Two biochemical substances critical for the release of follicle stimulating and luteinizing hormones have been isolated in highly purified form.
Although formidable barriers remain, a team of investigators from industry, university, and government are confident the factors will eventually have clinical use.
Reports on isolation and animal work with follicle stimulating hormone releasing factor (FSH-RF) and luteinizing hormone releasing factor (LRF) were presented to the 48th annual meeting of the Endocrine Society.
"We hope this substance might eventually be given to women with conditions such as secondary amenorrhea or cystic ovaries," explained W. F. White, MS. "... these are women with hormone levels below that necessary to induce ovulation."
Isolation of the related hormone releasing factors has consumed the time of many investigators. The team reporting at the Chicago meeting comes from Abbott Laboratories, North Chicago, Ill; Tulane University and the Veterans Administration Hospital, New Orleans.
Similar work has been conducted