BPC-157
Body Protection Compound · Pentadecapeptide BPC 157
BPC-157 is among the most extensively studied recovery and cytoprotective peptides in the preclinical literature. A synthetic 15–amino-acid fragment of a “Body Protection Compound” first identified in gastric juice, it is unusually stable in gastric acid and has been investigated across three decades and dozens of animal models — gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, vascular, and neurological. The evidence base is overwhelmingly preclinical and predominantly rodent. Regulatory agencies classify BPC-157 as an unapproved drug, and it is prohibited in sport (WADA).
The short version
BPC-157 is a lab-made peptide — a short chain of amino acids — based on a protective protein found in the stomach.
In animal studies it has mostly been looked at for two things: protecting and healing the gut (ulcers, inflammation), and speeding the recovery of tissues like tendons, ligaments, and muscle. Almost all of that research is in rats, so it is best understood as promising early science rather than proven medicine.
It is not an approved drug, and it is banned in competitive sport.
Molecular identity
Specs
- Molecular weight
- 1,419.5 g/mol
- Molecular formula
- C62H98N16O22
- Monoisotopic mass
- 1,418.70 Da
- Sequence (15 AA)
- GEPPPGKPADDAGLV
- CAS / UNII
- 137525-51-0 · 8ED8NXK95P
- Molecular target
- No single receptor — acts via the nitric-oxide / VEGFR2–Akt–eNOS angiogenic pathwayPMID 27847966 · PMID 33051481
- Origin
- Synthetic stable fragment of gastric “Body Protection Compound”Research literature
- Regulatory status
- Unapproved drug (not FDA-approved); prohibited in sport (WADA S0)FDA / WADA Prohibited List
Plain English
Mechanism
BPC-157 is studied as a cytoprotective (cell-protecting), pro-healing signal. The research literature proposes that its central effect is to switch on angiogenesis — the growth of new blood vessels — which is how fresh blood supply reaches a healing site. It appears to do this through the VEGFR2–Akt–eNOS pathway (a chain of signals that tells blood-vessel cells to grow), with lab-dish and rodent studies reporting more of the VEGFR2 receptor and greater vessel density, plus relaxation of the vessel wall so blood flows more easily.
At the cellular level, studies report it speeds up the movement of fibroblasts — the cells that build and repair connective tissue — by activating two internal proteins (FAK and paxillin) that act like the cell's traction system. It also raises the growth-hormone receptor on tendon cells (making them more responsive to the body's own growth hormone) and switches on a gene called EGR-1 that drives the laying-down of new tissue and the organized weaving of collagen, the main structural fiber of tendon, ligament, and skin.
Review literature also describes a brain–gut connection (the two-way signaling between the digestive tract and the nervous system), with BPC-157 reported to influence dopamine and serotonin systems — two of the brain's key chemical messengers — in rodent models.
Across the body of work, the evidence is overwhelmingly preclinical — lab-dish (in-vitro) and rodent studies spanning roughly three decades and dozens of injury types. Almost none of it is in humans, so it is best read as promising early science rather than settled medicine.
Sources:PMID 27847966PMID 33051481PMID 21030672PMID 25415472PMID 17628536PMID 34829776PMID 27138887PMID 15840402PMID 40005999
Why people reach for it
Potential benefits
BPC-157 is the recovery peptide most people start with — and the one they keep coming back to. Here's what draws them to it.
- Bounce back from injuries faster — Its headline appeal. In animal studies BPC-157 switches on angiogenesis — the growth of new blood vessels that feed a healing site — and speeds the fibroblasts (the cells that rebuild connective tissue) that repair tendon, ligament, and muscle.
- A go-to for stubborn tendons and ligaments — In the research it raises the growth-hormone receptor on tendon cells and drives organized collagen laydown — which is why it's the one people reach for on nagging connective-tissue injuries that won't settle.
- A favorite for gut resilience — BPC-157's most-developed research area is gut-lining protection — ulcer, colitis, and reflux models across dozens of animal studies — so it's a go-to when digestive robustness is the goal.
- A recovery base that stacks well — Because it works through repair signaling rather than hormones, it slots cleanly alongside other peptides — most commonly TB-500 for a two-angle recovery push.
- A standout safety record (in animals) — Formal animal toxicology reported good tolerability with no lethal dose found — part of why it's so widely used, though this comes from animal data, not human trials.
