MGF IGF-1EC

tl;dr MGF IGF-1EC is an exciting peptide with proven use for traumatic injury repair, nerve regrowth, and muscle development. There are 2 forms available and is tested as an injectable peptide. MGF has a promising future for injury recovery and anti-aging.

Names: mechano-growth factor (MGF), MGF IGF-1EC, PEG-MGF, PMGF

Introduction

Mechano Growth Factor (MGF) is also known as IGF-1EC. I will use both of these names in this article.

Regardless of what it’s called, MGF is actively being researched. It has a long history thanks to the work of Geoff Goldspink (More on him later). It is specifically researched as an intramuscular injectable peptide.¹

A different version of IGF-1 that appears to be more potent

As it’s name implies it is a variant of the Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), hormone. The changes to the structure make it a “splice variant.”² Without getting into the biology too much, this means part of the protein structure can vary based on local gene expression.³⁴

In scientific studies this peptide is often referenced as having a changed “E domain.”⁵⁶⁷ The book Advances in Genetics, Volume 52 and Insulin-like Growth Factors: Molecular and Cellular Aspects by Derek LeRoith has more information than you would ever care to learn about how changes in the IGF-1 E domain effects genes and protein. If you read it get comfy - these are massive books.

Muscle Growth and Repair

Evidence:

Effect:

MGF is highly anabolic

The most well known property of MGF is the body’s natural anabolic uses in building and repairing muscle.

It is necessary for muscle growth to occur.⁸ It is found to activate the muscle stem cells that start local muscle repair. This also causes muscle hypertrophy.⁹

Your body creates MGF after a workout¹⁰¹¹ or any muscle stress.¹² The local IGF-1 genes create the MGF variant which helps the localized muscle repair and regrow. Exercise also increases local MGF which in turn reduces some catabolic gene expression.¹³

It also causes smooth muscle hypertrophy.¹⁴ This means it could be useful in many digestive disorders.

There are staggering implications of MGF for anti-aging and helping people suffering from muscle wasting caused by any number of diseases. MGF is used in preventing skeletal muscles decline, and keeping muscles strong as you age.¹⁵ Because MGF helps promote proliferation of myogenic stem cells it can be used to prevent and treat age-related muscle degenerative diseases.¹⁶

Other Benefits

Evidence:

Effect:

MGF helps soft tissue repair

IGF-1EC does not help just muscles. Even soft tissue such as tendons are also strengthened by exercise induced MGF.¹⁷ It is also implicated in bone growth.¹⁸ One study in rabbits suggest it can help heal bone defects faster.¹⁹ When used along with TGF-β3 (another growth factor hormone), it helped cartilage regeneration.²⁰ It might also be used to help endometriosis.²¹

When tested in sheep, MGF helped them survive and function after heart attacks.²² These effects should work on humans as well. Research finds it “may be used to prevent adverse remodeling of the heart and improve function following myocardial infarction”²³ and that it can preserve heart functions.²⁴

MGF also helps nerve damage

IGF-1 is found in recent studies to be effective in nerve regeneration.²⁵²⁶ This implies IGF-1EC would have similar effects. And in fact, IGF-1EC is found to be more effective than plain IGF-1 at protecting nerves from damage ²⁷ and specifically plays a role in nerve regrowth after injury.²⁸

Neuroprotectant for TBI

Evidence:

Effect:

IGF-1EC appears to act as a potent neuroprotectant as well. It is found to be helpful in stroke victims.²⁹ Similar to effects in motoneurons, there is also some evidence that MGF’s neuroprotectant features are more potent than that of plain IGF-1.³⁰ It easily passes the blood brain barrier³¹ and offers “very significant protection” to neurons.³²

There are no studies testing IGF-1EC specifically in TBI. In a rat model normal IGF-1 is shown to prevent TBI-induced brain damage³³ and that the body use IGF-1 as a natural neuroprotectant in response to brain damage.³⁴ Give the other similarities it is likely that MGF would offer the same or greater benefits for TBI recovery.

Alzheimer’s Disease

Evidence:

There are no studies with IGF-1EC specifically. But, the role of normal IGF-1 in Alzheimer’s is under research.³⁵ There is no conclusive relationship with plain IGF-1, but the little of what is published appears promising.³⁶³⁷ The closest link is that patients with low IGF-1 levels show a faster cognitive decline. Given the neuroprotectant effects of IGF-1 this makes sense.

