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Kisspeptin

KISS1 gene product · research fragments
What it is

Kisspeptin is a family of peptides made from the KISS1 gene that sit upstream of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH); researchers use fragments such as kisspeptin-10 and kisspeptin-54 to study fertility and reproductive hormone release.[1][2][3]

Origin: Identified from the KISS1 gene product (also called metastin); short active fragments such as kisspeptin-10 and kisspeptin-54 are used in clinical research to stimulate GnRH and downstream luteinizing hormone (LH).[1][2][3]

What researchers study it for

Research areas

Human physiology studies and clinical trials point to several research angles.

  • Triggering GnRH and LH release in healthy volunteers[2][3]
  • Egg maturation and related fertility questions in women undergoing IVF research[4]
  • Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and other reproductive-hormone pathway studies[3][5]
  • Exploratory work on puberty and reproductive signaling[3][5]

Evidence level

Level 3 of 4: Small human trialsClinical studies show kisspeptin fragments raise GnRH/LH signaling in humans, without a U.S. FDA-approved kisspeptin product for those research uses.[2][3][4][6]

Why so few human trials?

Cautions

Studies and regulators point to several reasons for care.

  • FDA has little or no safety information on kisspeptin-10, so it lacks the information to know whether it would harm people[6]
  • Effects on reproductive hormones can be strong, and study designs vary by fragment length and route[2][3][4]

Kisspeptin is not FDA approved.[6]

Also called

Kisspeptin goes by several names.

  • Metastin, an earlier name for kisspeptin-54[1]
  • Kisspeptin-10 (Kp-10) and kisspeptin-54 (Kp-54), common research fragments[2][4][6]
  • KISS1 gene product[1]

Good to know

Kisspeptin sits upstream of GnRH, so it is studied as a way to turn on the reproductive hormone cascade rather than as a sex steroid itself.[1][2][3]

Handling

Storage basics General

These general basics apply to most freeze-dried research peptides.

Most research peptides come as a freeze-dried powder in a sealed vial
Unmixed vials are generally kept cold, dry, and away from light
Mixed solutions are generally refrigerated, since they are less stable than the dry powder
Peptides 101For mixing basicsNPL Dose CalculatorTo work out concentration after mixing
Go deeper

Sources and studies

These studies and official pages are the research behind this profile.

  1. 1Metastasis suppressor gene KiSS-1 encodes peptide ligand of a G-protein-coupled receptorOhtaki T, et al. (2001) · Nature
  2. 2Kisspeptin-54 stimulates the hypothalamic-pituitary gonadal axis in human malesDhillo WS, et al. (2005) · Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism
  3. 3The neuroendocrine physiology of kisspeptin in the humanDhillo WS (2007) · Reviews in Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders
  4. 4Kisspeptin-54 triggers egg maturation in women undergoing in vitro fertilizationJayasena CN, et al. (2014) · Journal of Clinical Investigation
  5. 5Kisspeptin: a critical regulator of puberty and reproductive functionSam AH, et al. (2010) · Current Drug Targets
  6. 6Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety RisksU.S. Food and Drug Administration (2026)