Kisspeptin
Kisspeptin is a naturally occurring reproductive neuropeptide that is not FDA-approved for any use and remains an investigational research compound studied for its ability to stimulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis and to trigger egg maturation in IVF.
This page is a research-orientation summary, not a dosing guide. For anything beyond general background, read the primary literature or talk to a qualified clinician — specifics like amount, frequency, or administration aren't something we publish here.
What it does & how it works
Kisspeptin is the endogenous ligand for KISS1R (GPR54), a Gq-protein-coupled receptor expressed on GnRH neurons in the hypothalamus. Binding of kisspeptin to KISS1R depolarizes and excites GnRH neurons, triggering GnRH release into the hypophyseal portal system, which in turn stimulates pituitary secretion of LH and FSH. Kisspeptin neurons act as a key upstream integrator that relays metabolic, circadian, and steroid-feedback signals to the GnRH pulse generator, sitting immediately above GnRH in the reproductive signaling cascade.
Typical results seen in research
In controlled human studies, intravenous kisspeptin (commonly the kisspeptin-10 or kisspeptin-54 fragments) produces a dose-dependent rise in LH secretion and increases LH pulse frequency in healthy men and women. It has also been studied as an alternative trigger for final oocyte maturation during IVF in women at high risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, where it produced adequate oocyte yields with less OHSS risk than conventional hCG triggers in clinical trial settings. These effects have so far been demonstrated only in supervised research and clinical-trial contexts, not in approved outpatient use.
How it’s commonly used
In published research, kisspeptin has been administered by intravenous infusion or bolus injection under close clinical monitoring, and in some study protocols by subcutaneous injection. It is not available as an approved prescription product and has no established consumer route of administration.
- Endocrinology · 2006 Minireview: kisspeptin neurons as central processors in the regulation of gonadotropin-releasing hormone secretion
- Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology · 2013 Kisspeptin excitation of GnRH neurons
- Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism · 2011 Kisspeptin-10 is a potent stimulator of LH and increases pulse frequency in men
- Journal of Clinical Investigation · 2014 Kisspeptin-54 triggers egg maturation in women undergoing in vitro fertilization
- Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism · 2015 Efficacy of Kisspeptin-54 to Trigger Oocyte Maturation in Women at High Risk of Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS) During In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Therapy
Curated from published literature for research orientation. Not an exhaustive review, and not a substitute for reading primary sources.