What is BPC-157?
BPC-157 (also written BPC 157) is a synthetic peptide of 15 amino acids, a pentadecapeptide with the sequence Gly-Glu-Pro-Pro-Pro-Gly-Lys-Pro-Ala-Asp-Asp-Ala-Gly-Leu-Val. BPC stands for body protection compound, the name its discoverers gave to a protein isolated from human gastric juice, and BPC-157 is a partial sequence of that protein (Chang et al., 2011).
The published work is overwhelmingly preclinical: a 2025 systematic review of the musculoskeletal literature included 35 preclinical studies and one clinical study (Vasireddi et al., 2025). Disguised Alpha supplies BPC-157 as a lyophilized powder for laboratory research use only. Nothing on this page is guidance for use in people.
BPC-157 reference data
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | BPC-157 |
| Aliases | BPC 157, PL 14736, PLD-116, Bepecin (PubChem CID 9941957); body protection compound-157 |
| Sequence | Gly-Glu-Pro-Pro-Pro-Gly-Lys-Pro-Ala-Asp-Asp-Ala-Gly-Leu-Val (GEPPPGKPADDAGLV) |
| Peptide class | Synthetic pentadecapeptide |
| Molecular formula | C₆₂H₉₈N₁₆O₂₂ |
| Molecular weight | 1419.55 g/mol |
| CAS number | 137525-51-0 |
| Form | Lyophilized powder |
| Sizes carried | 5MG, 10MG |
| Testing | Third-party tested, with the certificate for each lot published on the product page and in the COA portal |
Formula, molecular weight, CAS number and sizes are taken from the BPC-157 product page. The sequence and aliases are from PubChem (CID 9941957), which lists the molecular weight as 1419.5 g/mol. Confirm identity and measured content against the certificate for your lot.
What the research covers
Published work on BPC-157 falls into five areas. Each summary below states the model used.
Gastrointestinal lesion models
Much of the literature uses rat models of gastric and intestinal injury. One study tested BPC-157 against ethanol-induced gastric lesions alongside agents that block or supply nitric oxide (NO), and found that in rat gastric mucosa homogenates the peptide generated NO at a level comparable to L-arginine (Sikiric et al., 1997).
In a four-week rat model of short bowel syndrome after extensive small-bowel resection, investigators tracked body weight, villus height, crypt depth, muscle thickness and anastomosis breaking strength, and reported weight gain above preoperative values in the BPC-157 groups (Sever et al., 2009). Reviews from the discovering group summarize this work and describe the peptide as stable in human gastric juice (Sikiric et al., 2016).
Tendon, ligament and muscle models
In rats with a transected Achilles tendon, BPC-157 was evaluated with biomechanical, functional, microscopic and macroscopic measures over 14 days. In cultured tendocytes it countered the growth inhibition caused by 4-hydroxynonenal (Staresinic et al., 2003). A separate group in Taiwan found that BPC-157 increased outgrowth from rat tendon explants, survival of tendon fibroblasts under hydrogen peroxide stress and fibroblast migration, with activation of the FAK-paxillin pathway (Chang et al., 2011). The same group reported raised growth hormone receptor expression in tendon fibroblasts (Chang et al., 2014).
Blood vessels and nitric oxide signaling
In isolated rat aorta, BPC-157 produced concentration-dependent, endothelium-dependent vasodilation that NO inhibition blocked. In endothelial cells it induced NO generation and phosphorylation of Src, caveolin-1 and eNOS, and promoted cell migration (Hsieh et al., 2020). A 2025 review cites VEGFR2 activation and the Akt-eNOS axis as recurring mechanisms in angiogenesis models (McGuire et al., 2025), and the discovering group has reviewed the peptide's interactions with the NO system (Sikiric et al., 2014).
Metabolism and analytical detection
Because BPC-157 has turned up in confiscated vials, anti-doping laboratories have characterized it. Incubation in plasma showed that the peptide forms a stable metabolite, and a weak cation-exchange extraction method detected BPC-157 in urine at 0.1 ng/mL (Cox et al., 2017).
A stable-isotope-labeling study identified nine in vitro metabolites, one from a previously undescribed pathway, and validated a urine method for the parent peptide and five main metabolites (Tian et al., 2023). In rats and beagle dogs, the intact peptide had an elimination half-life under 30 minutes, broke down into small fragments and amino acids, and was excreted mainly in urine and bile (He et al., 2022).
Where the human evidence stands
Human data are thin. The discovering group reports Phase II testing in inflammatory bowel disease under the code PL 14736 (Sikiric et al., 2012). A 2025 review identified only three small human pilot studies and noted that rigorous, large-scale trials are lacking (McGuire et al., 2025). BPC-157 has no FDA approval and is banned in professional sports (Vasireddi et al., 2025).
Key studies
- Sikirić P, et al. "The influence of a novel pentadecapeptide, BPC 157, on N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methylester and L-arginine effects on stomach mucosa integrity and blood pressure." Eur J Pharmacol. 1997. PMID 9298922. DOI 10.1016/s0014-2999(97)01033-9. Rat gastric lesion and blood pressure models with NO-system agents; NO generation in gastric mucosa.
