ABSTRACT
Growth hormone (GH) is an important endocrine regulator of growth, metabolism, body composition, and physiology. GH deficiency in children causes dwarfism, whereas the clinical profile of GH-deficient adults includes visceral adiposity, reduced lean body mass and muscle/fat ratio, osteopenia, fatigue and muscle weakness, decreased cardiac function, defective thermoregulation, and reduced extracellular fluid volume (1). Current therapy for GH deficiency is replacement with recombinant growth hormone (rGH). Although largely effective in promoting growth in children and normalizing the metabolic and functional deficits associated with adult GH deficiency, rGH therapy is not ideal owing to dose-limiting side effects, parenteral delivery, and cost. Recombinant GH is a peptide drug that is currently approved only in injectable form and costs
108 Lefker et al.
