Human growth hormone (HGH)
for thymus reconstitution

March 2007     View PDF     En español

Interest in using human growth hormone (rHGH, Serostim) to treat various conditions in HIV disease has been piqued for more than a decade. It is approved for treating wasting syndrome in HIV disease. The results from the studies using rHGH to treat body changes (lipodystrophy) have been encouraging, notably for central obesity around the stomach. Its approval for this use is imminent. (For more information on managing unwanted weight loss or lipodystrophy, read Project Inform’s publications, Nutrition and Weight Maintenance or Lipodystrophy Syndrome(s).)

Several researchers have proposed that rHGH may bolster the immune system in ways that might improve outcomes in HIV. One theory is that rHGH may stimulate renewal of an important organ in the immune system, the thymus. This may, in turn, lead to improved immune health in people with HIV. Studies are now examining whether or not renewing thymus tissue leads to better health and longer survival.

The thymus is necessary for developing new T cells, like CD4+ and CD8+ cells. Without some thymus present, immune reconstitution that produces a wide range of functional CD4+ cells is not believed to be possible. Thus, the state of the thymus in HIV disease and how therapies affect it are of great interest to those researching ways to restore the immune system.