Human Pituitary Growth Hormone.

Abstract

The modern era of growth hormone in clinical medicine was ushered in by Raben in 1958 when he reported on the successful treatment of a child with pituitary dwarfism with growth hormone. Prior to that time, the history of human growth hormone had been chequered with misunderstandings and doubts were even expressed that a human growth hormone existed. Extracts of most animal pituitaries were without effect on man and until the nature of the species specifity of growth hormone was unraveled the dilemma of apparent inactivity of growth hormone in man remained frustrating. In the late 1950s when it was learned that only growth hormone from human and anthropoid sources were effective in man, a new age of understanding began. This was followed in rapid sequence by perfection of the radio-immunoassay technique for growth hormone, determination of the aminoacid sequence of the molecule, formation of the National Pituitary Agency to