The History of HGH (Human Growth Hormone)
Growth hormone deficiency causes reduction in the growth
rate of the human body. It reduces cell reproduction and regeneration in its
victims, whether they are humans or animals. This issue arises mostly in older
people and leaves the victim feeling the effects of aging.
In the past, physicians treated this deficiency with the
help of bovine growth hormone [rBGH] purification treatment. In the 20th
century, they used bovine in its pure form to treat type-1 diabetes patients.
This treatment was similar to the human metabolic system, yet, it was not the
same as the human requirement. The structure of the bovine somatotropin
molecule is different from human growth hormone; thus, it failed to function
properly for the human body. Medical science continued searching for a growth
supplement.
This made humankind search for a new treatment for growth
hormone deficiency. Their search first became fruitful in 1958, when they made
the first successful treatment of human growth hormone. An endocrinologist,
whose name was Maurine Raben and who belonged to Tufts University School of
Medicine in Boston, Massachusetts, first extracted growth hormone from the
pituitary glands of an autopsied body. The news of this success became public
in a short period of time, and endocrinologists started to acquire the
pituitary glands of autopsied cadavers. This treatment was successful, because
it matched the human requirement, since they had extracted it from a human
body.
The 1960’s shows more progress in this regard. The U.S
National Institute of Health established an organization, so as to regulate
supply and demand of cadaver-Growth Hormone. They named this organization the
National Pituitary Agency. This organization facilitated the medical community
by establishing mass purification of cadaver-GH. Other countries also joined
the race of new growth hormone treatment. At first, the doctors did not open
this treatment to every individual. They provided it to patients, especially children,
who had a marked deficiency of it and who were smaller than a certain height.
This all made cadaver-Growth Hormone treatment available to only a small number
of patients.
The next step towards advanced human growth hormone was the
introduction of Crescormon, the first commercially available GH product. This
step made the treatment available to a wider range of patients suffering from
human growth hormone deficiency. However, the government had put a stop on this
treatment due to the side effects it caused. In 1985, the medical community
first diagnosed the signs of Creutzfeldt - Jakob disease [CJD] in individuals
who were cadaver GH treated. Later, they found that this disease was common in
individuals who had received Growth Hormone treatment earlier in their life.
This cancellation of treatment resulted in the development
of a new kind of hormone. An American pharmaceutical company joined hands with
the former producer of Crescormon to produce the first synthetic growth
hormone. This growth hormone was famous as recombinant human growth hormone
(rhGH). Production of this hormone used a process which is referred to as
Inclusion Body technology. They named it Somatrem. They further developed the
process of somatrem into Protein Secretion technology. Now-a-days, this process
is most commonly used for the production of human growth hormones. The hormone
result from this technology is called Somatropin. Since then, many nutritional
supplements have been created to simulate an anti-aging hormone.*
