The Era of Cadaveric Pituitary Extracted Human Growth Hormone (1958-1985):Biological and Clinical Aspects

Abstract

The first patient treated with cadaveric pituitary GH (hGH) was reported in 1958. Subsequently, collection of cadaveric pituitaries started in many countries and several centers extracted the hormone using one of two methods: a. Acetone preservation and extraction with hot glacial acetic acid (Rabin method) b. Collection in distilled water, freezing and extraction on columns yielding several pituitary hormones including hGH (Wilhelmi method). The purified extracts of hGH were found to have metabolic and growth stimulating activity but the limited amounts permitted the treatment only of children with GH deficiency (GHD). The purified hormone also permitted the development of specific radioimmunoassays enabling the study of the physiological and pharmacological actions of GH. In 1985 a number of patients treated years before with Wilhelmi hGH were diagnosed with Creutzfeld-Jacob-Disease (CJD). This led to the arrest of hGH production and the use of the then recently developed biosynthetic recombinant hGH.

Keywords: Biological effects of hGH; Early history; GH stimulation tests; Human Growth Hormone; Pharmacology of hGH; Pituitary extracted GH.