Recovery research
Tendons, gut, inflammation, post-training recovery. Below is the published literature for each compound in this area — 68 studies in total, 34 of them published since 2023, every one linked to its source record.
- RecoveryEarly clinical
ARA290
ARA290 (cibinetide) is an 11-amino-acid non-erythropoietic peptide engineered from the helix B domain of erythropoietin, designed to activate the innate repair receptor (an EPO receptor/CD131 heteromer) without stimulating erythropoiesis. Of the compounds in this category it has the most developed human evidence: multiple completed randomised placebo-controlled phase 2 trials in sarcoidosis-associated small fibre neuropathy, type 2 diabetes with painful neuropathy, and diabetic macular edema. Results have generally shown improvement in patient-reported neuropathic symptoms and in corneal nerve fibre measures, but no regulatory approval has followed and no phase 3 programme has reported.
- Studies
- 15
- Since 2023
- 7
- Newest
- 2026
- RecoveryPreclinical only
BPC-157
BPC-157 is a synthetic pentadecapeptide derived from a fragment of a protein found in gastric juice. The evidence base is overwhelmingly preclinical: several hundred rodent studies report accelerated healing of tendon, ligament, muscle and gastrointestinal tissue, with mechanisms attributed to angiogenesis, VEGFR2 signalling and nitric oxide system modulation. Human data are limited to a small number of uncontrolled pilot studies and retrospective case series from a single private clinic, plus one ex vivo study on surgically discarded human arterial tissue. No completed randomised controlled trial and no approved formulation exist, and 2025-2026 systematic reviews in orthopaedic journals explicitly characterise the human evidence as insufficient.
- Studies
- 15
- Since 2023
- 8
- Newest
- 2026
- RecoveryPreclinical only
KPV
KPV is the C-terminal tripeptide of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, alpha-MSH(11-13). Its evidence base is entirely preclinical and is concentrated in gut inflammation, where oral or rectal delivery via the PepT1 di/tripeptide transporter reduces colitis severity in rodent models, and in topical or barrier-protective applications in keratinocytes. A substantial share of the recent literature is formulation science (nanoparticles, hydrogels, microneedles) rather than new pharmacology. There are no human trials of KPV for any indication.
- Studies
- 15
- Since 2023
- 6
- Newest
- 2026
- RecoveryEarly clinical
TB-500
Thymosin beta-4 (Tb4) is a 43-amino-acid endogenous actin-sequestering peptide with a large preclinical literature on tissue repair, angiogenesis, anti-fibrotic activity and inflammation resolution. TB-500 is the synthetic Ac-LKKTETQ fragment marketed as a Tb4 analogue; almost all published biology concerns full-length Tb4 rather than the fragment, and the two are frequently conflated. Human evidence is more developed than for most peptides in this category, including completed phase 1 safety studies, a phase 2 dry eye trial and a 2025 study reporting outcomes in both mice and STEMI patients, but no product is approved for musculoskeletal recovery.
- Studies
- 15
- Since 2023
- 8
- Newest
- 2026
- RecoveryPreclinical only
TB-500 + BPC-157
One published study has directly tested BPC-157 and TB-500 together against each agent alone, and it found no additive benefit. Beyond that single rat Achilles tendon experiment and one retrospective human chart review in which some knee-pain patients received BPC 157 combined with thymosin beta-4, there is no peer-reviewed evidence for the combination. All other support is component-level: the two peptides have separate preclinical literatures that have been reviewed together in sports-medicine journals, but no synergy has been demonstrated in any model.
- Studies
- 8
- Since 2023
- 5
- Newest
- 2026
Latest published research
Immunometabolic dysregulation drives selective executive cognitive dysfunction in male db/db mice
Neurobiol Dis · male db/db mice and db/m lean controls on a touchscreen operant platform (pairwise visual discrimination and reversal learning), with glucose and insulin tolerance testing, flow cytometry and RNA-seq; ARA 290 treatment arm
PubMed · 41933665Effects of BPC-157 and TB-500 on Achilles tendon healing in rats: A histopathological and biomechanical study
Jt Dis Relat Surg · rat Achilles tendon transection and repair; 32 male Sprague-Dawley rats, 4 groups of 8 (control, BPC-157 10 ug/kg/day, TB-500 60 ug/kg/day, combination), intraperitoneal, 4 weeks
PubMed · 42542926Endothelium-Dependent Nitric Oxide-Mediated Vasorelaxant Effects of BPC 157 in Human Internal Mammary Artery
J Clin Med · ex vivo human internal mammary artery rings from elective CABG surgery; n=12 segments, endothelium-intact and denuded, with and without L-NAME
PubMed · 42123221Protective effects of BPC 157 in rats with experimentally induced lower extremity ischemia-reperfusion injury
Sci Rep · rat hind-limb ischemia-reperfusion by abdominal aortic clamping (45 min ischemia, 2 h reperfusion); 24 male Wistar albino rats in 4 groups of 6
PubMed · 42204242Safety and Efficacy of Approved and Unapproved Peptide Therapies for Musculoskeletal Injuries and Athletic Performance
Sports Med · narrative review covering AOD-9604, BPC-157, CJC-1295, FS-344, GHK-Cu, ipamorelin, MOTS-C, sermorelin, SS-31, tesamorelin, Tb4 and TB-500
PubMed · 41966639KPV attenuates adipogenesis and lipid metabolism through modulation of ROS-mediated AKT/mTORC1/PPARgamma signaling
Tissue Cell · MDI-induced adipocyte differentiation in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes
PubMed · 42585803Lysine-proline-valine peptide attenuates hepatic lipid accumulation through ROS-dependent regulation of the PPARgamma pathway in HepG2 cells
Cytotechnology · oleic acid-induced lipid accumulation in HepG2 hepatic epithelial cells
PubMed · 42064835Decidualization-empowered ECM hydrogel integrating sustained Tbeta4 release drives endometrial regeneration in intrauterine adhesions
Nat Commun · murine intrauterine adhesion model treated with a decidualized-endometrium extracellular matrix hydrogel providing sustained Tb4 release
PubMed · 41565687
For research purposes only. Not for human consumption, diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of any condition. Nothing on this page is medical advice.