Endocrine Abstracts

Glycoprotein hormones are used clinically in the treatment of many diseases. One major issue regarding the clinical use of many peptides is their short half-life due to the rapid clearance from the circulation. The major strategies for overcoming this problem by pharmaceutical companies are based on chemical techniques. To overcome this problem, we used genetic engineering techniques that have been found successful for designing long acting hormones. Overlapping PCR techniques...

Human GH is a member of a family of closely related hormones that include prolactin and placental lactogen. GH regulates a wide variety of physiological processes, including growth and differentiation of muscle, bone and cartilage cells. The use of GH for the treatment of children with impaired linear growth has been accepted as an important therapeutic modality for many years. In addition, beneficial effects of GH replacement therapy in hypopituitary adults are well establish...