How BPC-157 actually works

Hey guys, I thought I’d do a post on the scientific intricacies of BPC-157, a peptide with significant therapeutic potential and something we commonly see in our industry. The focus will be on its molecular mechanisms and the implications of recent research findings.

BPC-157 is a synthetic peptide composed of 15 amino acids. It is derived from a protein found in human gastric juice. Its reputation in the scientific community and various forums on the Internet stems from its diverse potential regenerative effects.

At a molecular level, BPC-157 exhibits several mechanisms. Primarily, it promotes angiogenesis (the formation of new blood vessels). This process is crucial for healing as it supplies nutrients and oxygen to damaged areas.

The Research into BPC-157:

The research focuses on the following mechanisms:

Enhancement of Collagen Formation:

One of the critical aspects of the healing process once injured is the production of collagen. BPC-157 has been shown to accelerate the formation of collagen in various models of wound healing. This is crucial because collagen provides structural integrity to the newly formed tissues, aiding in the restoration of damaged areas. Think, torn ACL. This study showed significantly increased collagen formation over control rats:

Stimulation of Angiogenesis:

Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels, is vital for healing as it ensures an adequate supply of nutrients and oxygen to the wounded area. The experiments conducted in this study demonstrate that BPC-157 significantly stimulates angiogenesis, particularly in the early stages of healing. As I said, this enhances the capability of the body to repair tissue damage efficiently.

Promotion of Granulation Tissue Formation:

Granulation tissue forms at the site of an injury and is a key part of the healing process. This tissue consists of new connective tissue and tiny blood vessels. BPC-157 was found to increase the formation of granulation tissue in wound models, suggesting its role in accelerating wound repair.

Influence on Inflammatory Response:

BPC-157 also seems to modulate the inflammatory response. For instance, it was noted that BPC-157-treated wounds had a more prominent mononuclear inflammatory infiltrate early in the healing process compared to controls. This suggests that BPC-157 might influence the types of cells that are recruited to the wound site, potentially speeding up the healing process.

Reduction in Acute Inflammatory Mediators:

BPC-157 appears to reduce the levels of certain inflammatory mediators in the serum and tissue, which could be part of the reason for its healing properties. Inflammation is a natural part of the healing process, but excessive inflammation can delay healing or lead to further tissue damage.

Vascular Protection and Tissue Repair:

The paper also suggests that BPC-157 may protect endothelial cells during tissue damage, which could contribute to its effects on angiogenesis and tissue repair. Endothelial cells line the inside of blood vessels and play a critical role in vascular health and the formation of new blood vessels. BPC-157 also influences the expression of genes related to vascular disease and healing. For example, it stimulates the early growth response gene (EGR-1) and modulates the nitric oxide system, both of which are vital for tissue repair and regeneration.

BPC-157 in Animal Models:

In animal models, BPC-157 has demonstrated remarkable healing effects. This includes enhancing tendon-to-bone healing, improving recovery in transected ligaments, and even repairing damaged muscles.

This study explored the effects of BPC-157 on tendon healing. The study specifically investigated how BPC 157 influenced tendon fibroblasts, which are crucial cells in tendon repair and regeneration.

Basically, growth hormone has a huge impact on healing rates, and this study aimed to investigate BPC-157's effects on Growth Hormone Receptor (GHR) expression, as identified by previous cDNA microarray analysis.

And what they found was as follows:

GHR Expression:

BPC-157 treatment dose-dependently increased GHR expression in tendon fibroblasts. This increase was both at the mRNA and protein levels. In fact, with a constant concentration of BPC 157 at 0.5 μg/mL, the study observed a significant increase in GHR expression over time, from day one to day three. The study mentions that up to sevenfold increases in GHR expression were observed by day three.

Cell Proliferation:

Not only this, but the presence of GH in BPC-157-treated tendon fibroblasts resulted in increased cell proliferation, as evidenced by MTT assay and increased expression of Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen (PCNA), a marker for cell proliferation (basically how quickly new cells grow).

So basically, by increasing GHR expression, BPC-157 increases healing by allowing growth hormone (GH) to have a higher ability to influence tendon repair. Basically, BPC-157 promotes tendon healing by up-regulating GHR in tendon fibroblasts, enhancing the healing effects of GH.

Another interesting study was this one, which evaluated the effects of BPC-157 on the healing of surgically transected medial collateral ligaments (MCL) in rats. BPC was administered in three forms: injectable BPC (10 mg or 10 ng/kg), topically (1.0 mg in cream/g), and orally (0.16mg/ml in drinking water, approx. 12 ml/day/rat). And they found that:

• By the 14th postoperative day, MCL strength reached normal healthy rat values (Breaking force: 34.1 ± 5.2 N, Elongation: 2.3 ± 0.2 mm, Absorbed energy: 34.8 ± 4.8 N·mm, Stiffness: 20.3 ± 3.2 N/mm). As you can see in the graphs below, for gross healing scores, the rats given BPC-157 significantly outperformed controls (healed quicker and got back to normal function quicker):

• The rats also had improved tissue organisation, closely resembling non-injured ligaments (specific numeric scoring not detailed in the summary).
• There was faster organisation of connective tissue, with an increased amount of longitudinally oriented collagen fibers.
• Notable changes in collagen type (reduction in type III, increase in type I). Collagen I is a stiff fibrillar protein that gives tensile strength, whereas Col III produces an elastic network that stores kinetic energy as an elastic rebound. So increasing type III was pretty impressive, especially for clinical outcomes.

And so, the researchers concluded there were potential clinical applications for ligament healing in humans.

So basically, BPC-157 presents fascinating healing properties, along mainly the GHR/growth factor vectors. However, there is a clear need for further research to fully understand its mechanisms and safety in humans.

None of the following is medical advice, and although the research is very limited, this paper seemed to suggest 200 micrograms/person/day, which seems to be in line with most anecdotal evidence online.

Thanks so much for reading, see you in the next post!

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