Sources:PMID 27847966PMID 25415472PMID 17628536PMID 15052688PMID 24304574PMID 32334036
What people reach for BPC-157 for, drawn from what the research reports (overwhelmingly animal studies) and how it's used — not proven human outcomes or medical claims.
Implied timing
Best time to dose
Implied best time
Evening
Most people take BPC-157 in the evening, lining the repair signal up with the body's overnight recovery window.
- Overnight is when the body does most of its repairing — deep sleep brings the natural growth-hormone pulse, peak tissue regeneration, and the least mechanical load on healing tissue. An evening dose puts BPC-157 to work right as that window opens.
- BPC-157 clears the blood fast (rat plasma half-life ~15 min), so the value is in the repair signal it leaves behind — and sending that signal just before the long, still, recovery-focused overnight stretch is when it's most useful.
- If you split a higher dose morning and night, the evening half is the one that matters most for this reason; a morning dose is mainly practical for injecting near an injury site before activity.
- In the animal research, timing is set by the injury — dosing starts as close to the insult as possible — not by the clock. Evening is a sensible human habit, not a studied schedule.
No study establishes an ideal time of day for BPC-157 — this is reasoned from its mechanism and how it's actually used. As a rule of thumb most peptide dosing lands in the midday-to-evening window; for BPC-157 the lean is evening.
How to run it
Dosing & protocol
BPC-157 is dosed here as a subcutaneous injection — the form sold as a research peptide and the route the on-page calculator is built for. No controlled human dosing trial exists, so the ranges and schedule below are community-and-practitioner convention, extrapolated from the animal research and the NO/VEGFR2 repair mechanism. Read it as a map of how people actually run injectable BPC-157 — not a validated prescription.
Community convention, not trial-proven: BPC-157 has no controlled human clinical trial and is not an FDA-approved drug. Every dose, split, and cycle length here is a usage pattern drawn from preclinical evidence and practitioner reports — not a medical recommendation.
Tiered dose ranges
Most protocols scale dose to the acuteness of the goal — an injury flare calls for more than maintenance.
- Low / maintenance:
- 150–250 mcg once daily — general recovery maintenance, mild gut support, or first time using the compound to assess individual response.
- Standard:
- 250–500 mcg once daily — the baseline range most commonly reported for tendon, ligament, muscle, and gut healing goals.
- Acute split:
- 500 mcg split AM/PM (250 mcg × 2) — for an active injury or acute gut flare. Splitting is sometimes preferred to sustain the tissue signal across the day given BPC-157's short plasma half-life (~15 min in rat IV). Some practitioners also inject near the injury site with one of the two daily doses for local tendon/ligament work.
Subcutaneous administration
BPC-157 is injected into subcutaneous fat; site rotation and a consistent time window are the main execution choices.
- Injection site:
- Abdomen (a couple of inches from the navel), outer hip/love-handle area, or outer thigh. Rotate sites between doses to prevent local irritation and fatty lumps (lipohypertrophy). For tendon or ligament goals, a common addition is to inject one of the two daily doses near the affected structure (e.g. just above a knee tendon), while the second site is rotated as normal.
- Measuring the dose:
- On a U-100 insulin syringe from the reconstituted vial. At the standard calculator mix (10 mg + 2 mL BAC water = 5,000 mcg/mL): 250 mcg = 5 IU · 500 mcg = 10 IU. The reconstitution card below has the full conversion math.
- Time of day:
- Most users dose in the evening to line up with the body's overnight recovery window — see Best time to dose above. There is no strong circadian constraint, so a consistent daily time matters more than the exact hour; for the AM/PM split, space doses ~10–12 hours apart (e.g. 8 AM and 8 PM), with the evening dose the more important of the two.
- Food window:
- Subcutaneous BPC-157 does not compete with food for absorption; injection is independent of meals.
Cycle & washout
The animal evidence shows the sharpest effect when dosing starts at or near the time of injury — cycles reflect that biology.
- Acute-injury cycle:
- 4–6 weeks of continuous daily use, started as early as possible after the injury or insult. Rodent studies that produced the clearest healing results initiated dosing at or near injury time.
- Maintenance / chronic cycle:
- 6–8 weeks at a lower daily amount (150–250 mcg), then a 2–4-week washout, then reassess. Gut-focused goals often run longer continuous blocks.
