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Cjc-1295 Structure And Mechanism — Worked Examples

By Editorial Desk · published 2025-10-08 · last reviewed 2025-10-27 · Blog

A practical reference on lyophilized powder: what it is, how it behaves, what the literature reports, and where the honest uncertainties sit.

Reviewed 2025-10-27. Anything still debated is marked as such rather than presented as settled.

CJC-1295 Structure And Mechanism

The drug affinity complex is a maleimidopropionic acid group attached to a lysine side chain. It reacts with the free thiol of cysteine-34 on circulating albumin, forming a covalent bond. This conjugation keeps the peptide in the bloodstream and shields it from rapid renal filtration and proteolysis. Reported circulation half-lives for the albumin-bound form fall in the range of roughly six to nine days in early human studies.

Binding to GHRH receptors on pituitary somatotroph cells triggers cyclic AMP signaling and stimulates growth hormone synthesis and release. Because the peptide acts upstream of the pituitary, effects are mediated through endogenous growth hormone rather than direct receptor activation in peripheral tissues. Increases in insulin-like growth factor 1 are generally described as a downstream consequence. Most published human exposure data come from small early-stage studies, and the clinical significance of the pharmacokinetic profile remains incompletely characterized.

CJC-1295 is a synthetic analogue of growth hormone-releasing hormone, built on the 29-amino-acid GHRH(1-29) fragment. Four substitutions distinguish it from the natural sequence: D-alanine at position 2, glutamine at position 8, alanine at position 15, and leucine at position 27. These changes reduce enzymatic cleavage and extend the peptide's persistence in circulation. The compound is discussed in two forms, one carrying a drug affinity complex and one without it.

Molecular Background and Naming

CJC-1295 is a synthetic peptide designed as a long-acting analogue of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH). Its structure derives from the first 29 amino acids of native GHRH, a fragment often called GRF(1-29). Four substitutions were introduced to slow enzymatic breakdown and extend activity relative to the natural sequence. The compound was developed by ConjuChem as part of a broader effort to improve the pharmacokinetic profile of peptide hormones. It is studied in laboratory and clinical research settings rather than appearing as a naturally occurring substance.

Two related forms circulate in technical discussion under the same family name. The original version carries a drug affinity complex (DAC) that binds covalently to serum albumin after administration, and this linkage substantially extends circulation time. A second form, frequently written as modified GRF(1-29) or CJC-1295 without DAC, lacks that linker and clears much faster. The naming is a frequent source of confusion because the shorthand CJC-1295 can refer to either form depending on the source. Reports sometimes fail to specify which variant was studied.

Cjc-1295 at a glance

PropertyValueNotes
Physical formLyophilized white powderSupplied as a freeze-dried solid for research use
Molecular weightApproximately 3,647 Da (DAC form)Lower for the variant lacking the albumin-binding moiety
SolubilitySoluble in water and aqueous bufferTypically dissolved in sterile or bacteriostatic water
Typical storage temperature−20 °C or belowDry powder, desiccated and protected from light
Common analytical methodReversed-phase HPLC with mass spectrometryUsed for purity estimation and identity confirmation

Mechanism and Pharmacokinetics

Binding of the peptide to the growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor on pituitary somatotrophs triggers a G protein coupled cascade that raises cyclic AMP and opens calcium channels. The result is greater secretion of growth hormone into the bloodstream. Because the peptide acts at the same receptor as the natural hypothalamic hormone, its effect is amplified pulse size rather than an entirely separate release pathway. Receptor binding alone does not determine the response, since somatostatin tone and other inputs modulate the final output.

The albumin-binding version stays in circulation for days, because covalent attachment to serum albumin shields the peptide from rapid filtration and degradation. Reported half-lives for this form fall in the range of several days. The version without the linker is cleared in minutes, with estimates often near thirty minutes in animal work. These figures come from small studies and vary with assay method, species, and route, so they are best read as approximate rather than fixed constants.

Studies in this area generally track growth hormone pulses, insulin-like growth factor 1 concentrations, and occasionally body composition endpoints. Most published human data come from early, small trials, and questions about long-term effects remain open. Whether repeated exposure alters pituitary responsiveness over time is not settled. Analytical work relies on immunoassays for the hormones and on mass spectrometry for the peptide itself, because the two measurements answer different questions.

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Structure And Receptor Pharmacology

CJC-1295 belongs to a class of synthetic peptides modeled on growth hormone releasing hormone, a forty-four amino acid signal produced by the hypothalamus. The compound is built from the first twenty-nine residues of the natural sequence, with four substitutions introduced at positions 2, 8, 15 and 27. These changes were designed to slow enzymatic breakdown while preserving receptor activation. The result is a peptide that is shorter than native GHRH and considerably more resistant to ordinary clearance pathways in circulation.

Two related forms appear under the CJC-1295 name. The simpler analogue, commonly written as modified GRF(1-29), carries the four substitutions but no additional conjugation. The second form attaches a maleimidopropionic acid linker to a lysine residue, a modification frequently called the drug affinity complex. That linker reacts with the free thiol on serum albumin to form a covalent bond. Because albumin has a long residence time in blood, the conjugated peptide stays in circulation far longer than the unconjugated analogue.

