CJC-1295 & Ipamorelin
CJC-1295 Mechanism: The GHRH Analogue
CJC-1295 binds and activates the GHRH receptor on anterior-pituitary somatotroph cells. Receptor activation couples through Gαs, increasing cyclic AMP and triggering pulsatile growth-hormone release. The mechanism mimics endogenous GHRH but with substitutions that extend the peptide's lifetime.
Key facts
- Receptor
- GHRH receptor (pituitary somatotrophs)
- G-protein
- Gαs → cAMP
- Effect
- Pulsatile GH release
Amino-acid substitutions
CJC-1295 introduces substitutions (D-Ala2, Gln8, Ala15, Leu27) at cleavage sites in GRF 1-29 to reduce degradation. DAC lipidation extends half-life further.
Extended research context
The CJC-1295 & Ipamorelin deep dive
Deep dive: why CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin are studied together
CJC-1295 is a modified GHRH (growth-hormone-releasing hormone) analogue; Ipamorelin is a selective growth-hormone secretagogue that binds the ghrelin receptor (GHS-R1a). In pituitary-cell research models the two act on independent pathways whose downstream effect converges on GH release — CJC-1295 amplifies the endogenous GHRH signal while Ipamorelin adds a separate ghrelin-pathway stimulus. That's why supplier catalogues frequently package them together as a research reference blend.
DAC vs no-DAC: which CJC-1295 is which
'CJC-1295 with DAC' contains a Drug Affinity Complex (a Lys-maleimide moiety) that binds serum albumin and extends half-life to several days. 'CJC-1295 no-DAC' (also called Modified GRF 1-29) lacks the linker and clears in minutes. These are pharmacologically different peptides. A CoA must specify which form is in the vial; mass differs (~3,367 Da with DAC vs ~3,367 minus linker for no-DAC).
Ipamorelin's selectivity profile
Unlike earlier GHS-R agonists (e.g. GHRP-6), Ipamorelin was engineered for minimal cross-activity at cortisol- and prolactin-releasing pathways in research models. That receptor selectivity is why it is the reference secretagogue for controlled pituitary-cell studies.
Research applications
- ▸Pituitary-cell GH-release assays (comparator vs GHRH and hexarelin)
- ▸Half-life comparison studies: DAC vs no-DAC CJC-1295 forms
- ▸Ghrelin-receptor binding assays for Ipamorelin analogue development
- ▸Analytical HPLC method development for lipidated GHRH analogues
- ▸Stability testing under refrigerated storage
Handling checklist
- ✓Store lyophilised at −20 °C long-term
- ✓Reconstitute in bacteriostatic water; both peptides dissolve readily
- ✓Aliquot immediately, refrigerate at 2–8 °C, use within 28 days
- ✓Confirm salt form and DAC/no-DAC status on CoA before starting a study
- ✓Do not use for human administration — research reference only
Common research-handling mistakes
Learnt from thousands of researcher orders across our UK labs.
✗ Confusing DAC and no-DAC CJC-1295
Fix: Check the CoA — the two have very different pharmacokinetics.
✗ Assuming Ipamorelin acts on GHRH receptors
Fix: It binds the ghrelin receptor (GHS-R1a) — a separate pathway from CJC-1295.
✗ Storing reconstituted solution at room temperature
Fix: Refrigerate 2–8 °C after reconstitution.
Continue researching
Peer-reviewed guides, comparators and matched reference materials.
Related questions researchers ask
- Is CJC-1295 the same as Modified GRF 1-29?
- What is the difference between DAC and no-DAC CJC-1295?
- Does Ipamorelin raise cortisol?
- Why are CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin blended together?
- How long is the half-life of CJC-1295 with DAC?
Frequently asked questions
- Does CJC-1295 bypass hypothalamus?
- It acts on the pituitary directly, mimicking hypothalamic GHRH input.
Primary sources & clinical trials
Peer-reviewed research and registered trials from PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov, PubChem, FDA and NIH. All links open in a new tab and point to the primary source, so every claim can be verified at origin.
- PubMedTeichman et al., JCEM 2006pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- PubMedRaun et al., Ipamorelin, the first selective GH secretagogue — Eur J Endocrinol 1998 (PMID 9849822)pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- PubMedSinha et al., Growth-hormone secretagogues — Endocr Rev (PMID 15855273)pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- PubChemPubChem · CJC-1295 (CID 16137828)pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- PubChemPubChem · Ipamorelin (CID 9831659)pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- TrialClinicalTrials.gov · GH-secretagogue trialsclinicaltrials.gov
- GuidelineGoogle — Creating helpful, reliable, people-first contentdevelopers.google.com
Written and reviewed by
Jack Muncaster · Founder, UK Peptides
Jack founded UK Peptides in Manchester after repeatedly receiving research compounds with missing or recycled paperwork. He is responsible for supplier selection, batch release decisions and the content published in this research library. Every article here is sourced to primary literature and every product page to a signed third-party certificate.
More CJC-1295 & Ipamorelin articles
- Ipamorelin Mechanism: The Ghrelin ReceptorIpamorelin mechanism: selective agonist of the growth-hormone secretagogue receptor GHS-R1a (ghrelin receptor), triggering pulsatile GH release.
- What Is a Growth Hormone Secretagogue?A growth-hormone secretagogue is a molecule that triggers pituitary release of growth hormone. Peptide and non-peptide classes explained.
- CJC-1295 Molecular Structure and PropertiesCJC-1295 molecular structure: 30-residue GHRH analogue with amino-acid substitutions and optional maleimidopropionic acid DAC linker for albumin binding.
- Ipamorelin vs GHRP-2 vs GHRP-6: Selectivity ResearchIpamorelin is a selective GHS with minimal cortisol/prolactin effects. GHRP-2 and GHRP-6 also raise cortisol and prolactin in reported research studies.
- CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin Synergy ResearchCJC-1295 + ipamorelin synergy: combined GHRH-receptor and ghrelin-receptor activation produces larger GH pulses than either alone in reported research.
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