Human Growth Hormone 1921 – Its Discovery and the Controversies That Followed

The use of human growth hormone (HGH) has sparked controversy for decades. In some applications, it stands out as an example of a medical treatment used to address nonmedical problems. 

The science journalist Natalie Angier writes: 

“The average American man is 180 cm tall. Those significantly below average are at greater risk of dropping out of school, alcohol dependence, being unable to date, illness or depression. They are less likely to marry or have children than taller men.” 

We are accustomed to changing our bodies in many ways, so is it wrong for parents to provide very expensive HGH injections simply to help sons whose height is below average?

HGH is secreted by the pituitary gland, located beneath the brain. For people with growth hormone deficiency, supplementation not only dramatically increases height but also reduces body fat, raises energy levels and improves immune-system function. The pituitary releases growth hormone intermittently throughout the day, with the greatest release occurring about an hour after falling asleep. Intense exercise can trigger HGH release. 

HGH stimulates the liver to produce IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1), a factor that stimulates growth in muscles, bones and other tissues. Insufficient HGH can cause dwarfism. Too much HGH can cause acromegaly, with symptoms such as excessive thickening of the jaw and fingers (enlargement of the body's extremities, such as the bones of the hands, feet and face).

• In 1887, the Lithuanian medical researcher Oskar Minkowski observed that pituitary tumors were associated with acromegaly. 
• In 1921, the American researchers Herbert Evans and Joseph Long studied the role of the pituitary gland in the growth of rats. 
• In the 1960s, children began to be treated with growth hormone obtained from human cadavers. 
• In 1980, one of the first applications of genetic engineering was the production of growth hormone using bacteria containing a human gene.

Historical Figures Mentioned in the Article: Oskar Minkowski (1858–1931), Joseph Abraham Long (1879– 1953), Herbert McLean Evans (1882–1971)

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