HCG

Summary

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a heterodimeric glycoprotein hormone, central to pregnancy, that is also an established gonadotropin therapeutic ^[4]. The provided literature emphasizes its endogenous biology — supporting embryo implantation and placentation and modulating maternal immune cells — and its dual, context-dependent relationship with cancer, where placental hCG can be protective while ectopic β-hCG expression signals poor prognosis ^[1,2]. As an administered therapy, hCG is reviewed for treating male infertility, including non-obstructive azoospermia, where stratification criteria such as APHRODITE may identify candidates likely to benefit, though further research is needed to fully clarify the mechanisms of exogenous gonadotropins ^[3]. The substance's status as an approved gonadotropin with a large clinical trial base supports a strong grade, even though the abstracts supplied here are predominantly review-level rather than new randomized efficacy trials ^[3,4].

Sources

1. 1. Human Chorionic Gonadotropin and Breast Cancer International journal of molecular sciences, 2017.
2. 2. Human Chorionic Gonadotropin-Mediated Immune Responses That Facilitate Embryo Implantation and Placentation Frontiers in immunology, 2019.
3. 3. Human chorionic gonadotropin-based clinical treatments for infertile men with non-obstructive azoospermia Andrology, 2026.
4. 4. Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG)-An Endocrine, Regulator of Gestation and Cancer International journal of molecular sciences, 2018.

For educational purposes only.