- Washout:
- 2–4-week break after each cycle. Check relevant markers (hs-CRP, or tissue-specific ultrasound/imaging) during the break to assess whether the repair goal has been met.
Reconstitution at a glance
The on-page calculator does this live; the quick reference for the default 10 mg vial / 2 mL BAC water mix:
- Mixing:
- 10 mg vial + 2 mL bacteriostatic water = 5,000 mcg per mL. On a U-100 insulin syringe (100 IU = 1 mL): 250 mcg = 5 IU · 500 mcg = 10 IU · 375 mcg = 7.5 IU.
- Why 2 mL:
- Concentrating the vial in less water means each syringe unit covers a larger dose step — convenient for the 250–500 mcg range. If doses are under 100 mcg, dilute further (add more BAC water) to land on measurable syringe units.
Sources:PMID 27847966PMID 36588717PMID 20225319PMID 34829776
Substrate the signal needs
Nutritional cofactor precision
BPC-157 signals the body to repair — through angiogenesis (new blood vessels via VEGFR2) and fibroblast migration. The cofactors below give that repair signal the raw materials and amplifiers it needs to deliver. Three function groups: supply the collagen substrate, amplify the NO/angiogenesis pathway BPC works through, and supply the trace minerals that cross-link the collagen once it's laid down.
Reasoned from BPC-157's repair mechanism and general connective-tissue nutrition — not BPC-157-specific cofactor studies. Supplement doses are common community ranges, not BPC-157-specific findings.
Supply the collagen substrate
BPC-157 drives the signal to lay down new collagen; this group supplies the raw material that signal builds with.
- Hydrolyzed collagen + vitamin C:
- 10–15 g hydrolyzed collagen peptides (Type I/III) taken with 500 mg vitamin C, ~30–60 min before activity or physical therapy. Vitamin C is the required cofactor for prolyl and lysyl hydroxylases — the two enzymes that lock collagen into its stable triple-strand shape. One human study found vitamin-C–enriched gelatin taken pre-exercise doubled a blood marker of collagen synthesis.
- Glycine & proline:
- These two amino acids constitute the bulk of the collagen sequence; adequate dietary protein (1.6–2 g/kg/day) keeps the pool replete. A glycine supplement of 5–10 g/day is sometimes added when collagen turnover is high (acute injury phase).
Amplify the NO / angiogenesis pathway
BPC-157 acts through the VEGFR2–Akt–eNOS axis to grow new vessels. L-arginine and L-citrulline feed the same nitric oxide system it works through.
- L-arginine or L-citrulline:
- L-arginine 3–6 g/day or L-citrulline 3 g/day (citrulline converts to arginine more efficiently and without the first-pass gut degradation). Arginine is the direct substrate for eNOS (the enzyme that makes nitric oxide), so supplementing feeds the NO pathway BPC-157 is already activating. Timing: morning or pre-workout.
Supply trace minerals for cross-linking
Once new collagen is laid down, lysyl oxidase welds it into durable tissue — and that enzyme requires copper. Zinc drives the matrix metalloproteinases that remodel the repair zone.
- Zinc:
- 15–30 mg zinc picolinate or bisglycinate daily. Zinc is the cofactor for matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) — the enzymes that clear damaged matrix and shape the remodel. Deficiency lets scar tissue accumulate in place of organized repair.
- Copper:
- 1–2 mg copper bisglycinate daily, taken alongside zinc. Copper is required by lysyl oxidase, the enzyme that chemically cross-links collagen and elastin fibers so new tissue has tensile strength. Long courses of zinc without copper can deplete copper — balance matters.
Sources:PMC2589959PMID 27852613PMID 9587142PMC5793244PMID 27847966PMID 33051481
Combinations + timing
Stacking notes + timing windows
BPC-157's main levers are angiogenesis (new blood supply) and fibroblast-driven structural repair. The best stack partners come at the same recovery problem from a different angle — cell migration, local inflammation control, or deeper collagen remodeling. Pairing BPC-157 with another angiogenesis peptide would just double the same signal; the partners below each bring something distinct.
User combinations reasoned from complementary mechanisms — not combinations studied head-to-head. BPC-157 itself has no human trial, so any stack is doubly convention-based. Doses are community practice; "reached for" describes where users go, not a proven indication.
BPC-157 + TB-500
The classic recovery pair — BPC-157 drives angiogenesis and structural healing; TB-500 drives actin-based cell migration into the repair zone.