PTSD

Evidence:

There are no studies with IGF-1EC specifically. The closest findings is that one study in PTSD veterans found that as their sleep improved, so did their levels of IGF-1.³⁸

Cancer Link

Evidence:

Mixed Effect:

Conflicting research

IGF-1 use is controversial because of cancer links. Since MGF is a variant of regular IGF-1, it triggers many of the same responses in the body.³⁹ This is because it activates the IGF-I receptor.⁴⁰

There is debate about IGF-1EC’s link to cancer. One study finds that while MGF greatly enhances muscle stem cell activation and muscle maintenance, it does this without the cancer causing side effects of IGF-1.⁴¹

Unfortunately, there is data that says the opposite also.

MGF is found to be overexpressed in malignant bone cancer⁴² and prostate cancer.⁴³ It’s presence also seems to be associated with more advanced stages of prostate cancer.⁴⁴ Finding the links between IGF and cancer is a current area of active research. I think you will see studies supporting both sides until something revolutionary is found in IGF-1’s role in cancer.

PEG-MGF Variant

MGF version with a longer half-life

PEG-MGF is a form of MGF that has Polyethylene glycol added. The technical term for any chemical with this addition is that it has been PEGylated. The PEG-MGF form is more stable and will have a much longer half-life because PEG extends circulating life, increases molecular stability, and often makes it more soluble.⁴⁵

Unfortunately, as usual, there is a big gap between what people are doing vs. what medicine is studying.

PEG-MGF is found in the bodybuilding world, whereas the straight form of MGF is found in scientific studies. I am unable to find medical research done with the PEGylated MGF version.

PEG-IGF1 has been found to be more effective at muscle repair⁴⁶ compared to IGF-1 so it seems safe to assume PEG-MGF would too. The only clinical speculation I could find on PEG-MGF is that it is thought to have similar effects on IGF-1 and insulin receptors.⁴⁷

Dosage

Used postworkout to match the small window of bio-availability

Natural IGF-1EC is made by cells for local use.⁴⁸ This means it has a very short half life because it normally never leaves the cell.⁴⁹ The conditions that make a cell sensitive to IGF-1EC don’t last forever, so there’s no need for it to have evolved to last for hours.

This is why the majority of people reporting IGF-1EC use inject it postworkout into the muscles trained. Common doses are 50, 100, or 200mcgs after each training session.

Used in larger doses for injury recovery

Medical studies are starting to explore sports injury repairs using IFG-1EC⁵⁰, but their research is lagging behind years of people already using it. For acute muscle recovery from injuries people report using IFG-1EC at higher doses usually once a day. For example, Jason Blaha talks about using 600mcg of MGF to quickly heal a pulled hamstring: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ND_XpRqT7QQ

PEG-MGF vs. MGF doses

Lacking any side by side studies of human muscle repair comparing PEG-MGF vs MGF, the only people talking about the difference are bodybuilders. From what is reported PEG-MGF seems to be preferred for muscle growth. But for injury recovery either will do.

In theory PEG-MGF could be dosed outside of workout times (since it should stay available longer) with users injecting every other day. Unfortunately, I’m not finding any studies showing the exact half-life of PEG-MGF besides estimates.

Patents

As mentioned above, Geoff Goldspink at the University of London has been researching MGF for longer than I’ve been alive. He has done the bulk of the work on describing MGF and exploring it’s effects in humans.

Based on his history Dr. Goldspink is going to be involved with the most viable patents for MGF/IGF-1EC.

He holds many interesting patents for the use of MGF including: using MGF to prevent heart damage after a heart attack, helping neurological disorder with MGF’s nerve protection, and specifically repairing nerve damage. His team was able to regrow 3mm of nerves in 2 weeks with MGF therapy.

Pricing

Pubchem doesn’t seem to have an entry for IGF-1EC. Sigma-Aldrich does not seem to sell it either so high-end pricing is unknown.

Peptide site pricing:

• MGF: $14-38 for 2mg
• PEG-MGF: $28-58 for 2mg

Legality

This is a good time to point out my standard disclaimer: I am not a doctor or a lawyer. I made this site to help in my own research of the human endocrine system, and to find any new treatments for PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury. I’m not making any medical or legal claims about any drug here besides what medical studies are showing and what people are self-reporting they use.

Each country and state is free to make their own scheduling on substances so it’s up to you to check. At the time of writing MGF/IGF-1EC didn’t appear on the DEA list.

WADA specifically bans MGF by name since 2005, and the IGF-1 class as a whole. They prohibit at all times:

• Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1), and its analogues
• Mechano Growth Factors (MGFs)

The NCAA bans as a class “Peptide Hormones and Analogues” naming “Growth hormone (hGH); human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG); erythropoietin (EPO); IGF-1; etc.” MGF being a form of IGF-1 would fall under this ban.

Doping controls for MGF exist including detection of fragment and full-length.⁵¹

References

Last updated: Mar 01, 2017