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Peptides 101: A Research Primer
A plain-English primer on what peptides are, how peptide research moves from bench to bedside, and how to weigh evidence at each stage.
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Peptide Research Library
Curated, annotated primary literature
Peptide Research Glossary
Key terms, defined plainly
Guides & how-tos
Practical, cited answers to the questions researchers ask most — handling, storage, reading a COA, and how related compounds compare.
- How to Reconstitute Lyophilized Peptides A step-by-step laboratory guide to reconstituting lyophilized research peptides: which diluent to use, how much to add for a target concentration, the technique that avoids foaming and denaturation, and how to label and store the result. Read the guide →
- How to Store Peptides: Lyophilized vs. Reconstituted How to store research peptides at every stage — sealed lyophilized vials, opened vials, and reconstituted solutions — with the chemistry behind the rules: deamidation, oxidation, hydrolysis and aggregation, and how temperature, moisture, light and freeze–thaw cycles drive them. Read the guide →
- How to Read a Peptide Certificate of Analysis (COA) A practical guide to reading a peptide COA: what HPLC purity means (and does not), how mass spectrometry confirms identity, the difference between purity and net peptide content, the impurities to look for, and the red flags of a certificate that is not worth the paper. Read the guide →
- Retatrutide vs. Tirzepatide vs. Semaglutide: How the Three Incretin Peptides Compare A side-by-side comparison of semaglutide (GLP-1), tirzepatide (GIP/GLP-1) and retatrutide (GIP/GLP-1/glucagon): receptor pharmacology, structure and half-life, the headline trial results including the head-to-head studies, regulatory status, and the open research questions. Read the guide →
- BPC-157 vs. TB-500: Differences, Overlap, and Why They Are Studied Together BPC-157 and TB-500 are both studied for tissue repair, but they come from different places (gastric juice vs. thymosin β4), act through different mechanisms, and have different evidence bases. A comparison of origin, mechanism, models, human data and regulatory status, plus the rationale behind the combined blend. Read the guide →
- Ipamorelin vs. CJC-1295: GHRP and GHRH Analogs Compared Ipamorelin (a selective growth-hormone secretagogue acting at the ghrelin receptor) and CJC-1295 (a GHRH analog) stimulate growth-hormone release through two different receptors. This guide compares their mechanisms, half-lives, selectivity and evidence, explains DAC versus no-DAC, and reviews the synergy literature behind the classic pairing. Read the guide →
Peptide profiles
24 research profiles, listed alphabetically. Each covers mechanism, published literature, clinical status and common questions.
| Compound | Research area | Overview | Read the profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bacteriostatic Water The reconstitution solvent for lyophilized peptides — sterile water with 0.9% benzyl alcohol. | Foundations | Bacteriostatic water is sterile water with 0.9% benzyl alcohol, used in the lab to reconstitute lyophilized research peptides into a stable, multi-use solution. | Read → |
| BPC-157 A synthetic pentadecapeptide advancing from preclinical tissue-repair research into human trials. | Healing & Recovery | BPC-157 is a stable 15-amino-acid peptide studied for tendon, muscle, and gastrointestinal repair — now entering Phase 1 and Phase 2 human trials. | Read → |
| BPC-157 + TB-500 (Repair Combo) The two leading tissue-repair peptides, paired for complementary mechanisms. | Healing & Recovery | A combination of BPC-157 and TB-500 — two complementary tissue-repair peptides. See each individual profile for mechanisms and human-trial status. | Read → |
| Cerebrolysin A standardized neurotrophic peptide preparation with one of the deepest clinical-trial records in the field. | Cognitive & Neuro | Cerebrolysin is a standardized mixture of neuropeptides studied across stroke, dementia, and TBI in dozens of registered human trials. | Read → |
| CJC-1295 (no DAC / Mod GRF 1-29) A short-acting GHRH analog — and a clear explanation of DAC vs. no-DAC. | Growth & Hormonal | CJC-1295 without DAC (Modified GRF 1-29) is a GHRH analog studied for pulsatile growth-hormone release, distinct from the long-acting DAC variant. | Read → |
| DSIP (Delta Sleep-Inducing Peptide) A naturally occurring nonapeptide tied to deep-sleep regulation and stress signaling. | Cognitive & Neuro | DSIP is an endogenous nonapeptide studied for roles in sleep architecture, stress hormones, and pain — with an early human-research history now being revisited. | Read → |
| Epithalon (Epitalon) The pineal tetrapeptide with 25 years of geroprotection literature — nearly all of it from a single research school. | Longevity & Metabolic | Epithalon (Epitalon, AEDG) is a synthetic pineal tetrapeptide studied for telomerase activation, melatonin rhythm restoration and lifespan in animal models; most evidence comes from the Khavinson group. | Read → |
