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MGF research

What published studies found for MGF: 12 papers, 0 in humans, with sample sizes and key results.

C
Mostly animal studies
Why: No human trials of the peptide; evidence comes from animal injury models (sheep, mice, rats, rabbits) and cell studies, some showing cancer-cell growth.

Synthetic MGF (mechano growth factor, a peptide from the E-domain of the IGF-IEc/IEb splice variant) has been tested only in cell cultures and animal injury models (heart, tendon, ligament); there are no human trials of the peptide. Reviewers note that no natural MGF peptide has been isolated from tissue, so its physiological role is uncertain, and one MGF cell study in the candidate set has been retracted. Cell studies also show MGF is overexpressed in prostate cancer and osteosarcoma cells, where the peptide promoted growth, a theoretical safety concern.

✓ 7 positive✗ 2 negative? 3 inconclusive

No human safety data for the MGF peptide in the published literature; the related IGF-1Ec isoform is overexpressed in some cancers.

US compounding: Not compoundable. Not an FDA-approved drug and not nominated for FDA's 503A bulks list, so US pharmacies can't legally compound it. Status for every peptide.

Browse and filter these papersMGF prices and vendors

Reviews

? InconclusivereviewEndocrinology · 2010

Minireview: Mechano-growth factor: a putative product of IGF-I gene expression involved in tissue repair and regeneration.

No new dataNarrative minireview

Review noting that synthetic MGF promotes cell proliferation and survival in lab studies, but no corresponding natural peptide has been identified in cells, tissues or body fluids, so its relevance is unproven.

Authors' conclusion
A synthetic peptide corresponding to IGF-IEb promotes cellular proliferation and survival, but no analogous peptide product of the Igf1 gene has been identified in cells, medium or tissues.
Limitations
Narrative review with no original data.
PubMed 20130113DOIFree full text
? InconclusivereviewHormones (Athens) · 2014

Biological activity of the e domain of the IGF-1Ec as addressed by synthetic peptides.

No new dataNarrative review

Review of synthetic IGF-1Ec E-domain peptide studies; IGF-1Ec is upregulated after muscle and heart injury and also in cancer tissues and cell lines, and its bioactivity remains putative.

Authors' conclusion
The review describes the putative bioactivity of the IGF-1Ec E domain, studied with a synthetic 24-aa analogue; IGF-1Ec is upregulated after muscle injury, post-infarct remodelling and in cancer.
Limitations
Narrative review with no original data.
PubMed 24776619DOI
? InconclusivereviewCurr Opin Pharmacol · 2008

Growth factors, muscle function and doping.

No new dataNarrative review

Review describing MGF's proposed role in activating muscle progenitor cells and noting its potential for abuse by bodybuilders, without human treatment data.

Authors' conclusion
MGF, an IGF-I splice isoform, activates muscle progenitor cells and kick starts hypertrophy, which has potential for abuse and has already attracted the attention of body builders.
Limitations
Narrative review with no original data.
PubMed 18353722DOI

Animal & lab studies

✓ PositiveanimalHeart Lung Circ · 2008

Mechano-growth factor reduces loss of cardiac function in acute myocardial infarction.

Number of sheep not stated in abstractExperiment 1: vehicle, IGF-I, MGF E domain or full-length MGF (200 nM each); experiment 2: vehicle vs MGF E domain8 days post-MI

In sheep with induced heart attacks, the MGF E-domain peptide preserved cardiac function and left 35% less compromised heart muscle than controls at 8 days.

Key resultMGF E domain preserved cardiac function with 35% less compromised cardiac muscle than controls; cleaved caspase 3 immunostaining absent in MGF E domain-treated hearts
Studied
Sheep with microsphere-induced myocardial infarction
Compared with
Vehicle
Main outcome
Cardiac function (echocardiography) and area of compromised myocardium
Authors' conclusion
The E domain of MGF protects the myocardium against ischaemia, improving cardiac function after MI.
Limitations
Large-animal study of 8 days; sample size not stated in abstract.
PubMed 17581790DOI
✓ PositiveanimalBiomaterials · 2015

Localized delivery of mechano-growth factor E-domain peptide via polymeric microstructures improves cardiac function following myocardial infarction.

