HCG

Know your compound

What is HCG?

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a heterodimeric glycoprotein hormone produced physiologically by the placenta, sharing its β-subunit receptor-binding domain with luteinizing hormone (LH). Decades of clinical data and multiple FDA-approved pharmaceutical formulations have established it as a primary reference compound in reproductive endocrinology and LH-receptor biology.

hCG binds the LH/hCG receptor with high affinity, making it the standard reagent for studies of testicular Leydig-cell steroidogenesis and ovarian follicular function in gonadal research models. Its structural diversity across isoforms — reviewed extensively in the literature — also positions it as a subject of investigation in placental biology and, separately, thyroid stimulation via TSH-receptor cross-reactivity.

• Stimulates testosterone production from testicular Leydig cells via LH-receptor agonism in preclinical and clinical models
• Documented LH-receptor cross-reactivity with the TSH receptor, driving a secondary research line in thyroid function
• Multiple distinct glycoforms identified, each associated with differing receptor-binding and downstream signalling profiles in vitro