Abstract: Parathyroid hormone (PTH) is an alkaline polypeptide hormone which is secreted by the parathyroid gland cell. It mainly regulates metabolism of calcium and phosphorus in vertebrates. Currently, PTH and its analogues have been exploited into first-choice drugs for the treatment of osteoporosis. With the elucidation of PTH gene sequence, it has become a research hotspot to obtain recombinant PTH of high-efficiency, low-toxicity and stability by means of genetic engineering. Here we present an overview of structure function, genetic engineering research and clinical application of PTH.