AnimalsMGF E-domain peptide-eluting hydrogel microrods vs empty microrods vs untreated, intramuscular injectionUp to 10 weeks post-infarct

In mice after coronary ligation, MGF E-domain peptide released from hydrogel microrods injected into the heart reduced mortality, slowed functional decline and inhibited pathologic hypertrophy.

Studied
Mice after coronary artery ligation
Compared with
Empty microrods and untreated
Main outcome
Cardiac function (pressure-volume loops), mortality, pathologic hypertrophy
Authors' conclusion
Cardiac-restricted delivery of MGF E-domain peptide via polymeric microstructures decreased mortality, ameliorated hemodynamic decline and may prevent adverse remodeling after MI.
Limitations
Mouse study; no numbers in abstract.
PubMed 25678113DOIFree full text
✓ PositiveanimalBiotechnol Lett · 2016

Mechano-growth factor E peptide promotes healing of rat injured tendon.

AnimalsSynthetic MGF E peptide (MGF-C25E, 1000 ng/ml) vs saline

In rats with injured Achilles tendons, a synthetic MGF E peptide improved functional index, repair appearance and tendon stiffness vs saline.

Studied
Rats with injured Achilles tendon
Compared with
Saline
Main outcome
Achilles functional index, macroscopic repair, tendon stiffness, histology
Authors' conclusion
MGF-C25E promoted healing of injured rat tendon (higher functional index and stiffness) and could be a potential therapeutic factor for tendon repair.
Limitations
Rat study; no numbers in abstract.
PubMed 27334712DOI
✓ PositiveanimalInt J Mol Sci · 2022

Mechano Growth Factor Accelerates ACL Repair and Improves Cell Mobility of Mechanically Injured Human ACL Fibroblasts by Targeting Rac1-PAK1/2 and RhoA-ROCK1 Pathways.

Humans and animalsMGF (10, 100 ng/mL) vs untreated injured cells; rabbit ACLT modelRabbit model assessed at 2 and 4 weeks

MGF improved migration and adhesion of mechanically injured human ACL fibroblasts in culture and accelerated ACL regeneration and load capacity in a rabbit partial-transection model.

Studied
Mechanically injured human ACL fibroblasts in culture; rabbit partial ACL transection model
Compared with
Injured group without MGF
Main outcome
Cell area, roundness, migration, adhesion, mobility-molecule expression; ACL regeneration and mechanical loading capacity
Authors' conclusion
MGF weakens effects of pathological stress on ACL fibroblast mobility and accelerates ACL repair; it might become a treatment approach for ACL rupture.
Limitations
Cell culture and rabbit model; no numbers in abstract.
PubMed 35457148DOIFree full text
Figure 8: Mechano growth factor (MGF) restored the mechanical capacity of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after partial transection surgery. (A) Stre
Figure 8. From PMC9026312, CC BY (terms); resized.
✓ PositiveanimalInt Immunopharmacol · 2021

Pretreatment with mechano growth factor E peptide attenuates osteoarthritis through improving cell proliferation and extracellular matrix synthesis in chondrocytes under severe hypoxia.

Humans and animalsCell pretreatment and rat OA model with MGF E peptide4 or 6 weeks (rats)

MGF E peptide protected chondrocytes from hypoxia-induced damage in vitro and reduced cartilage degeneration in a rat model of osteoarthritis.

