Entry 0024Rev 1.0Decapeptide

Kisspeptin-10

C-terminal decapeptide of kisspeptin-54 · C63H83N17O14

Reviewed

2 Nov 2026

Scientific editor

[Name, PhD]

References

28 sources

Kisspeptin-10 is the last ten residues of kisspeptin-54, a hormone cut from the product of the KISS1 gene. Kisspeptins act on the receptor GPR54 and drive the release of GnRH, the hormone at the top of the reproductive axis.2,8

The gene was found in 1996 as a melanoma metastasis suppressor. In 2003 two groups showed that people without a working GPR54 do not go through puberty, which made kisspeptin one of the most studied peptides in reproductive biology.1,5,6 It is named on the WADA list.

Residues

10

Avg mass

1302.4 g/mol

Human studies

Many, mostly KP-54

WADA class

S2.2.1

01

Identity

Value
SequenceTyr-Asn-Trp-Asn-Ser-Phe-Gly-Leu-Arg-Phe-NH2 (YNWNSFGLRF, amidated)
ParentKisspeptin-54 (metastin), residues 45–54; the 145-residue KISS1 precursor is cut into 54-, 14-, 13- and 10-residue forms
ReceptorGPR54, also called KISS1R
FormulaC63H83N17O14
Avg mass1302.4 g/mol
CAS374675-21-5
FamilyRF-amide peptides
02

History

  1. KISS1 identified as a gene that suppresses melanoma metastasis, in Hershey, Pennsylvania.1

  2. Three groups show kisspeptins are the natural ligands of the orphan receptor GPR54.2,3,4

  3. People with loss-of-function GPR54 mutations do not go through puberty.5,6

  4. Kisspeptin shown to release GnRH directly; first human study, kisspeptin-54 raises LH, FSH and testosterone in men.8,9

  5. First human studies of kisspeptin-10: a strong LH response in men, but none in women in the follicular phase.12,13

  6. Kisspeptin-54 used to trigger egg maturation in IVF.14

  7. Kisspeptin-54 modulates sexual brain processing in women and men with low sexual desire, in two small trials.19,20

  8. FDA advisory committee votes 11 to 0 against allowing pharmacy compounding of kisspeptin-10.25

03

What the studies measured

Note which form each study used. The clinical programme, including IVF and the sexual-desire trials, uses kisspeptin-54, which lasts longer in blood. Kisspeptin-10 has its own human studies from 2011.

StudyFormPeople or modelWhat was measuredFindingSource
Messager 2005KisspeptinMice, rats, sheepGnRH releaseDirect stimulation through GPR54[8]
Dhillo 2005KP-546 healthy men, placebo-controlledLH, FSH, testosteroneAll rose; half-life about 28 minutes[9]
George 2011KP-10Healthy menLH and its pulse frequencyDose-dependent rise; more pulses[12]
Jayasena 2011KP-10Healthy men and womenGonadotropins by sex and cycle phaseResponse in men and preovulatory women; none in follicular-phase women[13]
Jayasena 2009KP-54Women with hypothalamic amenorrhoeaGonadotropins, acute and chronicAcute rise; the response faded with repeated exposure[11]
Jayasena 2014KP-5453 women having IVFEgg maturationMaturation at every dose tested[14]
Mills 2023KP-5432 men with low sexual desire, crossoverBrain responses to sexual images; penile tumescenceBoth increased against placebo[20]
04

Regulatory and sport status

As of this revision. General information, not legal advice.

WhereStatus
UK, EUNo authorised product. UK human studies run as research under Imperial College.
USNot approved. Kisspeptin-10 sits in category 2 of the FDA compounding list, substances with significant safety risks; an advisory committee voted 11 to 0 against adding it to the list pharmacies may use.23,24,25
SportProhibited at all times. Named in WADA class S2.2.1, testosterone-stimulating peptides in males: "kisspeptin and its agonist analogues".28
05

Open questions

  1. Why the response differs by sex and cycle phase: no gonadotropin rise in follicular-phase women at doses that work in men.12,13
  2. How the fading of the response with repeated exposure fits any long-term use, given that some analogues were built to switch the axis off.11,26
  3. Whether the sexual-desire findings, from brain imaging in 32 people per trial after a single infusion, hold up in larger studies with patient-reported outcomes.19,20
06

Common questions

What is kisspeptin-10?

The last ten residues of kisspeptin-54, a hormone that drives the reproductive axis by releasing GnRH. It acts on the receptor GPR54.

What is the difference between kisspeptin-10 and kisspeptin-54?

Length and duration. Kisspeptin-54 lasts about half an hour in blood and is the form used in the IVF and sexual-desire trials. Kisspeptin-10 is shorter-acting and has its own small human studies.

Why is it called kisspeptin?

The KISS1 gene was discovered in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and named after Hershey's Kisses.

Is kisspeptin approved as a medicine?

No, in no country. It is used in research studies, including as an IVF trigger in trials.

Is kisspeptin-10 banned in sport?

Yes. WADA class S2.2.1 names "kisspeptin and its agonist analogues", prohibited at all times.

