
BPC-157: Complete Scientific Guide
BPC-157, the 'Body Protection Compound' peptide, has hundreds of preclinical studies showing healing properties -- but almost no human clinical data. Here's what the science says.
In-depth research profiles for individual peptides.

BPC-157, the 'Body Protection Compound' peptide, has hundreds of preclinical studies showing healing properties -- but almost no human clinical data. Here's what the science says.

DSIP is one of neuroscience's strangest molecules -- no known gene, no known receptor, yet research shows effects on sleep, stress, pain, and even tumor suppression.

Epitalon is a synthetic tetrapeptide that reactivates telomerase to rebuild chromosome caps. Research shows telomere extension and lifespan effects in animal models.

GHK-Cu is a naturally occurring peptide that declines 60% by age 60. Research spans skin aging, wound healing, hair growth, lung repair, and cognitive decline.

LL-37 is your body's natural antibiotic -- a cathelicidin peptide that kills bacteria, fights viruses, disrupts biofilms, and directs immune responses.

Selank is a synthetic anxiolytic peptide that modulates GABA, serotonin, and dopamine. Approved in Russia since 2009, it reduces anxiety without sedation or dependence.

Semax is a synthetic ACTH fragment that upregulates BDNF production. Approved in Russia for stroke recovery and cognitive impairment, with emerging Alzheimer's research.

TB-500 started in racehorse barns and spread to bodybuilding forums. This guide covers its mechanisms, research evidence, and how it differs from Thymosin Beta-4.

Thymosin Alpha-1 is one of the most studied immune-modulating peptides, with 70+ clinical trials. Approved in 35+ countries as Zadaxin for hepatitis and immune support.

Thymosin Beta-4 is a 43-amino-acid regenerative peptide found in nearly every human cell, with Phase 3 clinical trials for eye healing and research spanning cardiac and neural repair.

In 1931, two scientists in a London laboratory discovered a mysterious powder that caused intestinal tissue to contract. They called it "substance P"—the "P" standing for the powdered preparation they'd isolated.

The race to unlock body weight control through peptide therapeutics has intensified dramatically. While GLP-1 agonists like [semaglutide](/peptides/semaglutide-complete-pharmacology-guide/) captured mainstream attention with 15-20% weight loss, the next frontier pairs them with a different hormone

Glucagon is the metabolic counterweight to insulin. While insulin lowers blood glucose, glucagon raises it. This 29-amino-acid peptide hormone, secreted by pancreatic alpha cells, maintains blood sugar stability between meals and prevents dangerous hypoglycemia.

The rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria poses one of the most urgent threats to modern medicine. Conventional antibiotics are losing ground against pathogens that evolve faster than drug development pipelines can adapt.

When your heart stretches under pressure, it doesn't just pump harder—it talks back. The language it speaks comes through a family of signaling molecules called natriuretic peptides, hormones that play a central role in regulating blood pressure, fluid balance, and cardiac function.

Angiotensin 1-7 (Ang 1-7) is a seven-amino-acid peptide that sits at the center of one of medicine's most important control systems: the renin-angiotensin system (RAS).

Adrenocorticotropic hormone—ACTH for short—is one of the body's master stress regulators. It doesn't show up in wellness marketing or longevity forums. It's not found in compounded peptide vials.

For decades, Russian scientists have been isolating short peptides from animal tissues and testing them as bioregulators — molecules that influence how cells age, repair, and respond to threats.

IGF-1 DES (Des(1-3)IGF-1) is a naturally occurring, truncated variant of insulin-like growth factor-1 that has garnered research attention for its unique pharmacological properties.

ACE-031 was supposed to be a breakthrough for boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Early trials showed lean body mass climbing by 3-5% in just weeks, muscle volume expanding without exercise, and the kind of pharmacological effects that had researchers talking about reversing the irreversible.

If you've been researching peptides for anti-aging skincare, you've probably encountered compounds like [Matrixyl](/peptides/matrixyl-skincare-profile/) or [Argireline](/peptides/argireline-anti-wrinkle-guide/)—signal peptides that tell your skin to make more collagen.

The skin around your eyes is thinner than anywhere else on your body. It's the first place to show signs of aging, fluid retention, and lack of sleep. Under-eye puffiness and dark circles can make you look tired even when you're not. This is where acetyl tetrapeptide-5 comes in.

The skincare peptide landscape is crowded with claims about collagen stimulation. Walk into any beauty retailer and you'll find dozens of serums promising to "boost collagen production." Most rely on generic marketing language. Few explain *how* they actually work.

You walk into a dermatology clinic and ask about wrinkle reduction. The doctor mentions Botox, laser treatments, fillers. Then someone tells you about peptides — specifically Snap-8, a longer, supposedly more powerful version of Argireline. Is this marketing hype, or does the science hold up?