| GHK-Cu (Copper Peptide) A naturally occurring copper tripeptide with direct human trials in skin and wound repair. | Healing & Recovery | GHK-Cu, the copper tripeptide, is studied for collagen synthesis, wound healing, and skin repair — now in Phase 2 and Phase 4 human trials. | Read → |
| GLP-1 & Incretin Peptides The incretin system and the GLP series decoded — semaglutide, tirzepatide, and retatrutide. | Metabolic & Incretin | Decodes the GLP series — semaglutide (GLP-1-S), tirzepatide (GLP-2-T), retatrutide (GLP-3-R) — and explains single, dual, and triple incretin receptor agonism, with real Phase 3 trials. | Read → |
| HGH (Somatropin) Recombinant human growth hormone — a well-characterized, approved, and tightly regulated hormone. | Growth & Hormonal | HGH (somatropin) is recombinant human growth hormone, acting via IGF-1 on growth, metabolism, and repair — an approved, prescription-regulated therapeutic. | Read → |
| IGF-1 LR3 An engineered IGF-1 analog that escapes its binding proteins — built as a laboratory reagent, and best understood as one. | Growth & Hormonal | IGF-1 LR3 (Long R3 IGF-1) is an 83-amino-acid IGF-1 analog with minimal binding-protein affinity, studied in cell-growth, muscle and catabolic-state models and widely used as a cell-culture supplement. | Read → |
| Ipamorelin A highly selective growth hormone secretagogue — with completed Phase 2 human trials. | Growth & Hormonal | Ipamorelin is a selective pentapeptide GHS-R1a agonist studied for clean growth-hormone release and, in completed Phase 2 trials, for gastrointestinal motility. | Read → |
| Kisspeptin The master neuropeptide that switches on the reproductive hormone axis. | Growth & Hormonal | Kisspeptin (KP-10) triggers GnRH release to initiate the reproductive axis, with active Phase 3 human research in fertility and reproductive endocrinology. | Read → |
| KLOW (Peptide Repair Blend) A combination blend of GHK-Cu, BPC-157, TB-500, and KPV, formulated for tissue-repair research. | Healing & Recovery | KLOW is a combination blend of GHK-Cu, BPC-157, TB-500, and KPV — four peptides studied for tissue repair and anti-inflammatory activity. | Read → |
| KPV (Lysine-Proline-Valine) The three-amino-acid tail of α-MSH that keeps the anti-inflammatory signal and drops the pigmentation. | Healing & Recovery | KPV is the C-terminal tripeptide of α-MSH, studied for NF-κB-mediated anti-inflammatory activity in colitis, airway and skin models, with well-characterized cellular uptake via the PepT1 transporter. | Read → |
| LIPO-C (Lipotropic Injection) A lipotropic MIC + L-carnitine blend — a nutrient combination, not a peptide. | Longevity & Metabolic | LIPO-C is a lipotropic injection of methionine, inositol, choline, and L-carnitine — nutrients used in fat metabolism, not a signaling peptide. | Read → |
| Melanotan II A non-selective melanocortin agonist whose pharmacology produced two FDA-approved drugs. | Growth & Hormonal | Melanotan II is a cyclic α-MSH analog acting across melanocortin receptors — the research lineage behind FDA-approved bremelanotide and afamelanotide. | Read → |
| MOTS-c A 16-amino-acid peptide encoded by mitochondrial DNA — the signal that moves to the nucleus under metabolic stress. | Longevity & Metabolic | MOTS-c is a mitochondrial-derived peptide studied for AMPK-mediated metabolic regulation, insulin sensitivity, and exercise physiology; it has reached early human trials. | Read → |
| NAD+ A cellular coenzyme central to energy metabolism and aging — studied in humans via its precursors NMN and NR. | Longevity & Metabolic | NAD+ is a coenzyme central to cellular energy and DNA repair; its precursors NMN and NR are advancing through human metabolic and aging trials. | Read → |
| Selank A tuftsin-based anxiolytic peptide developed and used clinically in Russia. | Cognitive & Neuro | Selank is a synthetic heptapeptide studied as a non-sedating anxiolytic acting on GABA, serotonin, BDNF, and neuro-immune signaling. | Read → |
| Semax An ACTH-derived neuroprotective peptide already in clinical use in Russia. | Cognitive & Neuro | Semax is a synthetic heptapeptide studied for neurotrophic (BDNF/NGF) and neuroprotective effects, and used clinically in Russian neurology. | Read → |
| TB-500 (Thymosin β-4) A Thymosin β-4 fragment — one of the more clinically advanced peptides in regenerative research. | Healing & Recovery | TB-500 reproduces the active region of Thymosin β-4, whose parent molecule has reached Phase 2 and Phase 3 human trials in cardiac, wound, and corneal repair. | Read → |
| Tesamorelin An FDA-approved GHRH analog that stimulates the body's own growth-hormone release. | Growth & Hormonal | Tesamorelin is an FDA-approved GHRH analog that raises endogenous growth hormone, with a pivotal Phase 3 record in HIV-associated lipodystrophy. | Read → |
| VIP (Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide) A neuropeptide — studied clinically as aviptadil — with roles in vasodilation, airways, and inflammation. | Growth & Hormonal | VIP is a 28-amino-acid neuropeptide (clinically, aviptadil) studied for vasodilation, bronchodilation, and immune modulation — reaching Phase 2/3 respiratory trials. | Read → |
