MGF
Mechano Growth Factor
The muscle-repair splice.
Half-life
~ minutes (native); pegylation extends PEG-MGF to hours
Mol. weight
~ 2,748 g/mol (24-aa C-terminal E-peptide)
Sequence
IGF-1Ec splice variant — 24-aa C-terminal E-peptide
Discussions
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Overview
A splice variant of IGF-1 (also called IGF-1Ec) produced locally in muscle in response to mechanical stress, MGF is researched for muscle repair and satellite cell activation after exercise. Unlike systemic IGF-1, it is generated on demand at the site of mechanical load, linking the damage of training directly to the repair response.
Mechanism of action
MGF is an IGF-1 splice variant (the Ec isoform) generated locally in muscle fibers in response to mechanical overload. Rather than circulating systemically like liver-derived IGF-1, it is produced at the site of damage, where it activates satellite cells — the muscle's resident stem cells — to proliferate and fuse into damaged fibers. This makes MGF a localized, exercise-responsive repair signal distinct from the systemic anabolic action of IGF-1.
Researched benefits
- Activates muscle satellite cells
- Responsive to exercise/mechanical stimulus
- Localized repair signaling
Considerations
- Very short half-life in native form
- Limited human data
- Research context only
Key Academic Literature & Studies
Search more in PubMedPeer-reviewed citations and clinical trials evaluating MGF in scientific literature.
Query PubMed for recent peer-reviewed preclinical and clinical publications on MGF:
View MGF index on PubMed (NCBI)