BPC-157 in the research literature: what the pentadecapeptide is, what has been studied, and how it is handled
BPC-157 is the most requested research peptide in the catalogue and the one with the largest gap between what is claimed about it online and what the literature actually contains. It is a 15-residue fragment of a gastric protein, studied almost entirely in rodents by one research group over three decades, with no controlled human data. This guide sets out what it is, what the published work has examined, where the evidence stops, the regulatory position, and how to reconstitute and store it. For laboratory research use only.
What BPC-157 is
BPC-157 is a synthetic pentadecapeptide with the sequence Gly-Glu-Pro-Pro-Pro-Gly-Lys-Pro-Ala-Asp-Asp-Ala-Gly-Leu-Val (GEPPPGKPADDAGLV). The name comes from “body protection compound”, the label the originating group gave to a protein they isolated from human gastric juice; BPC-157 is the 15-amino-acid segment of that protein that they synthesised and studied. The group, led by Predrag Sikirić at the University of Zagreb, has published on it since the early 1990s. The peptide has no cysteine or methionine, four prolines, and a net negative charge at neutral pH. It is usually supplied as the acetate salt; an arginine salt form (“BPC-157 arginate”) is also sold by some vendors and is the same peptide with a different counter-ion.
| Sequence | Gly-Glu-Pro-Pro-Pro-Gly-Lys-Pro-Ala-Asp-Asp-Ala-Gly-Leu-Val (GEPPPGKPADDAGLV) |
| Also known as | Body protection compound 157, PL 14736, Bepecin, pentadecapeptide BPC 157 |
| CAS number | 137525-51-0 |
| Molecular formula / weight | C62H98N16O22 · ≈ 1,419.5 g/mol (free peptide) |
| Residues | 15; no Cys or Met; four Pro |
| Solubility | Water, bacteriostatic water, saline |
| Stability | Reported stable in human gastric juice for more than 24 h (hence “stable gastric pentadecapeptide”) |
What the literature has studied
Gastrointestinal models
The earliest and largest body of work is in rat models of gastrointestinal injury: lesions induced by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, alcohol or stress, colitis models, anastomosis and fistula models. Reported endpoints are lesion scores, healing of surgical joins and histology. This is where the “stable gastric pentadecapeptide” description originates, and the group has argued that the peptide’s stability in gastric acid is central to its activity in these models.
Tendon, ligament, muscle and bone models
From the late 1990s the same group published rat studies of Achilles tendon transection, medial collateral ligament injury, muscle crush and transection, and segmental bone defects, reporting faster functional recovery and improved histology in treated animals compared with controls. Related in-vitro work examined tendon fibroblast outgrowth and migration in culture, which is the most accessible assay for a laboratory wanting to work with the peptide.
Vascular and nitric-oxide system
A recurring theme in the group’s papers is interaction with the nitric-oxide system and with angiogenesis: reported effects on NO-synthase inhibition models, on vessel recruitment (“collateral” formation) in occlusion models, and on expression of VEGFR2 and related signalling in cultured endothelial cells. These mechanistic proposals come from the originating laboratory and have not been independently characterised in detail.
Other models
The published range is wide: rat models of corneal injury, periodontitis, spinal-cord compression, various drug toxicities, and others. Breadth is a feature of this literature, and a reason for caution: a single peptide reported to act in dozens of unrelated injury models, nearly all from one group, is a pattern that calls for independent replication before any mechanism is taken as settled.
Human data
There are no published controlled clinical trials of BPC-157. A small number of early-phase studies have been registered over the years, and the originating group has described plans for clinical development, but no efficacy or safety data in people have been published in the peer-reviewed literature. Statements about effects in humans are extrapolations from rat studies.
