BPC-157
Body Protection Compound 157 · Pentadecapeptide BPC 157 · PL 14736
A synthetic gastric peptide with broad tissue-healing signals in animals — but no completed human trials.
Class
Synthetic pentadecapeptide (partial sequence of gastric BPC)
Half-life
Short (minutes) for injectable; disputed for oral
Evidence
Animal models
Animal models
Evidence comes primarily from rodent or other animal studies. Translation to humans is unproven.
Overview
BPC-157 is a stable 15-amino-acid fragment derived from a protein found in human gastric juice. In rodent models it shows a remarkably broad healing signal — accelerating tendon, ligament, muscle, and bone repair, protecting the gut lining, and promoting angiogenesis (new blood vessel formation) in injured tissue.
The angiogenic mechanism is the most studied: BPC-157 upregulates the VEGFR2 pathway and appears to accelerate the vascular ingrowth that healing tissue depends on. It also modulates the nitric oxide system and interacts with growth-factor signalling.
The critical caveat is that essentially all of this evidence is preclinical. Despite being one of the most popular 'recovery' peptides, there are no completed, published randomized controlled trials in humans. Its popularity substantially outruns its human evidence base, and it is not approved for human use anywhere.
How it works
- Upregulates VEGFR2 signalling, promoting angiogenesis in injured tissue.
- Modulates the nitric oxide (NO) system, supporting vascular and cytoprotective effects.
- Interacts with growth-hormone-receptor expression in tendon fibroblasts in vitro.
- Exerts cytoprotective effects on gut mucosa, counteracting NSAID and stress-induced damage in animal models.
What the research shows
Researched effects
- Accelerated tendon-to-bone and ligament healing in rodent models
- Protection against NSAID-induced gastrointestinal damage in animals
- Accelerated muscle and skin wound healing in rodents
- Neuroprotective and angiogenic effects in various animal injury models
Limitations & what it won't do
- No completed published randomized controlled human trials — the evidence gap is the headline fact.
- Optimal human dose, route, and bioavailability (especially oral) are unestablished.
- Long-term human safety is uncharacterised, including the consequences of promoting angiogenesis systemically.
- Not FDA approved.
Dosing protocols
These ranges reflect published trials and community protocols. They are reference information, not a prescription. Doses are per injection unless noted.
Common systemic protocol (community)
250–500 mcgCommunity protocols favour subcutaneous injection near (not into) the injured area. Documented for reference; human efficacy is unproven.
Oral protocol (gut-focused)
250–500 mcgUsed specifically for GI complaints on the theory of local gut action. Systemic absorption of oral BPC-157 is disputed.
Reconstitution & measuring your dose
Handling
- Typical vial sizes
- 2 · 5 · 10 mg
- Suggested BAC water
- 2 mL
- Storage
- Lyophilised powder refrigerated at 2–8 °C, protected from light.
- After reconstitution
- Reconstituted: approximately 30 days refrigerated. Do not freeze.
Why 2 mL? A 5 mg vial in 2 mL yields 2500 mcg/mL — 250 mcg lands on 10 units, 500 mcg on 20 units of a U-100 syringe.
Dose calculator
Draw to
10units
= 0.1 mL · 25 mcg per unit
Concentration
2500 mcg/mL
Doses per vial
20
Side effects
Common
- Injection-site irritation
- Transient nausea or lightheadedness
- Generally reported as well tolerated in anecdotal use
Serious / rare
- Unknown — no human safety trials
- Theoretical concern that systemic angiogenesis could feed occult tumours
Contraindications & interactions
Do not use if you have
- Active cancer or current oncology treatment
BPC-157 promotes angiogenesis, which tumours exploit to grow. Active cancer is a contraindication until human safety is established.
- Pregnant, breastfeeding, or trying to conceive
No pregnancy safety data.
Use caution if you have
- Past cancer diagnosis (in remission)
Given the angiogenic mechanism, obtain oncology clearance before use with any cancer history.
Medication interactions
- monitorNSAIDs (regular use) — Studied as gut-protective against NSAIDs in animals; no adverse interaction expected, but this is not a licence to combine unsupervised.
What to monitor
- Injury response and function
- Any new or unusual symptoms given the absence of human safety data
Commonly combined with
References
- Chang CH et al. — BPC-157 and tendon fibroblast healing in vitroJ Appl Physiol 2011;110:774-780
- Sikiric P et al. — Stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157 reviewCurrent Pharmaceutical Design 2018;24:1990-2001
Research & educational information only — not medical advice.
You must be 18 or older to use this site. The peptides described are presented as research chemicals intended for research purposes only. Most are not approved by the FDA for human use. Dosing ranges reflect what has appeared in the scientific literature or community protocols and are not prescriptions. Nothing here replaces evaluation by a licensed physician who knows your full medical history.
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