- Sever M, et al. "Gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157 and short bowel syndrome in rats." Dig Dis Sci. 2009. PMID 19093208. DOI 10.1007/s10620-008-0598-y. Rat short bowel syndrome model after small-bowel resection, four weeks.
- Chang CH, et al. "Pentadecapeptide BPC 157 enhances the growth hormone receptor expression in tendon fibroblasts." Molecules. 2014. PMID 25415472. DOI 10.3390/molecules191119066. Rat tendon fibroblast culture: growth hormone receptor expression and JAK2 signaling.
- Sikiric P, et al. "Brain-gut Axis and Pentadecapeptide BPC 157: Theoretical and Practical Implications." Curr Neuropharmacol. 2016. PMID 27138887. DOI 10.2174/1570159x13666160502153022. Review by the discovering group of gastrointestinal and brain-gut findings.
- Cox HD, et al. "Detection and in vitro metabolism of the confiscated peptides BPC 157 and MGF R23H." Drug Test Anal. 2017. PMID 28035768. DOI 10.1002/dta.2152. Anti-doping analysis: identification in confiscated vials, plasma metabolism, urine method.
- Hsieh MJ, et al. "Modulatory effects of BPC 157 on vasomotor tone and the activation of Src-Caveolin-1-endothelial nitric oxide synthase pathway." Sci Rep. 2020. PMID 33051481. DOI 10.1038/s41598-020-74022-y. Isolated rat aorta and endothelial cells: vasodilation and Src-caveolin-1-eNOS signaling.
- Tian T, et al. "Stable Isotope Labeling-Based Nontargeted Strategy for Characterization of the In Vitro Metabolic Profile of a Novel Doping BPC-157 in Doping Control by UHPLC-HRMS." Molecules. 2023. PMID 37959764. DOI 10.3390/molecules28217345. Isotope-labeled in vitro metabolism study and a validated urine detection method.
- Vasireddi N, et al. "Emerging Use of BPC-157 in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine: A Systematic Review." HSS J. 2025. PMID 40756949. DOI 10.1177/15563316251355551. Systematic review of 36 studies (35 preclinical, 1 clinical).
Handling and storage of lyophilized BPC-157
General laboratory practice for this material:
- Store the lyophilized powder at -20°C, protected from light, until use (storage guidance on the product page).
- Let the sealed vial reach room temperature before opening so moisture does not condense on the powder.
- Reconstitute in a sterile solvent or buffer suited to the assay, adding it gently down the vial wall and swirling rather than vortexing.
- After reconstitution, keep solutions at 2 to 8°C and protected from light, and split stock into single-use aliquots to avoid freeze/thaw cycles.
- Plasma and in vitro incubation studies show BPC-157 breaking down into smaller fragments (Cox et al., 2017; Tian et al., 2023), so prepare biological-matrix samples fresh and keep them cold.
- Record the lot number and keep its certificate with your notes. For quantitative work, use the measured content on the certificate rather than the label mass.
Frequently asked questions
What is the BPC-157 peptide?
BPC-157 is a synthetic 15-amino-acid peptide (GEPPPGKPADDAGLV, 1419.55 g/mol) based on a partial sequence of a protein found in human gastric juice. It is studied mainly in rodent injury models, cell culture and analytical chemistry.
What does BPC stand for?
Body protection compound. The name refers to the gastric juice protein from which the 15-residue sequence was taken (Chang et al., 2011). Indexed studies on BPC-157 date back to 1993 (Vasireddi et al., 2025).
BPC-157 vs TB-500: what is the difference?
They are unrelated molecules. BPC-157 is the 15-residue gastric juice fragment described above. TB-500 is a name used for material related to thymosin beta-4, a roughly 5 kDa actin-sequestering peptide present in almost every cell (Huff et al., 2001). One doping-control analysis identified the N-terminally acetylated 17-23 fragment of thymosin beta-4 (Ac-LKKTETQ) in a TB-500 product (Esposito et al., 2012). Disguised Alpha also carries the two together as Wolverine (BPC-157 / TB-500).
Is BPC-157 approved for human use?
No. A 2025 systematic review notes that BPC-157 has no FDA approval and is banned in professional sports (Vasireddi et al., 2025). Disguised Alpha sells it strictly for laboratory research.
How should BPC-157 powder be stored?
Store the lyophilized powder at -20°C, protected from light. Once reconstituted, keep it at 2 to 8°C, protected from light, and avoid freeze/thaw cycles, as listed on the product page.
Where can researchers buy BPC-157?
Disguised Alpha sells it for laboratory research, third-party tested with the certificate published on the product page: BPC-157 (5MG and 10MG).
Related compounds and guides
- Wolverine (BPC-157 / TB-500)
- Wolverine+ (Cartalax / BPC-157 / TB-500)
- GLOW (GHK-Cu / BPC-157 / TB-500)
- KLOW (GHK-Cu / BPC-157 / TB-500 / KPV)
- KPV
- GHK-Cu research guide
- COA portal: every published certificate, by lot
This product is for research use only. It has not been evaluated for safety or effectiveness in humans. Not for human consumption. All products are intended for laboratory research purposes only.