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Safe remedy for growth disorders
Growth hormone (GH) insufficiency affects about one in 2,500 children and adults. It leads to retarded growth and maturation of bone, loss of muscle bulk and increase of adipose tissue. Before 1985, growth hormone was derived from human pituitary glands, a very rare source. In 1985, the use of pituitary-derived human growth hormone was abandoned in most countries because of the risk of contamination of the pituitaries with infectious agents causing Creutzfeld-Jakob disease. Since 1985, the company Pharmacia has produced recombinant growth hormone in the bacterium Escherichia coli. It is expressed as a pre-growth hormone molecule with an extra peptide sequence (leader). Final product processing leads to a recombinant product of high purity. By using genetic engineering sufficient amounts of pure growth hormone can be produced, and all children in need of therapy can receive a safe treatment.