Study summary · research use only
Novel therapeutic avenues for kisspeptin
Plain-language summary
Paraphrased from the published abstract below — not a verdict on whether anything works.
This review discusses kisspeptin, a hypothalamic neuropeptide that stimulates gonadotrophin-releasing hormone secretion and downstream gonadotrophin release, describing its role in inducing normal puberty and modulating ovulation in healthy women, and noting hypothalamic kisspeptin expression is reduced in several functional reproductive disorders. It describes recent studies showing kisspeptin can induce oocyte maturation during in vitro fertilisation treatment in a manner described as more physiological, potentially reducing risk of complications such as ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome seen with human chorionic gonadotrophin. The review discusses potential uses of chronic kisspeptin in hypothalamic amenorrhoea, hyposexual drive disorder in men, polycystic ovary syndrome, osteoporosis, and metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease, and notes kisspeptin analogues could address pharmacological challenges such as short duration of action and tachyphylaxis seen with natural kisspeptin forms.
Abstract
Kisspeptin is a hypothalamic neuropeptide that acts via the hypothalamus to stimulate hypothalamic gonadotrophin-releasing hormone secretion and downstream gonadotrophin release. In health, kisspeptin induces normal puberty and modulates ovulation in healthy women. Hypothalamic kisspeptin expression is reduced in several functional reproductive disorders; thus, treating such conditions with kisspeptin is conceptually attractive. Recent studies have demonstrated that kisspeptin can induce a more physiological degree of oocyte maturation during in vitro fertilisation treatment that can reduce the risk of potentially life-threatening complications such as ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome seen with human chorionic gonadotrophin. Furthermore, chronic use of kisspeptin could potentially restore reproductive health in females with hypothalamic amenorrhoea, treat hyposexual drive disorder in otherwise healthy males and has potential indications in polycystic ovary syndrome, osteoporosis and metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease. Finally, kisspeptin analogues could potentially overcome some of the pharmacological challenges associated with the natural forms of kisspeptin such as short duration of action and development of tachyphylaxis.
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