Gonadotropin-releasing hormone and its analogues.

RESEARCH into the neuroendocrine control of reproduction by gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) has witnessed a remarkable two decades. From the isolation and chemical characterization of GnRH in 1971 through the awarding of the Nobel Prize to Drs. Serially and Guillemin for these accomplishments shortly thereafter, the translation from basic discovery to clinical usefulness has been swift. Food and Drug Administration approvals of GnRH-agonist analogues for the treatment of prostate cancer, endometriosis, and precocious puberty, as well as the use of natural GnRH to induce ovulation, are examples of the clinical usefulness of these fundamental observations. Numerous clinical therapies designed to stimulate . . .