- Why it works:
- TB-500 (Thymosin β4) promotes the migration of repair cells (fibroblasts, myoblasts, endothelial cells) toward the injured site via actin-G regulation; BPC-157 simultaneously grows new blood vessels to feed that repair and activates fibroblast FAK/paxillin traction. Two distinct levers — cell arrival and blood supply — not the same one twice.
- The protocol:
- BPC-157 250–500 mcg SC daily + TB-500 2–5 mg SC weekly (some run TB-500 on a loading phase: 2 × 5 mg injections the first 2 weeks, then 5 mg/week maintenance). Both run for 4–6 weeks on the same cycle.
- Outcome:
- The stack most commonly reached for on tendon, ligament, and muscle injuries, especially when the repair goal is both faster and more complete tissue remodeling.
BPC-157 + KPV
Adds a targeted NF-κB brake to BPC's repair signal — useful when local inflammation is disrupting healing.
- Why it works:
- KPV dampens NF-κB-driven cytokine output inside gut and immune cells — the inflammatory environment that can stall or scar a repair site. BPC-157 drives the structural rebuild; KPV calms the inflammatory noise around it. Complementary levers: repair versus inflammation control.
- The protocol:
- BPC-157 250–500 mcg SC daily + KPV 300–500 mcg SC daily. Can be co-injected at the same site or rotated. Particularly relevant on gut-inflammation + healing goals.
- Outcome:
- Reached for on inflammatory-flare contexts (gut inflammation, post-injury local swelling) where BPC-157's repair signal needs a calmer tissue environment to work in.
BPC-157 + GHK-Cu
Adds copper-peptide collagen remodeling and skin/connective-tissue regeneration to BPC's healing signal.
- Why it works:
- GHK-Cu (copper tripeptide-1) independently upregulates collagen and glycosaminoglycan synthesis and activates the same tissue-remodeling genes (including TGF-β pathways) that BPC-157 triggers via EGR-1. Both improve connective-tissue quality, but GHK-Cu adds a copper-delivery dimension — feeding lysyl oxidase directly — and has evidence in skin and wound contexts BPC-157 lacks. Different pathways, convergent outcome.
- The protocol:
- BPC-157 250–500 mcg SC daily + GHK-Cu 1–2 mg SC daily (or applied topically to a skin/surface wound site if accessible; SC for systemic connective-tissue goals). Rotate injection sites independently.
- Outcome:
- Reached for on broader connective-tissue and skin remodeling goals, or when high collagen quality (not just healing speed) is the objective — e.g. post-surgical recovery or chronic tendinopathy.
Sources:PMID 27847966PMID 21030672PMID 17628536PMID 34829776
Reconstitution math
Reconstitution calculator
Reconstitution calculator
Calculated for a 1 mL U-100 insulin syringe (100 units/mL).
Units per dose
5
Draw to this mark on a U-100 syringe
- Volume per dose
- 0.05 mL
- Doses per vial
- 40
- Concentration
- 5 mg/mL
One vial lasts
- Daily
- 40 days
- Every other day
- 80 days
- 5×/week
- 56 days
Research use only. Not for human consumption. Outputs are reference values based on research literature — verify all measurements independently.
From the studies
Side effects from research
Formal animal safety testing in mice, rats, rabbits, and dogs reported good tolerability with no serious toxicity — only a small, reversible dip in creatinine (a kidney-function blood marker) in dogs at high doses, and no signs of DNA damage or harm to fetal development. No lethal dose (LD50 — the dose fatal to half of test animals) has been found; the reports describe no deaths even at doses far above those used to get an effect. This safety picture comes from animal studies, not human trials.
