What is the half-life of IGF-2?

IGF-2 has a half-life of ~15 minutes (heavily regulated by IGFBPs and IGF-2R clearance), which is why it's typically administered Once daily (research dosing, not clinically established) for optimal therapeutic effect.

How do I reconstitute IGF-2?

Add bacteriostatic water to the peptide vial slowly down the side. Typical reconstitution uses 2-3ml of water for a 5mg vial. Gently swirl, do not shake.

Muscle Growth

Preclinical

IGF-2

Also known as: IGF-II, Somatomedin A

Overview

Key Facts

Primary Goal: The second member of the insulin-like growth factor family, encoded by an imprinted gene primarily expressed from the paternal allele

The second member of the insulin-like growth factor family, encoded by an imprinted gene primarily expressed from the paternal allele. While IGF-1 is the dominant postnatal growth mediator, IGF-2 plays important roles in muscle development, satellite cell self-renewal, and the early stages of muscle regeneration. It signals through the IGF-1 receptor, the insulin receptor isoform A, and has its own clearance receptor (IGF-2R/mannose-6-phosphate receptor). Half-Life ~15 minutes (heavily regulated by IGFBPs and IGF-2R clearance) Typical Dose 20–100 mcg Frequency Once daily (research dosing, not clinically established) Cycle Length 4-8 weeks (research context only)

Dosing Information

Half-Life

~15 minutes (heavily regulated by IGFBPs and IGF-2R clearance)

Typical Dose

20–100 mcg

Frequency

Once daily (research dosing, not clinically established)

Cycle Length

4-8 weeks (research context only)

Administration Routes:

subcutaneousintramuscular

Storage & Reconstitution

Unreconstituted (Powder)

Temperature2–8°C (36–46°F) or -20°C (-4°F) for long-term

DurationUp to 3 months

Reconstituted (Mixed)

Temperature2–8°C (36–46°F)

Duration2-4 weeks

Research Summary

Preclinical

IGF-2 has been studied primarily in developmental biology and cancer research. Seminal work by Merrick et al. demonstrated IGF-2's role in satellite cell self-renewal during muscle regeneration in mice. Unlike IGF-1, which drives differentiation, IGF-2 maintains the regenerative capacity of the satellite cell pool. While preclinical evidence is promising for muscle repair applications, no clinical trials for musculoskeletal indications exist. Its complex regulation through genomic imprinting adds a layer of biological nuance absent in other IGF family peptides.