—

See also

PT-141 Entry 0018Sermorelin Entry 0016Growth hormone axis Shelf
07

References

  1. Lee JH, et al. KiSS-1, a novel human malignant melanoma metastasis-suppressor gene. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1996;88(23):1731–1737. PMID 8944003
  2. Ohtaki T, et al. Metastasis suppressor gene KiSS-1 encodes peptide ligand of a G-protein-coupled receptor. Nature. 2001;411(6837):613–617. PMID 11385580
  3. Kotani M, et al. The metastasis suppressor gene KiSS-1 encodes kisspeptins, the natural ligands of the orphan G protein-coupled receptor GPR54. J Biol Chem. 2001;276(37):34631–34636. PMID 11457843
  4. Muir AI, et al. AXOR12, a novel human G protein-coupled receptor, activated by the peptide KiSS-1. J Biol Chem. 2001;276(31):28969–28975. PMID 11387329
  5. de Roux N, et al. Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism due to loss of function of the KiSS1-derived peptide receptor GPR54. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2003;100(19):10972–10976. PMID 12944565
  6. Seminara SB, et al. The GPR54 gene as a regulator of puberty. N Engl J Med. 2003;349(17):1614–1627. PMID 14573733
  7. Gottsch ML, et al. A role for kisspeptins in the regulation of gonadotropin secretion in the mouse. Endocrinology. 2004;145(9):4073–4077. PMID 15217982
  8. Messager S, et al. Kisspeptin directly stimulates gonadotropin-releasing hormone release via G protein-coupled receptor 54. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2005;102(5):1761–1766. PMID 15665093
  9. Dhillo WS, et al. Kisspeptin-54 stimulates the hypothalamic-pituitary gonadal axis in human males. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2005;90(12):6609–6615. PMID 16174713
  10. Dhillo WS, et al. Kisspeptin-54 stimulates gonadotropin release most potently during the preovulatory phase of the menstrual cycle in women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007;92(10):3958–3966. PMID 17635940
  11. Jayasena CN, et al. Subcutaneous injection of kisspeptin-54 acutely stimulates gonadotropin secretion in women with hypothalamic amenorrhea, but chronic administration causes tachyphylaxis. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2009;94(11):4315–4323. PMID 19820030
  12. George JT, et al. Kisspeptin-10 is a potent stimulator of LH and increases pulse frequency in men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011;96(8):E1228–E1236. PMID 21632807
  13. Jayasena CN, et al. The effects of kisspeptin-10 on reproductive hormone release show sexual dimorphism in humans. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011;96(12):E1963–E1972. PMID 21976724
  14. Jayasena CN, et al. Kisspeptin-54 triggers egg maturation in women undergoing in vitro fertilization. J Clin Invest. 2014;124(8):3667–3677. PMID 25036713
  15. Abbara A, et al. Efficacy of kisspeptin-54 to trigger oocyte maturation in women at high risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome during IVF therapy. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2015;100(9):3322–3331. PMID 26192876
  16. Wikipedia. Kisspeptin, for gene structure and naming, checked 2 Nov 2026.
  17. Abbara A, et al. A second dose of kisspeptin-54 improves oocyte maturation in women at high risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome: a phase 2 randomized controlled trial. Hum Reprod. 2017;32(9):1915–1924. PMID 28854728
  18. Comninos AN, et al. Kisspeptin modulates sexual and emotional brain processing in humans. J Clin Invest. 2017;127(2):709–719. PMID 28112678
  19. Thurston L, et al. Effects of kisspeptin administration in women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5(10):e2236131. PMID 36287566
  20. Mills EG, et al. Effects of kisspeptin on sexual brain processing and penile tumescence in men with hypoactive sexual desire disorder: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2023;6(2):e2254313. PMID 36735255
  21. Irwig MS, et al. Kisspeptin activation of gonadotropin releasing hormone neurons and regulation of KiSS-1 mRNA in the male rat. Neuroendocrinology. 2004;80(4):264–272. PMID 15665556
  22. Alliance for Pharmacy Compounding. 503A categories update for September 2023. a4pc.org
  23. US Food and Drug Administration. FDA evaluation of kisspeptin-10, briefing document for the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee, 29 October 2024. fda.gov
  24. US Food and Drug Administration. Bulk drug substances nominated for use in compounding under section 503A, category list updated 14 May 2026. fda.gov
  25. US Food and Drug Administration. Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee, minutes of 29 October 2024. fda.gov
  26. Matsui H, et al. Pharmacologic profiles of investigational kisspeptin/metastin analogues, TAK-448 and TAK-683, in adult male rats in comparison to the GnRH analogue leuprolide. Eur J Pharmacol. 2014;735:77–85. PMID 24747751
  27. Abbara A, et al. Kisspeptin-54 accurately identifies hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone neuronal dysfunction in men with congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. Neuroendocrinology. 2021;111(12):1176–1186. PMID 33227799
  28. World Anti-Doping Agency. The 2026 Prohibited List (in force 1 January 2026). wada-ama.org Class S2.2.1.

Peptidarium Library. Kisspeptin-10 (entry 0024), revision 1.0, 2 November 2026. peptidarium.com/library/kisspeptin-10

08

Revision history

RevDateChangeBy
1.02 Nov 2026Entry created.[Scientific editor]

Spotted an error or a missing paper? Send a correction. Every change is logged here.