Sources:PMID 32334036
As reported in literature
Research dosing ranges
These are the doses actually used in the published studies — the evidence the practical figures above lean on, shown separately so research data is never mistaken for a human dose. Doses are reported per kilogram of body weight (1 kg ≈ 2.2 lb), and most are rodent studies. Gut (gastrointestinal) models often run in the hundreds-of-ng/kg range; musculoskeletal models cluster around 10 µg/kg. Reported routes include intraperitoneal (into the abdominal cavity — a rodent-lab route), intramuscular, intragastric (into the stomach), and oral in drinking water.
| Dose | Route | Model | Outcome | Sources: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 400–800 ng/kg | IM / intragastric | Rat (gastric ulcer) | Ulcer-area reduction 46–66% | PMID 15052688 |
| 10 µg/kg | IP / oral | Rat (cysteamine colitis) | Colon healing + anastomosis | PMID 24304574 |
| 10 µg/kg | IP / oral | Rat (reflux esophagitis) | Lesion + sphincter recovery | PMID 17116974 |
| 10 µg/kg | Intraperitoneal | Rat (ligament) | Ligament healing + biomechanics | PMID 20225319 |
| 10 µg/kg | IP / IM | Rat (myotendinous) | Functional + microscopic recovery | PMID 34829776 |
| 20–500 µg/kg | IV & IM | Rat (PK) | Pharmacokinetics (n=6/group) | PMID 36588717 |
| 6–150 µg/kg | IV & IM | Beagle dog (PK) | Pharmacokinetics | PMID 36588717 |
Labs before / during / after
Cofactor blood markers to track
Blood tests someone might track around a tissue-repair protocol — general recovery context, not BPC-157-specific:
hsCRP (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein), a blood marker of body-wide inflammation; a complete blood count plus ferritin (the body's stored-iron marker) for iron status and repair raw material — read ferritin alongside CRP, because ferritin also rises with inflammation and can read falsely high; and 25-hydroxy vitamin D (the standard vitamin-D blood test), given vitamin D's role in muscle, bone, and connective-tissue health.
Sources:PMC12782873WHO 2020PMC4530385
Quick answers
Frequently asked
What is BPC-157 most studied for?
In the research literature its most-developed area is gastrointestinal cytoprotection and healing — gastric ulcers, colitis, esophagitis, and intestinal fistulas in rodent models — alongside musculoskeletal recovery of tendon, ligament, muscle, and bone.
Is BPC-157 an approved drug?
No. Regulatory agencies classify BPC-157 as an unapproved drug, and it is prohibited in sport by WADA. This page presents research literature only and makes no therapeutic claims.
Has BPC-157 been studied in humans?
The published research is overwhelmingly preclinical — predominantly rodent models.
What is BPC-157's half-life?
In animals, plasma half-life is short (rat IV ~15 min; dog IV ~5 min). The widely-repeated '4–6 hour' figure does not trace to a primary source.
How is BPC-157 commonly dosed?
No human trial has set a dose, so there is no official one. In practice, the common community pattern is roughly 250–500 mcg per day as a subcutaneous injection, often split morning and evening, run for a block of about 4–6 weeks. Treat that as user convention extrapolated from animal research — not a medical recommendation. See the Dosing and Protocols sections above.
Primary sources
References
- PubChem CID 9941957PubChem CID 9941957
- PMID 40005999Pharmaceuticals 2025 (review)
- PMID 40759852Inflammopharmacology 2025
- PMID 27847966J. Mol. Med. 2017
- PMID 33051481Sci. Rep. 2020
- PMID 21030672J. Appl. Physiol. 2011
- PMID 25415472Molecules 2014
- PMID 17628536Eur. J. Pharmacol. 2007
- PMID 34829776Biomedicines 2021
- PMID 27138887Curr. Neuropharmacol. 2016
- PMID 15840402Eur. J. Pharmacol. 2005
- PMID 15052688World J. Gastroenterol. 2004
- PMID 17116974J. Pharmacol. Sci. 2006
- PMID 24304574J. Physiol. Pharmacol. 2013
- PMID 18818478J. Pharmacol. Sci. 2008
- PMID 18668315Surgery Today 2008
- PMID 10071911Bone 1999 (rabbit)
- PMID 20225319J. Orthop. Res. 2010
- PMID 36588717Front. Pharmacol. 2022
- PMID 32334036Regul. Toxicol. Pharmacol. 2020
- PMID 9403784Sikirić et al. 1997
- PMID 21295044Ilić et al. 2011
- PMID 35678659Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2022
- PMC2589959Ascorbate & collagen (review)
- PMID 27852613Shaw et al. 2017
- PMID 9587142Rucker et al. 1998
- PMC5793244Zinc in wound healing (review)
- PMC12782873hsCRP review
- WHO 2020WHO 2020 iron guideline
- PMC4530385Vitamin D & muscle (review)
- Regulatory statusOPSS (U.S. DoD)
Research use only · Not medical advice · Updated 2026-06-01