormone receptors alleviates experimental ocular inflammation.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2014 · PMID 25489106
  22. Growth hormone-releasing hormone effects on brain γ-aminobutyric acid levels in mild cognitive impairment and healthy agingJAMA Neurol, 2013 · PMID 23750326
  23. Anti-tumor effects of peptide analogs targeting neuropeptide hormone receptors on mouse pheochromocytoma cells.Molecular and cellular endocrinology, 2013 · PMID 23267837
  24. Novel antagonists of growth hormone-releasing hormone inhibit growth and vascularization of human experimental ovarian cancers.Cancer, 2012 · PMID 21751186
  25. New agonist- and antagonist-based treatment approaches for advanced prostate cancer.The Journal of international medical research, 2012 · PMID 22971474
  26. Activation of growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) receptor stimulates cardiac reverse remodeling after myocardial infarction (MI).Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2012 · PMID 22203988
  27. Treating age-related changes in somatotrophic hormones, sleep, and cognitionDialogues Clin Neurosci, 2011 · PMID 21796118
  28. Growth hormone-releasing hormone antagonists inhibit growth of human ovarian cancer.Hormone and metabolic research = Hormon- und Stoffwechselforschung = Hormones et metabolisme, 2011 · PMID 22009378
  29. GHRH antagonist MZ-5-156 increases the expression of AMPK in A549 lung cancer cells.Cell cycle (Georgetown, Tex.), 2011 · PMID 22041656
  30. Sermorelin: a review of its use in the diagnosis and treatment of children with idiopathic growth hormone deficiencyBioDrugs, 2007 · PMID 18031173
  31. Sermorelin: a better approach to management of adult-onset growth hormone insufficiency?Clin Interv Aging, 2006 · PMID 19015350
  32. Lipopeptide antagonists of growth hormone-releasing hormone with improved antitumor activities.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2006 · PMID 16537407
  33. PEGylation of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GRF) analogues.Advanced drug delivery reviews, 2003 · PMID 14499707
  34. Human growth hormone-releasing hormone hGHRH(1-29)-NH2: systematic structure-activity relationship studies.Journal of medicinal chemistry, 1998 · PMID 9513600
  35. New analogs of human growth hormone-releasing hormone (1-29) with high and prolonged antagonistic activity.The journal of peptide research : official journal of the American Peptide Society, 1998 · PMID 9516049
  36. Growth hormone (GH)-releasing peptide-6 requires endogenous hypothalamic GH-releasing hormone for maximal GH stimulation.The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, 1998 · PMID 9543138
  37. Endocrine and metabolic effects of long-term administration of [Nle27]growth hormone-releasing hormone-(1-29)-NH2 in age-advanced men and womenJ Clin Endocrinol Metab, 1997 · PMID 9141536
  38. Treatment of radiation-induced growth hormone deficiency with growth hormone-releasing hormone.Clinical endocrinology, 1997 · PMID 9231053
  39. Continuous subcutaneous infusion of growth hormone-releasing hormone in elderly menJ Clin Endocrinol Metab, 1994 · PMID 7962301
  40. Effects of low dose growth hormone releasing hormone analogue on growth hormone secretion in elderly men and womenJ Clin Endocrinol Metab, 1993 · PMID 8478640
  41. Growth response to growth hormone-releasing hormone(1-29)-NH2 compared with growth hormone.Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992). Supplement, 1993 · PMID 8329826
  42. Growth hormone-releasing hormone-(1-29)-NH2 treatment in children with idiopathic growth hormone deficiencyJ Pediatr Endocrinol, 1990 · PMID 2191873
  43. Perinatal growth hormone (GH) physiology: effect of GH-releasing factor on maternal and fetal secretion of pituitary and placental GH.The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, 1990 · PMID 2143200
  44. Effect of growth hormone-releasing hormone on sleepJ Psychiatr Res, 1988 · PMID 2905377
  45. Effects of chronic administration of human growth hormone (GH)-releasing hormone-(1-29)-NH2 in menJ Clin Endocrinol Metab, 1987 · PMID 3121673
  46. Growth hormone releasing hormone.Clinics in endocrinology and metabolism, 1986 · PMID 2429796
  47. Super-active analogs of growth hormone-releasing factor (1-29)-amide.Biochemical and biophysical research communications, 1984 · PMID 6231028