Most anti-aging peptides do one thing: boost collagen production. Matrixyl Synthe'6 does six. This third-generation peptide from Sederma takes a broader approach to skin repair, stimulating not just collagen but five other structural proteins that fill wrinkles from the inside rather than simply

Every time you smile, frown, or squint, the muscles beneath your skin contract. Repeat this thousands of times over the years, and you get expression lines — the forehead creases, crow's feet, and frown lines that etch themselves into the face.

Lixisenatide represents a distinctive approach among glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists: a short-acting peptide designed for once-daily administration that exerts its primary effects during the period immediately following meals.

The global obesity epidemic has driven an explosion of interest in peptide therapeutics that can deliver substantial, sustained weight loss.

The liver disease formerly known as NASH -- now called MASH (metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis) -- affects roughly 350 million people worldwide. Most treatments target the liver directly.

Novo Nordisk made [semaglutide](/peptides/semaglutide-complete-pharmacology-guide/) the biggest drug in the world. Now they're betting that adding a second hormone — amylin — can push weight loss even further.

Every cell in your body depends on mitochondria to produce energy. When these organelles fail — because of genetic disease, aging, or injury — the consequences ripple outward: muscles weaken, hearts struggle to pump, neurons degenerate, and vision fades.

In 2015, a research team at the University of Southern California made a discovery that changed how scientists think about mitochondria. These organelles — the tiny power plants inside your cells — weren't just generating energy. They were sending instructions.

In 2001, a Japanese research team led by Ikuo Nishimoto was studying the brains of Alzheimer's patients -- not the damaged regions, but the parts that had survived. They were looking for genes that could protect neurons from amyloid-beta toxicity.

For the roughly 3 million Americans with celiac disease, the only approved treatment is a lifelong gluten-free diet. No pill, no injection, no pharmaceutical backup.

Most people first hear about Pentadeca Arginate through its more famous relative. BPC-157 — the "Body Protection Compound" discovered in human gastric juice — spent thirty years building a reputation in animal studies for tissue healing, gut repair, and anti-inflammatory effects.

Among the newer entries in the nootropic peptide space, PE-22-28 occupies a genuinely interesting position.

Gonadorelin stands alone among synthetic peptides: it is structurally identical to the natural gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) your hypothalamus produces every 90 minutes to coordinate reproductive function.

The "love hormone." The "cuddle chemical." For years, oxytocin has been painted with the same romantic brush — a simple molecule that makes us kinder, more trusting, and more connected. Pop psychology wrapped it in a bow and called it a day.

The peptide known as Melanotan I stands apart from its more controversial cousin, Melanotan II, in one crucial respect: it's actually FDA-approved.

Kisspeptin is a neuropeptide that functions as the master regulator of the human reproductive system.

Mechano Growth Factor sounds like something from a superhero origin story. In reality, it's a naturally occurring peptide your muscles produce every time you lift heavy, sprint hard, or push your body beyond its comfort zone.

Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) regulates growth, metabolism, and tissue repair across the human body. But native IGF-1 has a problem: it gets bound up almost instantly by carrier proteins in the blood, limiting its bioavailability and cutting its active half-life to just 15 minutes.

Follistatin occupies a unique position in muscle biology—not because it builds tissue directly, but because it releases the brakes that normally limit muscle growth.

When the original Matrixyl peptide proved effective at smoothing wrinkles, researchers at Sederma saw room for improvement. The result was Matrixyl 3000 — a dual-peptide complex that attacks skin aging from two angles simultaneously.

The idea of applying snake venom to your face sounds like something from a dubious beauty hack list. But here's what's actually happening: Syn-Ake is a synthetic tripeptide that mimics a specific component of Temple Viper venom—one that temporarily blocks nerve signals to facial muscles.

Your skin doesn't just wear out over time—it burns out. Every day, invisible inflammation chips away at the proteins that keep your face firm. This process, called inflammaging, is why inflammation-fighting peptides have become central to anti-aging research.

The skincare industry has witnessed a quiet revolution in anti-aging technology, moving beyond simple moisturizers to ingredients that work at the cellular level. Among these innovations stands palmitoyl tripeptide-1, a synthetic peptide designed to mimic the body's own collagen repair signals.

Fragment 176-191 represents one of the more fascinating developments in peptide research: a truncated segment of human growth hormone that retains the fat-reducing properties of the parent molecule while shedding its growth-promoting effects.

CJC-1295 with DAC represents one of the more sophisticated approaches to growth hormone modulation through peptide technology.

Hexarelin represents one of the most powerful growth hormone-releasing peptides ever synthesized. Among the family of GHRPs, it stands out for triggering GH pulses up to three times larger than GHRH itself—but with an important caveat: its receptors desensitize faster than any other peptide in its

GHRP-6 (Growth Hormone-Releasing Peptide-6) stands as one of the pioneering synthetic peptides developed to stimulate natural growth hormone release.

In the pursuit of optimizing growth hormone levels without synthetic GH replacement, researchers developed a class of synthetic peptides that work with the body's natural systems rather than override them.

