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Related Experiment Videos

Growth hormone: historical notes.

J Lindholm1

  • 1Department of Endocrinology, Aalborg Hospital, Aarhus University Hospital, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark. j.lindholm@ofir.dk

Pituitary
|May 17, 2006
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Growth hormone (GH) research evolved from early observations of acromegaly to understanding pituitary disorders. Clarifying species specificity enabled effective human GH treatments and recombinant therapies.

Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Medical History

Background:

  • Early 20th-century understanding of growth disorders and the pituitary gland was limited and contested.
  • Pituitary surgery was an early intervention for growth hormone (GH) hypersecretion, starting around 1908.
  • Animal studies in 1922 demonstrated the growth-promoting effects of pituitary extracts and the consequences of pituitary removal.

Observation:

  • The relationship between pituitary tumors and acromegaly was noted in 1887.
  • Early trials of GH treatment were hindered by a lack of understanding regarding species specificity.
  • The structure of human GH was elucidated in 1971, alongside the identification of GH-releasing and inhibiting hormones.

Findings:

  • Clarification of GH species specificity in 1957 paved the way for effective human GH therapy.

Related Experiment Videos

  • The development of recombinant human GH in 1985 addressed safety concerns associated with human-derived GH, such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease transmission.
  • Somatostatin analogues emerged as the first successful pharmacological treatment for acromegaly.

    • Implications:

    • Advances in understanding GH have led to safer and more effective treatments for growth disorders and related conditions.
    • The historical progression highlights the importance of basic science research in clinical applications.
    • Recombinant technology revolutionized GH therapy, offering a safer alternative to pituitary-derived hormones.