Studied
Chondrocytes under CoCl2-simulated hypoxia and rats with monosodium iodoacetate-induced osteoarthritis
Compared with
Untreated hypoxic cells; untreated OA rats
Main outcome
Cell proliferation, extracellular matrix synthesis, cartilage histology
Authors' conclusion
MGF attenuates OA progression and may be applied in the clinic, per the authors.
Limitations
Animal and cell study.
PubMed 34015701DOI
✓ PositiveanimalArthritis Res Ther · 2025

Mechanical growth factor inhibited syndesmophyte formation and the progression of osteoarthritis and ankylosing spondylitis-like symptoms in HLA-B27/Hu-β2m transgenic rats.

AnimalsDose-ranging MGF treatment vs control7 weeks

In HLA-B27 transgenic rats with induced arthritis, seven weeks of MGF delayed onset of arthritis symptoms (23 vs 14 days at high dose) and reduced inflammation markers in a dose-dependent way.

Key resultOnset of arthritis symptoms delayed from 14 days in control to 23 days in the high-dose MGF group
Studied
HLA-B27/Hu-beta2m transgenic rats with induced arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis-like disease
Compared with
Control group
Main outcome
Onset and severity of arthritis, cytokines, bone erosion
Authors' conclusion
MGF controlled inflammation and inhibited bone erosion and syndesmophyte formation in this rat model.
Limitations
Transgenic rat model; sample sizes not given in the abstract.
PubMed 41272763DOIFree full text
✓ Positivein vitroMech Ageing Dev · 2011

Mechano Growth Factor E peptide (MGF-E), derived from an isoform of IGF-1, activates human muscle progenitor cells and induces an increase in their fusion potential at different ages.

Cells / labIn vitro treatment with MGF 24-amino-acid E peptide

In primary human muscle cell cultures, MGF-E peptide extended the proliferative lifespan and delayed senescence of satellite cells from neonatal and young adult but not old adult muscle.

Studied
Primary human muscle satellite cell cultures from donors of different ages
Compared with
Untreated cultures
Main outcome
Proliferation, senescence and fusion
Authors' conclusion
The MGF-24aa-E peptide enhanced satellite cell activation, proliferation and fusion and might offer a strategy against sarcopenia without the oncogenic effects seen for IGF-1.
Limitations
Cell culture only; no effect on proliferative lifespan in cells from old adults.
PubMed 21354439DOI
✗ Negativein vitroProstate · 2010

Preferential expression of IGF-1Ec (MGF) transcript in cancerous tissues of human prostate: evidence for a novel and autonomous growth factor activity of MGF E peptide in human prostate cancer cells.

Humans and animalsImmunohistochemistry, RT-PCR, Western blot and peptide stimulation with receptor silencing

MGF was overexpressed in human prostate cancer tissue and cell lines, and synthetic MGF E peptide stimulated prostate cancer cell growth independently of the IGF-1 receptor, a possible cancer-promotion signal.

Studied
Human prostate tissue and prostate cell lines (HPrEC, PC-3, LNCaP)
Compared with
Normal prostate tissue and cells
Main outcome
MGF expression and cell proliferation
Authors' conclusion
Findings suggest a possible role of MGF E peptide in cancer biology through IGF-1R- and insulin-receptor-independent mitogenic activity.
Limitations
Cell lines and tissue expression; association rather than proof of causation.
PubMed 20564425DOI
✗ Negativein vitroOncol Lett · 2015

The role of mechano-growth factor E peptide in the regulation of osteosarcoma.

Cells / labIn vitro stimulation with exogenous MGF-E peptide

MGF was overexpressed in malignant osteosarcoma cell lines, and MGF-E peptide promoted proliferation, migration and invasion of osteosarcoma cells, a possible safety concern.

Studied
Osteosarcoma cell lines of different malignancy
Compared with
Unstimulated cells
Main outcome
Proliferation, migration, invasion, cell cycle
Authors' conclusion
MGF may be a suitable biomarker for malignant osteosarcoma phenotypes.
Limitations
Cell lines only.
PubMed 26622556DOIFree full text

Verdicts are judged on each paper's own main outcome; grades run from A (strong human evidence) to D (little or none). Details are read from the abstracts, and figures are reproduced only from openly licensed full texts. Not medical advice.