Kisspeptin-10

What it is

Kisspeptin-10 is a synthetic copy of the 10-amino-acid C-terminal fragment of kisspeptin, a hypothalamic neuropeptide encoded by the KISS1 gene, and is the minimal kisspeptin sequence with full intrinsic bioactivity. It appears in human reproductive endocrinology research on gonadotropin and testosterone secretion, puberty, and hypogonadism. It is an investigational compound and is not an approved medicine in any market.

How it works

Kisspeptins activate the kisspeptin receptor (KISS1R, formerly GPR54) on hypothalamic GnRH neurons, stimulating GnRH release and, downstream, LH and FSH secretion from the pituitary. Loss-of-function GPR54 mutations cause hypogonadotropic hypogonadism in humans and mice, which established the pathway's role in puberty.

Regulatory status

1. Cosmetic ingredient
2. Research compound
3. In clinical trials
4. Approved medicine

Not approved as a medicine by the FDA or the EMA. Some are registered in individual countries. Supplied for laboratory research only.

What published research is studying

• LH, FSH, and testosterone secretion in healthy men after intravenous and subcutaneous administration
• Differences in gonadotropin response between men and women, and across the menstrual cycle
• Low testosterone in men with type 2 diabetes and other forms of central hypogonadism
• Sustained stimulation versus desensitisation with continuous or intermittent administration over days

Key findings

1. 01

   In healthy men, intravenous bolus kisspeptin-10 raised serum LH rapidly and dose-dependently, from 4.1 to 12.4 IU/L at 30 minutes at the peak-response dose; a 22.5-hour infusion raised testosterone from 16.6 to 24.0 nmol/L, and a lower-rate infusion increased LH pulse frequency from 0.7 to 1.0 pulses per hour.

   George JT et al., J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2011
2. 02

   In a comparison of healthy men and women (4 to 5 per group), intravenous kisspeptin-10 raised LH and FSH in men and in women in the preovulatory phase, but produced no gonadotropin change in women in the follicular phase even at the highest doses tested.

   Jayasena CN et al., J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2011
3. 03

   In a single-blinded, placebo-controlled study in healthy men (5 per dose group), 3-hour intravenous infusions of kisspeptin-10 and kisspeptin-54 produced similar gonadotropin responses, while GnRH produced roughly 3-fold higher LH and FSH than kisspeptin-10.

   Jayasena CN et al., Hum Reprod 2015
4. 04

   In a proof-of-concept study in men with type 2 diabetes and low testosterone, an 11-hour kisspeptin-10 infusion in 4 men raised LH from 3.9 to 20.7 IU/L and testosterone from 8.5 to 11.4 nmol/L, with LH pulse frequency rising from 0.6 to 0.9 pulses per hour.

   George JT et al., Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) 2013
5. 05

   In a randomised, single-blinded, placebo-controlled study in 15 healthy men, daily 8-hour subcutaneous kisspeptin-10 infusions sustained gonadotropin rises over 12 days, whereas after 5 days of continuous infusion gonadotropin levels were similar to vehicle despite persistently raised testosterone.

   Yeung AC et al., Eur J Endocrinol 2026

How strong is the evidence?

Common questions