Tissue repair peptides

Category: signaling

Overview

Research peptides with claimed tissue-repair, anti-inflammatory, and angiogenic effects. Most are not FDA-approved but circulate in the supplement / research-chemical market with mechanism evidence from animal studies + small clinical trials. BPC-157 (Body Protection Compound, 15-aa) — gastric pentadecapeptide; animal-model evidence for tendon/ligament/bone healing + GI ulcer protection + angiogenesis via VEGFR2 + NO upregulation. TB-500 (synthetic thymosin β4 fragment) — actin-binding peptide; tendon repair claims; hair regrowth. GHK-Cu (copper tripeptide-1) — endogenous tri-peptide; copper-binding; skin/wound repair; collagen synthesis upregulation. Mechano growth factor (MGF) — IGF-1 Ec splice variant released by mechanically-stressed muscle; satellite-cell activator. PE22-28 — ADNP-derived fragment; neuroprotection claim.

Organ Systems

• musculoskeletal
• integumentary

Pathway Steps

1. injury-tissue-stress → repair-peptide-signaling — via mechanisms include VEGF/NO + actin remodeling + collagen synthesis + satellite-cell activation. A class of peptides (the gastric pentadecapeptide BPC-157, thymosin β4) is promoted for accelerating tissue repair, proposed to act via angiogenic and growth-factor (VEGF, FGF) signaling and cytoprotection. Preclinical data are suggestive but rigorous human evidence is limited, and these agents are unapproved and used off-label.

Known Modulators

• bpc 157 (activator) — angiogenesis + VEGFR2 + NO (mechanism partial). gastric pentadecapeptide; tendon/ligament/GI repair claims; not FDA-approved; oral + SC routes studied
• tb 500 (activator) — actin sequestration + tissue migration. synthetic thymosin β4 fragment; tendon + dermal repair; SC; not FDA-approved
• ghk cu (activator) — collagen synthesis + copper delivery. GHK-Cu; cosmetic + topical hair-loss + wound-healing; topical + injectable
• copper tripeptide 1 (activator) — identical to GHK-Cu (alternative slug). naming overlap with ghk-cu — both refer to glycyl-histidyl-lysyl-copper
• pe22 28 (activator) — ADNP-derived neuroprotection (research). ADNP-fragment peptide; neuroprotection animal data; not human-approved
• thymosin alpha 1 (activator) — TLR9-mediated immune modulation (Tα1). Zadaxin (FDA-orphan); immune modulation + adjunct in HBV/HCV + sepsis; SC
• collagen peptides (substrate) — collagen amino-acid + di-/tri-peptide signaling. hydrolyzed collagen; food supplement; ~25-30% absorbed intact as di/tri-peptides (Pro-Hyp, hydroxyprolyl-glycine) that may signal to fibroblasts
• type ii collagen (substrate) — oral tolerance / collagen building blocks. undenatured type II collagen (UC-II); osteoarthritis joint health claim via oral tolerance to autoimmune-targeted collagen

References

• PMID 38980576