Kissing Puberty

Reported May 2005

PITTSBURGH (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- They're politely called "the awkward years," but anybody who can remember going through puberty knows "awkward" is an understatement. Now medical researchers believe they're close to solving the puzzle of puberty.

The awkwardness of growing up is not just a physical phenomenon. It's emotional ... And especially chemical.

"Puberty, many people would expect, arises in the gonads and genitals organs. But in fact, puberty arises from the brain," says neuroendocrinologist Tony Plant, Ph.D.

Dr. Plant and a research team from Harvard and the University of Pittsburgh discovered the precise chemical chain reaction that could be the much sought-after puberty trigger.

"The brain sends an endocrine signal to the pituitary gland. This makes protein hormones which reaches the ovaries and testes," Dr. Plant says.

It all begins with a kiss -- the KiSS 1 gene, which produces a protein in the hypothalamus. When the protein connects with its receptor, the GPR54 gene, puberty begins.

Dr. Plant says this is the first real handle we've had on the issue of the trigger. With wide variation, that trigger is pulled sometime between ages 10 and 16. But early or late puberty can pose developmental problems, like behavior problems and low self-esteem. Pediatricians have to treat these children with either precocious or delayed puberty.

By knowing the exact chemical causes of puberty, medical researchers can now begin developing treatments that can harmonize the process.

Right now, the only therapy for puberty disorders is frequent hormonal injections. With this genetic discovery, scientists hope oral medicines can be developed to either enhance or slow puberty where needed.

Click here to Go Inside This Science or contact:

Lisa Rossi
News Representative
University of Pittsburgh
Medical Center News Bureau, Suite 201
3708 Fifth Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
(412) 647-3555

Center for Research in Reproductive Physiology
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

http://www.crrp.pitt.edu

NIH Research Abstract

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

PittChronicle Article

http://www.umc.pitt.edu/media/pcc050207/sci1_first_kiss.html

Click here to watch the video.

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