Kisspeptin Analogs--New Approach to Aphrodisiacs?

Kisspeptin is the neuropeptide encoded by the KiSS-1 gene. Kisspeptin is implicated in the onset of human puberty, and seems to act to control reproductive behaviour in some rodents.

A hormone implicated in the onset of human puberty also appears to control reproductive activity in seasonally breeding rodents, report Indiana University Bloomington and University of California at Berkeley scientists in the March 2007 issue of Endocrinology. The paper is now accessible online via the journal's rapid electronic publication service.

...."What is really striking is the disappearance of kisspeptin in animals experiencing winter-like days, yet the ability to respond to kisspeptin when we provide it," said Timothy Greives, lead author of the study. "These data show that the disappearance of kisspeptin in the brain is likely critical in turning off reproduction during winter."

Recent research by scientists in the U.K. and France have shown human kisspeptin triggers the release of gonadotropin-releasing hormone and luteinizing hormone, both of which are important to puberty and other sex-related functions.

"Studies in humans have shown that individuals with deficits in the receptor for kisspeptin have severe reproductive impairments," Demas said.

Source.

You might suspect that kisspeptin analogs might be rich targets for drug development for treatments of sexual dysfunction--aphrodisiacs. If you are a drug developer, you will probably be very hush-hush about what you are looking into. But if you are an investor in pharma stocks, you may want to look for companies that seem to be getting involved in lifestyle drug research. Once the major diseases are under control, people will want to be slimmer, more energetic, and sexier.

Cross-posted in Al Fin, You Sexy Thing.