What is sermorelin?
Sermorelin is the shortest fully active piece of the hormone that tells the pituitary to release growth hormone. Here is how it works, its history as an approved medicine, and where it is used in research.
At a glance
- Class
- Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) analog
- Structure
- First 29 amino acids of human GHRH, amidated (GHRH 1-29 NH2)
- Molecular formula
- C149H246N44O42S
- Molecular weight
- ≈ 3357.9 g/mol
- Former brand
- Geref (EMD Serono) 2
- Appearance
- White lyophilized powder
- Our fill size
- 10mg
The growth-hormone axis
Growth hormone (GH) is released by the pituitary gland in pulses. The hypothalamus controls those pulses with two signals: growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), which switches release on, and somatostatin, which switches it off. GH in turn drives the liver to make IGF-1, which carries many of its effects and feeds back to damp further release.
Natural GHRH is 44 amino acids long. Sermorelin is its first 29, the shortest piece that keeps the full activity of the native hormone at the pituitary GHRH receptor. Because it acts upstream of the pituitary rather than replacing GH directly, the GH it releases still follows the body's pulsatile pattern and feedback controls.
From diagnostic test to approved medicine
Sermorelin was developed as both a diagnostic and a treatment. Given intravenously, it served as a test of the pituitary's ability to release GH; given daily, it was used to increase growth velocity in children with idiopathic growth hormone deficiency.1
In the United States it was approved as Geref, with the 0.5 mg and 1.0 mg presentations approved in 1997. The manufacturer later stopped making it, and in 2013 the FDA formally determined that Geref had not been withdrawn from sale for reasons of safety or effectiveness.2
The parent of later GHRH analogs
Sermorelin's sequence is the starting point for several modified GHRH analogs used in research. CJC-1295 (No DAC), also called modified GRF 1-29, changes four of its amino acids to resist enzymatic breakdown, and tesamorelin is a stabilised analog of the full-length hormone. Researchers often compare these analogs against sermorelin as the unmodified reference.
Where sermorelin is used in the lab
In laboratory research, sermorelin is used to study pulsatile GH secretion, pituitary function and the GH / IGF-1 axis, and as a reference compound in work on GHRH-receptor pharmacology. It is sometimes studied alongside GH secretagogues such as ipamorelin, which act through a different receptor.
Handling sermorelin in the lab
Lyophilized sermorelin is stable stored frozen at −4 °F and protected from light. Let a vial reach room temperature before opening, reconstitute with bacteriostatic water added slowly down the side of the vial, swirl rather than shake, and keep the solution refrigerated at 36–46 °F.
Before using any lot, check its certificate of analysis. Our current sermorelin lot, VD-SM10-2610, tested at 99.10% purity by HPLC with identity confirmed by LC-MS at VeriPure Labs. View the certificate ↗ or see every lot on our lab reports page.
Frequently asked questions
Is sermorelin the same as growth hormone?
No. Sermorelin is a fragment of GHRH, the hypothalamic hormone that signals the pituitary to release growth hormone. It acts upstream of growth hormone rather than replacing it.
Why was Geref discontinued?
The manufacturer stopped making it, and the FDA determined in 2013 that it was not withdrawn from sale for reasons of safety or effectiveness.
How is sermorelin related to CJC-1295?
CJC-1295 (No DAC), also called modified GRF 1-29, is sermorelin’s 29-amino-acid sequence with four substitutions that make it more resistant to enzymatic breakdown.
Is sermorelin for human use?
No. Vivid DNA supplies sermorelin strictly for laboratory research. It is not a drug, food or supplement, and is not for human or veterinary use.
References
- Prakash A, Goa KL. Sermorelin: a review of its use in the diagnosis and treatment of children with idiopathic growth hormone deficiency. BioDrugs. 1999;12(2):139–157. PubMed 18031173 ↗
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Determination that GEREF (sermorelin acetate) injection was not withdrawn from sale for reasons of safety or effectiveness. Federal Register. 2013. federalregister.gov ↗
More research overviews
Research use only. Vivid DNA products are sold strictly for laboratory research. They are not drugs, foods, cosmetics or supplements, are not for human or veterinary use, and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Clinical results described here refer to investigational or approved medicines studied under medical supervision, not to research-grade material. This article summarises published research and has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.