BPC-157

Overview

BPC-157 is a short, lab-made peptide whose sequence was taken from a larger protein found in gastric juice. It has been investigated since the 1990s, mostly by a small number of research groups, as a candidate for supporting the repair of damaged tissue.

What the research has looked at

Published work is dominated by rodent studies. Reported areas include healing of tendon and ligament injuries, muscle crush injuries, bone defects, and damage to the lining of the digestive tract. These papers describe effects on new blood vessel growth (angiogenesis) and on growth-factor signaling pathways.

What we do not know

• Human clinical evidence is extremely limited, and no large randomized controlled trials have established safety or effectiveness.
• A large share of the animal literature comes from a small number of related research groups, and independent replication is limited.
• The exact mechanism of action is not settled.
• Long-term safety has not been studied in people.

Regulatory context

BPC-157 is not an approved medicine. It is also listed by the World Anti-Doping Agency among prohibited non-approved substances, which matters for competitive athletes. Regulators have raised concerns about its use in compounded and unapproved products.

Related pages

See the Peptide A-Z for other compounds studied in tissue-repair models.

References & further reading

Search PubMed for BPC-157