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Background And Structural Identity — Research Overview

By Editorial Desk · published 2026-05-06 · last reviewed 2026-05-28 · Guide

pentapeptide raises a handful of sensible questions. This page answers them in order, starting with the fundamentals and moving to applications.

Reviewed 2026-05-28. Anything still debated is marked as such rather than presented as settled.

Background and Structural Identity

Ipamorelin is a synthetic pentapeptide classified as a growth hormone secretagogue. Its sequence, Aib-His-D-2-Nal-D-Phe-Lys-NH2, combines three non-proteinogenic residues with a C-terminal amide. The N-terminal aminoisobutyric acid unit and the two aromatic D-amino acids distinguish it from peptides assembled only from standard L-amino acids. Its formula is C38H49N9O5, corresponding to an average mass near 711.9 Da. At neutral pH the molecule carries a net positive charge, a property that shapes its behaviour in chromatographic and electrophoretic systems.

The compound was developed at Novo Nordisk during the 1990s as part of a programme seeking secretagogues with improved selectivity. It was described in the peer-reviewed literature in 1998 alongside related pentapeptides from the same series. Investigators advanced it because it raised growth hormone output in animal models while leaving other pituitary hormones comparatively unaffected. The development code NNC 26-0161 appears in earlier reports, and ipamorelin later became the common designation in published work.

分析检测与储存稳定性

对 ipamorelin 的常规表征以反相高效液相色谱测定纯度,检测波长多设为 214 nm,因为肽键在该波长有较强吸收。身份确认通常借助电喷雾电离质谱或串联质谱,将实测分子量与理论值逐项比对。序列层面可用肽图分析或氨基酸分析进一步验证。这些手段组合起来,可以分别覆盖纯度、身份与序列三个不同层次的信息。

杂质谱一般包含缺失序列片段、差向异构体、氧化产物以及残留溶剂或反离子,其中组氨酸与芳香残基的氧化常被重点关注。反相色谱中这类杂质往往紧邻主峰洗脱,因此方法需要足够的分离度并经过系统适用性验证。纯度百分比的解读依赖于检测波长与梯度条件,不同实验室公布的数字不宜直接横向比较。参考标准品有助于跨批次对照,但其自身赋值同样需要可追溯来源。

Ipamorelin at a glance

PropertyValueNotes
Molecular formulaC38H49N9O5Pentapeptide with C-terminal amide
Average massApproximately 711.9 DaValue derived from the formula
AppearanceWhite to off-white powderTypically supplied as a lyophilised solid
SolubilitySoluble in water and aqueous acetonitrileDissolution aided by acidic diluents
Common synonymsIpamorelin; NNC 26-0161Code name used in early reports

Ipamorelin Background and Pharmacology

Ipamorelin is a synthetic pentapeptide that belongs to the growth hormone secretagogue class of compounds. Researchers at a pharmaceutical company first described it in the 1990s while screening small peptides for growth hormone releasing activity. Its chain contains five amino acid residues, two of which are non-natural building blocks, including 2-aminoisobutyric acid and a naphthylalanine derivative. The molecule was designed to act at the ghrelin receptor while avoiding several effects observed with earlier secretagogues.

At the cellular level, ipamorelin binds the growth hormone secretagogue receptor, also called the ghrelin receptor. Activation of this receptor on pituitary somatotroph cells triggers a signaling cascade that leads to release of growth hormone into circulation. Because release follows a pulsatile pattern, studies often report peak concentration and total area under the curve rather than a single time point. Selectivity for this receptor is the property most frequently discussed in comparative work.

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Handling, Storage, and Analytical Characterization

Storage recommendations for the dry solid center on low temperature and low moisture, most often -20 °C in a sealed, desiccated container protected from light. Solutions are less stable than the powder and are usually kept cold and used within a short window. Freeze-thaw cycling is a recognized source of loss, and aliquoting before freezing is a standard precaution. These practices derive from general peptide handling principles rather than from a single published stability trial, so exact shelf lives should be treated as approximate.

Analytical confirmation relies on reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, often coupled to mass spectrometry for identity and purity assessment. Mass spectrometry distinguishes the intact molecule from truncation products and from oxidation or deamidation variants that share similar chromatographic retention. Immunoassays appear in some biological studies but can cross-react with related peptides, so they are weaker tools for identity work. Reported purity figures depend heavily on the gradient, detector, and integration method used, which complicates direct comparison between laboratories.

