PEG-MGF Description
PEG-MGF (PEGylated Mechano Growth Factor) is an analogue of the insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1). It initiates the division of myoblasts and enables the fusing and maturation of muscle fibers, a process that is crucial in the growth of adult muscle. The variation between MGF and IGF-1 is as a result of the MGF property to stimulate division of myoblasts by stimulating a set of different receptors. The synthetic MGF (PEG-MGF) peptide is water soluble and after intramuscularly administration it ends up in the bloodstream. On the other hand, natural MGF is locally synthesized and does not get into the bloodstream. MGF has a very short stability period as it breaks down rapidly once introduced in the body and hence the synthetic peptide is PEGylated to ensure it is not broken down when in the bloodstream hence retaining its bioactivity and efficiency. PEGylation is the joining of a Polyethylene glycol (PEG) structure with a larger molecule. As such, the PEG serves as a protective coating to the MGF molecule. PEG-MGF is therefore a combination of Polythylene glycol and MGF (Mechano Growth Factor). The molecular mass for PEG-MGF is 2867.2 and its molecular formula is C121H200N42O39. The molecular sequence of PEG-MGF is PEG-Tyr-Gln-Pro-Pro-Ser-Thr-Asn-Lys-Asn-Thr-Lys-Ser-Gln-Arg-Arg-Lys-Gly-Ser-Thr-Phe-Glu-Glu-Arg-Lys-NH2. PEGylated MGF has a relatively higher bioavailability and has an extended half-life.
Product History
PEG-MGF was developed as a peptide with an extended half-life and as an improved version of the MGF. Based on neurological research, scientists have noted that the use of PEG-MGF brought about longer and increasingly stable acting version of the MGF peptide in the blood. PEG is quite safe and has been endorsed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for application as a base in cosmetics, foods, and in topical, nasal, inject-able, and rectal pharmaceutical formulations. In all PEGylated drugs, risks are only as a result of the mechanism of action exhibited by the specific drug and have no relation to PEG. Current studies are aimed at determining how PEG-MGF can enhance the stem cell count in animal test subjects; its property to enable fusing and maturation of muscle fibers. PEG-MGF has so far been shown to boost growth of muscle tissue more rapidly in animal test subjects. Due to its positive effects on rapid muscle and strength increase, it has great potential in terms of enhancing athletic performance; this makes it a key compound for gene doping so as to boost athletic performance. Currently, no human trials have been conducted to assess the effects of PEG-MGF when administered to humans
Scientific Study
In animal based scientific studies, researchers have established that PEG-MGF has positive effects on the growth and repair of muscles and tissues. Administration of PEG-MGF in animal test subjects was seen to boost the animals’ ability to build and repair skeletal and muscular tissue in an efficient manner and this is attributed to its effects on the half-life of MGF. Studies have also indicated that through its operations, PEG-MGF enhances the time frame involved in the expression of the materials that are critical in repairing muscle fiber and skeletal tissue. As a result, the animals’ body was able to heal faster and more efficiently. It has also been shown that PEG-MGF can enhance bone density by promoting the growth and repair of skeletal tissue. By stimulating the production of bone mineral, the animals experienced an increment in overall bone density.
In a scientific study that was performed on elderly subjects, researchers concluded that the reduction in muscle fiber in these old subjects to be caused by a decrease in the activities of the satellite cells. They noted a critical size at which growth stopped. When MGF was introduced, satellite cells were stimulated and hypertrophy was observed to continue in the mature muscles.
In other animals based studies, researchers have determined that PEG-MGF’s property of enabling a more stabilized mechanism of travel within the bloodstream makes it a potential and major component in helping stabilize cellular response in case of an ischemic episode. Ischemic episode is caused by a limited blood supply to tissues hence leading to deficiency in both glucose and oxygen that are necessary for proper cellular metabolism to take place. Ischemic episodes may include angina pectoris, stroke, cardiac arrest (as a result of heart attack), and inadequate level of oxygen availed to an affected region during traumatic injury.
Based on results from scientific research on animal subjects, PEG-MGF operates in combination with expressions that take place via mechano growth factor. Mechano growth factor is a secretion that is meant to offset the effects of cellular terminal differentiation and at the same time enhance the instances of muscular and skeletal growth. In a scientific study that considered a number of test subjects, researchers found out that PEG-MGF operates to enhance the rapid half-life of the growth factor (mechano growth factor) and as such it boosts its ability to stimulate skeletal and muscular growth. This function is enabled by the fact that it establishes a border that encloses the growth factor molecule as it navigates the bloodstream, and essentially enables it to reach the tissues and muscles before undergoing its characteristic breakdown. The peptide works as a result of PEGylation, which is a process that enables the formation of a covalent attachment between the secretion and the peptide. The attachment then operates as a protective barrier to the mechano growth factor molecule. As a result of these properties, researchers have shown that PEG-MGF can bring about an increased measure of growth and repair in respect to muscular and skeletal tissue, hence resulting in a higher means of attaining homeostasis.
In some studies whereby researchers administered MGF intramuscularly, they noted a 20% rise in the weight of the injected muscle fibers in a period of 2 weeks. In separate studies, IGF was observed to require a period of 4 months so as to attain a 25% increment in muscle mass. Researchers found PEG-MGF to have a higher potency compared to IGF-1a in terms of initiating rapid muscle growth.
Based on the nature of PEG-MGF, researchers are designing clinical research that aims at establishing ways in which this peptide could be used to inhibit the process of degenerative loss of skeletal muscle mass (this process is closely linked to the frailty syndrome). This medical condition is known as sarcopenia and its initial syndrome is muscle atrophy and with time it leads to impairment of the muscle functionality. The condition is more prevalent in the industrialized nations since labor intensive jobs that naturally exercise muscles have been substituted with sedentary jobs.
PEG-MGF was shown to contribute to a longer and highly stable and active version of MGF within the blood/serum in neurological studies. In scientific studies that used animal tests subjects, researchers observed that the increased longevity of PEG-MGF compared to MGF brought about enhancements in rates of tissue and muscle growth and repair. These effects ensure there is improved efficiency in attainment of homeostasis.
Researchers have suggested that since PEG-MGF is an improvement of MGF, it can bring about similar effects to those observed when human trials were performed on MGF. MGF was noted to promote the growth and repair of muscular and skeletal tissues. In a scientific that was carried out on aged rodents, the researchers linked the decrease in muscle fiber in the old muscles of the rodents to lower activity in the satellite cells. They noted that the growth stopped after attaining a certain size but once MGF was administered, the satellite cells were reactivated and therefore hypertrophy restarted in the mature muscles. Based on results obtained from experiments in which MGF was intramuscularly administered, researchers observed that the muscles injected with MGF had attained a 20% increase in the animals’ muscle fiber (within the injected regions) after 2 weeks. In comparative studies, IGF-1a was observed to require a period of about 4 months to produce a 25% increase in the animals’ muscle mass. As such, MGF has a higher potency than IGF-1Ea in bringing about rapid muscle growth.
In spite of the many studies conducted on PEG-MGF to assess its mechanism of action and the subsequent benefits that result from this action, it is not meant for human consumption and is purely a research peptide. Consequently, all the data that is available on PEG-MGF’s mechanism of action and benefits is restricted to scientific studies performed in strictly contained environments e.g. laboratory or medical research facility. Currently available data from scientific research on PEG-MGF is based on studies that used animal subjects. Human trials have not yet been reported and as such any information relating to PEG-MGF effects on muscular and skeletal repair and maintenance is only theoretical and has not been verified in human clinical trials.