Effects and Therapeutic Potentials of Kisspeptin Analogs: Regulation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal Axis

The hypothalamic peptide kisspeptin (metastin), the endogenous ligand of the G protein-coupled receptor KISS1R, plays a critical role in controlling GnRH release from hypothalamic GnRH neurons and thereby regulates hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal functions. Although the therapeutic potential of kisspeptin is attractive, its susceptibility to proteolytic degradation limits its utility. To overcome this, KISS1R agonists or antagonists as peptide analogs or small molecules have been investigated. Kisspeptin analogs have been most extensively studied by reducing the length of the peptide from the original 54 amino acids to 10 amino acids or less and by substituting key amino acid residues. Also, 2 investigational kisspeptin agonist analogs have been evaluated in clinical studies in men; in agreement with animal studies, abrupt elevations in gonadotropin and testosterone levels were observed as an acute effect, followed by rapid reductions in these hormones as a chronic effect. Some studies of small-molecule KISS1R antagonists have also been published. In this review, we present a brief overview on kisspeptin/KISS1R physiology in reproductive functions and summarize the available knowledge of both agonists and antagonists. We also focus on the kisspeptin agonist analogs by summarizing key pharmacological findings from both clinical and preclinical studies, and discuss their potential therapeutic utility. (C) 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel