BPC-157
BPC or Wolverine
Recovery & Performance
CAS
137525-51-0
Molecular Weight
1420
Da
Animal Only
A synthetic peptide studied in animal models for tendon repair, gut healing, and anti-inflammatory effects. No human RCT data currently available.
Injectable · Oral
Intranasal Suitable
Yes
Research Compound
Community Signal
Community signal is the loudest and most divided of any compound in the catalog. Injury recovery reports, tendons, ligaments, gut healing, are extraordinarily consistent across Reddit, biohacking forums, and anecdotal databases, with users frequently describing results they characterize as dramatic. This community consensus exists in direct tension with the weak formal evidence base (RQS: 23/100), making BPC-157 the clearest example of why PeptideClear tracks anecdotal signal separately from research quality. Oral vs injectable debate is active, many users report equivalent results orally, which if true would have significant mechanistic implications. Sourcing quality is flagged frequently as a confounding variable in negative reports.
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What It Is
BPC-157 (Body Protection Compound 157) is a synthetic pentadecapeptide — a chain of 15 amino acids — derived from a protein found naturally in human gastric juice. It does not occur in this form in nature and has been synthesized specifically for research purposes. It has been studied extensively in animal models for its regenerative and protective properties across multiple tissue types.
Mechanism of Action
BPC-157 appears to work primarily by up-regulating growth hormone receptors in tendon fibroblasts, accelerating the formation of new blood vessels (angiogenesis), and modulating nitric oxide synthesis. It also interacts with the dopaminergic and serotonergic systems, which may explain some of its reported gut-protective effects. In animal studies it has demonstrated the ability to accelerate collagen synthesis and promote wound closure.
Use Cases
In animal research BPC-157 has been studied for tendon and ligament repair, gut healing including inflammatory bowel conditions, muscle tear recovery, bone healing, and neuroprotection. It is widely used in the biohacking and athletic performance community for injury recovery, though no human clinical trials have been completed to date.
Known Risks
Human safety data is extremely limited. All evidence comes from animal models and anecdotal self-reports. Known considerations include: no established safe dosing range for humans, unknown long-term effects, potential interaction with medications affecting nitric oxide pathways, and risk of contamination from unregulated research chemical suppliers. Not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding individuals. Anyone with a history of cancer should exercise particular caution as angiogenic peptides may theoretically stimulate tumor growth, this has not been studied in the context of BPC-157 specifically but warrants caution.
Available Forms
Injectable (subcutaneous or intramuscular) and oral capsules. Injectable is considered more bioavailable based on animal research. Oral form is increasingly popular but absorption data in humans is absent.
Regulatory Status
BPC-157 is not FDA approved for human use. It is currently sold legally as a research compound labeled "not for human consumption." It was removed from the FDA's list of permissible compounding ingredients in 2022. It exists in a legal gray zone, purchasing and possessing it is not illegal but administering it as a drug without a prescription is not permitted.
Sources
Sikiric P et al. — Stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157: novel therapy in gastrointestinal tract. Current Pharmaceutical Design, 2011. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21548867
Chang CH et al. — The promoting effect of pentadecapeptide BPC 157 on tendon healing involves tendon outgrowth, cell survival, and cell migration. Journal of Applied Physiology, 2011. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21030672
Gwyer D et al. — Gastric pentadecapeptide body protection compound BPC 157 and its role in accelerating musculoskeletal soft tissue healing. Cell and Tissue Research, 2019. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30915550
Similar Compounds
TB-500, GHK-Cu, Ipamorelin
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