Overview:
CJC-1295 (5) and ipamorelin (5) are synthetic peptides studied for their interactions with growth-hormone signaling pathways. Although both compounds are associated with growth-hormone release, they act through different receptor systems.
CJC-1295, also commonly referred to as Modified GRF (1-29), is a 29-amino-acid synthetic analog of growth hormone-releasing hormone, or GHRH. It contains several amino-acid substitutions intended to increase resistance to enzymatic degradation compared with naturally occurring GHRH (1-29).
Ipamorelin is a synthetic pentapeptide composed of five amino-acid-derived residues. It is classified as a growth-hormone secretagogue and has been studied as a selective agonist of the growth hormone secretagogue receptor, also known as the ghrelin receptor or GHS-R1a.
Scientific interest in this combination comes from the complementary signaling pathways through which the two peptides have been investigated. CJC-1295 without DAC acts through the GHRH receptor, while ipamorelin acts through the growth hormone secretagogue receptor. Experimental research has evaluated these pathways in relation to pulsatile growth-hormone release, pituitary signaling, insulin-like growth factor-1 regulation, metabolism, body composition, tissue remodeling, and recovery-related processes.
Mechanism Overview:
CJC-1295 without DAC has been investigated as an agonist of the GHRH receptor located on somatotroph cells within the anterior pituitary. Activation of this receptor stimulates intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate signaling and promotes the synthesis and release of endogenous growth hormone.
The substitutions present in CJC-1295 without DAC are designed to improve peptide stability while retaining activity at the GHRH receptor. Unlike the DAC-modified form of CJC-1295, the no-DAC form does not contain the drug-affinity-complex modification responsible for prolonged albumin binding.
Ipamorelin binds to and activates the growth hormone secretagogue receptor, GHS-R1a. This receptor is associated with calcium-dependent intracellular signaling that can stimulate the release of stored growth hormone from the pituitary. Ipamorelin has been studied for comparatively selective growth-hormone-releasing activity relative to earlier growth hormone-releasing peptides.
Because the compounds act through separate but complementary receptors, the combination has been investigated in experimental models for its potential to produce a coordinated growth-hormone signaling response. These mechanisms remain investigational and should not be interpreted as demonstrating safety or effectiveness for any clinical use.
Structure:
CJC-1295
Sequence: Tyr-D-Ala-Asp-Ala-Ile-Phe-Thr-Gln-Ser-Tyr-Arg-Lys-Val-Leu-Ala-Gln-Leu-Ser-Ala-Arg-Lys-Leu-Leu-Gln-Asp-Ile-Leu-Ser-Arg-NH₂
CAS: 446036-97-1
Molecular Weight: Approximately 3,367.9 g/mol
Ipamorelin
Sequence: Aib-His-D-2-Nal-D-Phe-Lys-NH₂
CAS: 170851-70-4
Molecular Weight: Approximately 711.9 g/mol