What the literature has not shown, and the regulatory position
Independent replication of the rat findings outside the originating group is limited, and the mechanistic proposals rest on that group’s work. Pharmacokinetics in any species are poorly characterised. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration in 2023 placed BPC-157 in the category of bulk drug substances that it considers to raise significant safety risks for use in compounded drugs, citing the lack of adequate safety and pharmacology data; the peptide is also listed as a prohibited substance by the World Anti-Doping Agency. None of this affects its status as a research reagent for in-vitro and preclinical work, but it is the honest context for a compound that is widely discussed as if its human effects were established.
How BPC-157 is supplied for research
Quantum Peptides supplies BPC-157, 10 mg lyophilized powder, and two co-lyophilized blends that contain it: the BPC-157 / TB-500 blend and the three-peptide Glow peptide blend. Every lot is tested by an independent US laboratory to a minimum of 99% purity by HPLC, with mass-spectrometry identity (expected mass ≈ 1,419.5), and the lot certificate is linked on each product page. Because of the four prolines, a split or shouldered main peak on the chromatogram can reflect cis/trans proline isomers rather than an impurity; the mass-spectrometry panel resolves the question. Our guides to peptide purity and reading a certificate of analysis explain what to check.
Reconstitution and handling
BPC-157 dissolves readily in water, bacteriostatic water or saline. As an example, 10 mg reconstituted with 2 mL gives 5 mg/mL; the peptide calculator works out the volume for any concentration and draw size, and the reconstitution guide covers the procedure. Add the diluent slowly down the vial wall and swirl; do not shake. With no methionine or cysteine, the peptide is not oxidation-prone, and its reported acid stability means it tolerates mildly acidic diluents. The main degradation route in solution is deamidation and isomerisation at the Asp-Asp and Asp-Ala positions over weeks, so keep solutions at 2–8 °C in the dark and use them within the working life of the diluent (28 days for bacteriostatic water, same day for sterile water unless frozen in portions; see bacteriostatic vs sterile water). Store the lyophilized powder at −20 °C, desiccated and protected from light; see peptide storage and shelf life.
Frequently asked questions
What is BPC-157?
A synthetic 15-amino-acid peptide (GEPPPGKPADDAGLV) derived from a protein found in human gastric juice, studied since the 1990s mainly in rat injury models by a group at the University of Zagreb.
What is the molecular weight and CAS number of BPC-157?
About 1,419.5 g/mol (C62H98N16O22); CAS 137525-51-0.
Has BPC-157 been tested in humans?
No controlled clinical trial has been published. All efficacy data are from animal and cell studies.
What is the difference between BPC-157 acetate and arginate?
The same peptide with a different counter-ion from purification. The arginine salt has been promoted as more stable, but both forms are the same molecule once dissolved. The certificate’s observed mass is the same for either.
Why does my BPC-157 chromatogram show a split main peak?
BPC-157 has four prolines, and the bond before each proline can exist in cis or trans form. Slow interconversion can produce a doubled or shouldered peak that is the same peptide, not an impurity. Mass spectrometry confirms this.
Can I buy BPC-157 for human use?
No. Quantum Peptides products are supplied for in-vitro and preclinical laboratory research only, not for human or veterinary use.
References
- Sikiric P, Seiwerth S, Grabarevic Z, et al. The influence of a novel pentadecapeptide, BPC 157, on NG-nitro-L-arginine methylester and L-arginine effects on stomach mucosa integrity and blood pressure. European Journal of Pharmacology. 1997.
- Staresinic M, Sebecic B, Patrlj L, et al. Gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157 accelerates healing of transected rat Achilles tendon and in vitro stimulates tendocytes growth. Journal of Orthopaedic Research. 2003.
- Sikiric P, Seiwerth S, Rucman R, et al. Stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157: novel therapy in gastrointestinal tract. Current Pharmaceutical Design. 2011.
- Seiwerth S, Milavic M, Vukojevic J, et al. Stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157 and wound healing. Frontiers in Pharmacology. 2021.
Quantum Peptides supplies lyophilised research peptides for in-vitro and preclinical laboratory research only. Products are not for human or veterinary use. This guide summarises published literature and is not guidance on administration of any kind.