BPC-157

BPC-157 is a synthetic 15-amino-acid peptide (sequence GEPPPGKPADDAGLV) corresponding to a partial fragment of "body protection compound" (BPC), a larger protein originally identified in human gastric juice. It was first described by Sikiric and colleagues at the University of Zagreb in the early 1990s. BPC-157 is supplied here strictly as a research-grade reference compound for in vitro and preclinical laboratory work, and is not approved by FDA or any other regulator for human use.

Published preclinical literature describes several non-receptor-defined mechanisms. The most cited include: angiogenic activity via VEGFR2 internalization and the VEGFR2-Akt-eNOS pathway (Hsieh et al., 2017); fibroblast migration through FAK-paxillin focal-adhesion signaling in tendon explants (Chang et al., 2011); modulation of early growth-response genes (EGR-1, NAB2) and growth-hormone receptor expression; and interaction with the nitric oxide system across GI and vascular injury models.

Lyophilized BPC-157 should be kept dry at 2-8°C for short-term storage and at -20°C for long-term stability, protected from light and moisture. For laboratory reconstitution, BPC-157 is water-soluble; bacteriostatic water is typically used. Once reconstituted, the solution should be stored at 2-8°C and used within approximately 14 days, avoiding repeated freeze-thaw cycles.

Most published BPC-157 studies are conducted in rodent (rat, mouse) injury models and in primary cell culture. Common in vivo models include transected Achilles tendon, medial collateral ligament transection, gastric ulcer, esophagitis, colitis, muscle crush, and hindlimb ischemia. In vitro work focuses on tendon fibroblast migration assays, endothelial tube-formation assays, and CAM angiogenesis models. The vast majority of published work originates from the Sikiric research group at the University of Zagreb.

The name reflects the origin of the parent molecule: a larger ~40 kDa protein, designated "body protection compound" (BPC), was isolated from human gastric juice in the early 1990s. The 15-amino-acid fragment GEPPPGKPADDAGLV was identified as a stable active portion of that parent protein, hence BPC-157. The "stable gastric pentadecapeptide" language used throughout the Sikiric-group literature refers to its reported stability profile in gastric fluid rather than any clinical claim.

There are over 150 peer-reviewed preclinical publications on BPC-157 in PubMed, predominantly in rodent and cell-culture systems, covering angiogenesis, GI mucosal injury, tendon/ligament healing, neurovascular recovery, and growth-factor signaling. There are no large, completed, peer-reviewed Phase II/III human clinical trials supporting any therapeutic indication, and BPC-157 is not approved by FDA. Material on this page is provided solely for in vitro and preclinical laboratory research and is not intended for human consumption or therapeutic use.