Kisspeptin hormone injection can treat low sex drive in women and men

Kisspeptin hormone can be used to treat women and men suffering from low sex drive, according to two new studies.

The studies were led by clinicians and scientists at Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and both are published in the journal Open JAMA networkfound that giving kisspeptin can promote sexual response in women and men with libido disorder decreased activity (HSDD)—a condition characterized by low sex drive it is suffering for the individual. HSDD affects 10% of women and 8% of men worldwide and can have devastating psychological and social effects.

Kisspeptin is a natural hormone that stimulates the release of other reproductive hormones inside the body. The team had previously demonstrated in men with an intact sex drive that kisspeptin could enhance responses to sexual stimuli and enhance attractiveness pathways in the brain, independent of sexual stimuli. other reproductive hormones such as testosterone. Now, they are investigating the effects in women and men with low sex drive for the first time.

these two people clinical trials involved 32 premenopausal women and 32 men with HSDD. In both studies, patients received MRI brain scans, as well as blood and behavioral tests. Administration of kisspeptin improved the brain’s sexual processing in both women and men, resulting in a positive effect on sexual behavior compared with placebo. These are the first clinical studies to explore kisspeptin’s ability to promote the sexual pathway in women and men suffering from low sex drive.

The researchers believe that this result lays the foundation for kisspeptin-based treatments for women and men with HSDD.

Dr Alexander Comninos, from the Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction at Imperial College London, Consultant Endocrinologist at the Royal College of Health NHS Trust and co-lead author of the study, said : “Low sex drive can be distressing and therefore lead to HSDD. This can have major adverse effects on relationships, mental health, and fertility. Although it is relative common, treatment options in women is limited, brings significant side effects and in some cases can be harmful when tried. And unfortunately, these treatments have limited effectiveness. In men there is currently no licensed treatment and no treatment available. Therefore, there is a real unmet need to find new, safer and more effective therapies for this distressing condition for both women and men seeking treatment.

“Our two studies provide a proof of concept for the development of kisspeptin treatments, as we provide the first evidence that kisspeptin is a potentially safe and effective therapy. for both women and men with low libido.Also, in men, we demonstrate that kisspeptin can have positive effects not only on the brain but also on the penis by increasing the hardness.Read More Furthermore, kisspeptin is well tolerated by both women and men with no reported side effects, which is important from a drug development standpoint. We now plan to move forward with hope. realized the potential of kisspeptin therapy in psychosexual disorders—sexual problems of psychological origin, such as unexplained low libido.”

Professor Waljit Dhillo, NIHR Senior Investigator, also from the Department of Metabolism, Gastroenterology and Reproduction at Imperial College London, Consultant Endocrinologist at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and senior co-author of the study, adds: “Our studies build on our previous studies that worked to evaluate the effectiveness of kisspeptin and its enhancing effects in terms of stimulation and attraction. It is very encouraging to see the same enhancing effects in both women and men, although the exact brain pathways are slightly different as expected.

Collectively, the results suggest that kisspeptin can provide a much-needed and safe treatment for HSDD, affecting millions of people worldwide, and we look forward to continuing to develop this in further studies. larger studies in the future and in other patient groups.”

The women’s study included a randomized, double-blind, two-way crossover, placebo-controlled trial at Invicro and Hammersmith Hospitals (part of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust), from October 2020 to May April 2021. Data analysis by Imperial University of London researchers.

Thirty-two premenopausal heterosexual women with HSDD (19–48 years) completed two study visits, once for kisspeptin and another for placebo. Participants completed psychological questionnaires before and at the end of either kisspeptin or placebo to assess their mood and behavior. During either kisspeptin or placebo, participants underwent functional MRI while watching pornographic videos and viewing male faces to see how brain activity affected. Non-pornographic exercise videos were used as a control.

The team found that kisspeptin improved brain activity about sex and attraction in key brain regions in women. They also found that women who suffered more because of their sexual function showed more kisspeptin-enhanced brain activity in the hippocampus (a key structure involved in women’s sex drive). than. Furthermore, the more kisspeptin activated the posterior cingulate cortex – an important behavioral brain region – in response to attractive male faces, the less sexual aversion the participants reported. Importantly, psychological analyzes revealed that the women reported feeling “sexier” when taking kisspeptin, compared to when taking a placebo.

In the second study, also a randomized, double-blind, two-way crossover, 32 heterosexual men with HSDD (ages 21–52) underwent a similar study with the addition of Measurement of the hardness of the penis, from January to January. September 2021.

The study demonstrated that kisspeptin significantly enhanced brain activity in key structures of the sexual brain network while increasing penile rigidity by up to 56% compared to a placebo while watching pornographic videos. Similar to the study in women, kisspeptin also had a greater effect in brain regions in men suffer more with their low sex drive. Furthermore, psychological analyzes revealed that kisspeptin improved the “sexual well-being” reported by the men.

Dr Comninos and Professor Dhillo now plan to advance this with larger-scale studies, studying different populations, and working together to develop kisspeptin as a practical treatment for both women and children. women and men with distressing psychosexual disorders.