Receptor Action and Pharmacokinetics

CJC-1295 acts at the growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor, a G-protein-coupled receptor found on somatotroph cells in the anterior pituitary. Binding triggers a rise in cyclic AMP and calcium entry, which promotes release of stored growth hormone. Because the peptide mimics the body's own releasing hormone, it amplifies existing secretory pulses rather than driving continuous output. The size of the response therefore depends partly on the subject's own hormonal rhythm and feedback state.

The attached maleimide group explains the unusual duration of the DAC version. After injection it reacts with the thiol of cysteine-34 on serum albumin, forming a stable covalent bond. The resulting conjugate is too large for rapid kidney filtration and is shielded from many peptidases. Reported half-lives for this form reach several days, whereas the version without the group is cleared in roughly half an hour. That gap is the main pharmacological difference between the two.

Supporting material

(2002) subsequently confirmed the same model for hydrogen adsorption on magnesia-supported caesium-ruthenium bimetallic catalysts. Trens et al. (2009) have similarly described CO surface diffusion on carbon-supported Pt particles of varying morphology.

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Plants are a rich source of ribosomally-synthesised and post-translationally modified cyclic peptides. Among these, the cyclotides are gene-coded products generated via processing of a larger precursor protein. The gene for the first such precursor is Oak1 (Oldenlandia affinis kalata clone number 1), which was shown to be responsible for the synthesis of kalata B1. The generic configuration of the precursor protein consists of an endoplasmic reticulum signal sequence, a non-conserved pro-region, a highly conserved region known as the N-terminal repeat (NTR), the mature cyclotide domain and finally a short hydrophobic C-terminal tail. The cyclotide domain may contain either one cyclotide sequence, as in the case of Oak1, or multiple copies separated by additional NTR sequences as seen for Oak2 and Oak4. In precursor proteins containing multiple cyclotide domains these can either be all identical sequences, as is the case for Oak4, or they can be different cyclotides as in Oak2 which contains sequences corresponding to kalata B3 and B6. Recently, the enzyme responsible for the backbone cyclization of cyclotides has been isolated from the medicinal plant Clitoria ternatea. This enzyme was named butelase 1 in accordance to the local name of the plant (Bunga Telang Ligase). Butelase 1 has been shown to cyclize the linear precursor of kalata B1 with >95% yield at a remarkable rate of 5.42×105 M−1 s−1.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Notes from published material

Catalase is a common enzyme found in nearly all living organisms exposed to oxygen (such as bacteria, plants, and animals) which catalyzes the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen. It is a very important enzyme in protecting the cell from oxidative damage by reactive oxygen species (ROS). Catalase has one of the highest turnover numbers of all enzymes; one catalase molecule can convert millions of hydrogen peroxide molecules to water and oxygen each second. Catalase is a tetramer of four polypeptide chains, each over 500 amino acids long. It contains four iron-containing heme groups that allow the enzyme to react with hydrogen peroxide. The optimum pH for human catalase is approximately 7, and has a fairly broad maximum: the rate of reaction does not change appreciably between pH 6.8 and 7.5. The pH optimum for other catalases varies between 4 and 11 depending on the species. The optimum temperature also varies by species.

== Plant biochemistry == Plant biochemistry is the study of the chemical processes used by plants. Some of these processes are used in their primary metabolism like the photosynthetic Calvin cycle and crassulacean acid metabolism. Others make specialised materials like the cellulose and lignin used to build their bodies, and secondary products like resins and aroma compounds.

== Function == Human chorionic gonadotropin interacts with the LHCG receptor of the ovary and promotes the maintenance of the corpus luteum for the maternal recognition of pregnancy at the beginning of pregnancy. This allows the corpus luteum to secrete the hormone progesterone during the first trimester. Progesterone enriches the uterus with a thick lining of blood vessels and capillaries so that it can sustain the growing fetus. It has been hypothesized that hCG may be a placental link for the development of local maternal immunotolerance. For example, hCG-treated endometrial cells induce an increase in T cell apoptosis (dissolution of T cells). These results suggest that hCG may be a link in the development of peritrophoblastic immune tolerance, and may facilitate the trophoblast invasion, which is known to expedite fetal development in the endometrium. It has also been suggested that hCG levels are linked to the severity of morning sickness or hyperemesis gravidarum in pregnant women. Because of its similarity to LH, hCG can also be used clinically to induce ovulation in the ovaries as well as testosterone production in the testes. As the most abundant biological source is in women who are presently pregnant, some organizations collect urine from pregnant women to extract hCG for use in fertility treatment. Human chorionic gonadotropin also plays a role in cellular differentiation/proliferation and may activate apoptosis.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Frequently asked questions

How does CJC-1295 differ from modified GRF(1-29)?

The two share the same 29-amino-acid backbone. CJC-1295 carries an additional albumin-binding moiety that markedly extends its residence time in circulation, while the form without that moiety clears faster. Literature sometimes applies the name loosely to either variant.

Is CJC-1295 an approved medicine?

It has not been approved by major regulatory agencies for any therapeutic indication. Material sold under this name is typically distributed for laboratory research only. Clinical use is not supported by large controlled trials.

What is known about its half-life?

Early human studies of the albumin-binding form reported circulation half-lives on the order of several days. The value depends on assay method and study design. Estimates for the form without the binding moiety are considerably shorter.

Is CJC-1295 a natural hormone?

No. It is a synthetic analogue modeled on the first 29 residues of human GHRH. The substitutions and any linker are laboratory modifications rather than features of the endogenous peptide.

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