Supporting material

=== Sources === JYB = Jewish Year Book Bell, John; Millar, Victoria (19 May 2011). "Eleanor Farjeon". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/33079. Brown, Andrew (2005). J D Bernal—The Sage of Science. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-851544-8. Grove, Jack (27 March 2013). "Tribunal slams academic for bringing anti-Semitism case". Times Higher Education. Retrieved 16 March 2020. Johns, Francis A (1983). "Manifestations of Arthur Waley: Some Bibliographical and Other Notes" (PDF). The British Library Journal. 9 (2): 171–184.

To ensure the safety of blood components, regimented procedures and quality assurance systems must be in place covering all aspects of the transfusion chain, from donation to transfusion outcomes. Within hospitals, transfusion committees are established to ensure safe hospital transfusion practice such as compliance with standards and guidelines, reviewing transfusion reactions and management of blood supply. These multidisciplinary committees are composed of transfusion medicine specialists, transfusion nurses, laboratory scientists, clinicians and staff from hospital management and the quality team.

Bis(2-sulfanylethyl)amido group, also called SEA group, belongs to this family. Polypeptide C-terminal bis(2-sulfanylethyl)amides (SEA peptide segments) react with Cys peptide to give a native peptide bond as in NCL. This reaction, which is called SEA Native Peptide Ligation, is a useful variant of native chemical ligation. In making peptide segments that contain an N-terminal cysteine residue, exposure to ketones should be avoided since these may cap the N-terminal cysteine. Do not use protecting groups that release aldehydes or ketones. For the same reason, the use of acetone should be avoided, particularly in washing glassware used for lyophilization. A feature of the native chemical ligation technique is that the product polypeptide chain contains cysteine at the site of ligation. The cysteine at the ligation site can be desulfurized to alanine, thus extending the range of possible ligation sites to include alanine residues. Other beta-thiol containing amino acids can be used for native chemical ligation, followed by desulfurization. Alternatively, thiol-containing ligation auxiliaries can be used that mimic an N-terminal cysteine for the ligation reaction, but which can be removed after synthesis. The use of thiol-containing auxiliaries may not be as effective as ligation at a Cys residue. Native chemical ligation can also be performed with an N-terminal selenocysteine residue.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Supporting material

=== RNA === In recent years, the biological function of triplex RNA has become more studied. Some roles include increasing stability, translation, influencing ligand binding, and catalysis. One example of ligand binding being influenced by a triple helix is in the SAM-II riboswitch where the triple helix creates a binding site that will uniquely accept S-adenosylmethionine (SAM). The ribonucleoprotein complex telomerase, responsible for replicating the tail-ends of DNA (telomeres) also contains triplex RNA believed to be necessary for proper telomerase functioning. The triple helix at the 3' end of the PAN and MALAT1 long-noncoding RNAs serves to stabilize the RNA by protecting the Poly(A) tail from deadenylation, which subsequently affect their functions in viral pathogenesis and multiple human cancers. Additionally, RNA triple helices can stabilize mRNAs by formation of a poly(A) tail 3'-end binding pocket.

The compound semiconductors InGaN and InGaP are used in light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and laser diodes. Indium is used in photovoltaics as the semiconductor copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS), also called CIGS solar cells, a type of second-generation thin-film solar cell. Indium is used in PNP bipolar junction transistors with germanium: when soldered at low temperature, indium does not stress the germanium.

=== In Singapore === On 3 August, Arcturus Therapeutics confirmed that the company had received approval for a clinical trial of ARCT-154 and another vaccine called ARCT-165 in Singapore. The Phase I-II clinical trial will evaluate the vaccines as a primary vaccination series and a booster following first dose with Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. The study is being partially funded by a grant from the Singapore Government.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Frequently asked questions

What type of molecule is ipamorelin?

It is a synthetic five-amino-acid peptide that acts as a growth hormone secretagogue. Three of its residues are non-standard amino acids, and the chain ends in an amide rather than a free acid. The molecule is small enough that it can be characterised by routine peptide analytical techniques.

Has ipamorelin been approved for clinical use?

It has not received marketing approval as a medicine in the United States or the European Union. Supplied material is generally described and handled as a research chemical. Regulatory treatment varies by jurisdiction, and some countries restrict growth hormone secretagogues under sports or medicines legislation.

Why is selectivity emphasised in the literature?

Earlier secretagogues were associated with broader hormonal responses, including measurable changes in cortisol and prolactin. Reports on this peptide describe a narrower profile in which growth hormone release is the most prominent effect. The observation is influential because it shapes how the compound is compared with other members of the same receptor family.

为什么纯度检测常用 214 nm?

肽键在 214 nm 附近有较强吸收,适合检测缺少芳香侧链的短肽。该波长的基线受流动相组成与梯度影响较大。因此流动相与梯度条件需要固定并完整记录。

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