GHRH analogues
Growth-hormone-releasing-hormone analogues such as Sermorelin and CJC-1295 No/DAC are copies of the body's own GHRH that prompt the pituitary to release its own growth hormone.
This family works one step upstream of growth hormone itself. Rather than supplying GH, these peptides signal the gland that makes it, an approach researchers favour because it preserves the body's natural rhythm.
What a GHRH analogue is
Growth-hormone-releasing hormone is the endogenous signal that tells the pituitary to secrete growth hormone. A GHRH analogue is a truncated, synthetic copy of that signal.
Sermorelin
GHRH 1-29, the active first 29 amino acids of natural GHRH. ~3357.9 Da.
CJC-1295 No/DAC
Stabilised Mod GRF 1-29, engineered for shorter, more physiological GH pulses. ~3367.9 Da.
Availability: In stock. Reference only: Tesamorelin and CJC-1295 with DAC.
Working upstream
The defining feature of this family is where it acts. A GHRH analogue does not supply growth hormone directly, it tells the pituitary to release its own. Because the gland still controls timing, the natural pulsatile rhythm of GH secretion is preserved rather than overridden. CJC-1295 No/DAC is specifically built around that idea: its shorter action produces pulses that sit closer to the body's own pattern.
Upstream vs. direct
Supplying GH directly bypasses the body's control loop. Prompting the pituitary keeps that loop in play, the distinction that defines this whole family in research models.
Why researchers favour them
Because the release is driven by the body's own gland, GHRH analogues produce a closer-to-natural pattern in study models than directly administered GH. That makes them a useful tool for research into the GH axis, where the shape and timing of the pulse matter as much as its size. They are also commonly paired with a second class, the GH secretagogues, to produce a larger, cleaner pulse. See the GH secretagogues page for why the two work together.