Every GLP-1 drug on the market right now requires either an injection or a peptide pill taken on an empty stomach with strict timing rules. Orforglipron could change that — because it is not even a peptide.

Most drugs in the GLP-1 class work by mimicking one gut hormone. Some, like [tirzepatide](/peptides/tirzepatide-dual-gipglp-1-agonist-profile/), combine GLP-1 with GIP. Survodutide takes a different bet entirely.

Before semaglutide became a household name, dulaglutide was the world's best-selling GLP-1 receptor agonist. Marketed as Trulicity by Eli Lilly, it peaked at $7.4 billion in annual revenue in 2022 and spent years as the go-to weekly injectable for type 2 diabetes.

In 1992, endocrinologist John Eng was studying the venom of a Gila monster (*Heloderma suspectum*) at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in the Bronx when he isolated a peptide that would reshape diabetes treatment.

Most peptides earn their names from where they were first found. Vasoactive intestinal peptide is no exception -- it was pulled from porcine gut tissue in 1970 and named for its ability to relax blood vessels. But the name is misleading.

Your immune system runs on molecular signals. When tissue is damaged or infected, a cascade of inflammatory molecules rushes to the scene — cytokines like TNF-alpha, IL-6, and IL-1 beta orchestrate the response, recruiting white blood cells and ramping up local defenses.

In 2012, a small lab at Washington State University [published a paper](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23055539/) that made a bold claim: researchers had created a synthetic peptide that was 10 million times more potent than brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) at promoting the formation of new

Every year, roughly 15 million people worldwide suffer a stroke. Millions more live with Alzheimer's disease, traumatic brain injuries, or other conditions where the brain's own repair systems fall short.

For decades, the cosmetic appeal of a golden tan has driven people to bake under the sun or lie in tanning beds — practices known to increase skin cancer risk.

Walk into a pharmacy and ask about sexual dysfunction treatments, and you'll get a predictable answer: Viagra, Cialis, or their generic equivalents. They work by increasing blood flow to the genitals. If your plumbing is fine but your brain isn't interested, you're out of luck.

If you've spent any time researching anti-aging skincare, you've probably run into copper peptides. You'll find them in serums, moisturizers, and creams — often marketed with claims about collagen production and "skin regeneration." But what does the actual science say?

"Botox in a bottle." You've probably seen the phrase splashed across skincare ads, TikTok videos, and Reddit threads. It's catchy. It sells product. And it's fundamentally misleading.

Walk into any major skincare retailer today, and you'll find Matrixyl listed on dozens of anti-aging serums and creams. Since its launch in 2000 by French biotech firm Sederma, this synthetic peptide has become one of the most commercially successful cosmetic ingredients in the world.

MK-677, also known as ibutamoren mesylate, occupies a unique position in the peptide research space. Despite being regularly discussed alongside peptides, it's not technically a peptide at all — it's a non-peptide, orally active growth hormone secretagogue that mimics the action of ghrelin.

Sermorelin occupies a unique place in peptide therapeutics: it's one of the few peptides that was fully FDA-approved, extensively studied in clinical trials, and used for years in mainstream medicine—before being quietly discontinued for commercial, not safety, reasons.

Most peptides in the growth hormone space exist in a regulatory gray zone. They're researched, discussed in anti-aging circles, and purchased through compounding pharmacies—but they're not FDA-approved drugs. Tesamorelin is the exception.

Growth hormone releasing peptides (GHRPs) have been studied for decades as tools to stimulate natural growth hormone (GH) production. But most early compounds came with a catch: they also triggered cortisol and prolactin release, making them difficult to use in practice.

CJC-1295 represents a significant advancement in peptide pharmacology — a synthetic analog of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) engineered to overcome the limitations of native GHRH's seven-minute half-life.

AOD-9604 represents one of the more intriguing disappointments in obesity drug development. This synthetic peptide, derived from the fat-burning region of human growth hormone, showed initial promise in animal studies and early human trials during the early 2000s.

In December 2025, Eli Lilly released Phase 3 data showing that retatrutide — the first drug ever to activate three gut hormone receptors simultaneously — helped patients lose an average of 28.7% of their body weight in 68 weeks. That number surpasses anything seen in a late-stage obesity trial.

Before semaglutide became a household name, there was liraglutide. Approved by the FDA in 2010, it was the drug that proved a once-daily GLP-1 receptor agonist could lower blood sugar, reduce cardiovascular risk, and help people lose weight — all in one molecule.

Most weight-loss drugs target a single hormone pathway. Tirzepatide targets two. As the first FDA-approved dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist, tirzepatide represents a fundamentally different approach to treating obesity and type 2 diabetes -- one that produced the largest weight reductions ever

In 2023, semaglutide generated $38.6 billion in U.S. sales alone — making it the highest-earning pharmaceutical product in American history. The drug, sold as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus, has reshaped how medicine thinks about obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular risk.