Longevity & aging

Ipamorelin

A selective pentapeptide studied as a growth hormone secretagogue.

About

Ipamorelin is a synthetic pentapeptide developed as a growth hormone secretagogue. It is frequently discussed alongside GHRH analogues because the two act on different receptors within the same axis. Its principal point of interest in the literature is selectivity: compared with earlier secretagogues, reported effects on cortisol and prolactin are minimal.

Mechanism

Ipamorelin acts as an agonist at the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR-1a), the same receptor bound by the endogenous peptide ghrelin. Agonism at this receptor is associated with growth hormone release from the anterior pituitary through a pathway distinct from that of GHRH. Unlike ghrelin itself, published work reports limited effect on appetite signalling and on adrenocorticotropic hormone, which is the basis for describing it as selective.

What research has examined

Studies have investigated ipamorelin in models of growth hormone secretion and in postoperative gastrointestinal motility.