BPC-157 (Body Protection
Compound-157)

1980s-1993

The Stomach's Secret

Looking for Cytoprotection

Your stomach is a hostile environment — filled with acid strong enough to dissolve metal. Yet the stomach lining survives. Scientists knew the stomach produced protective factors, but what were they?

In Zagreb, Croatia, Predrag Sikiric and colleagues studied gastric juice, looking for the peptides that kept the stomach from digesting itself. They found a larger protein called BPC — Body Protection Compound — that had remarkable protective effects.

In 1993, they isolated a 15-amino-acid fragment of BPC that retained all the healing activity. They called it BPC-157. This small peptide was stable in stomach acid and could be studied systematically.

1993-2005

Beyond the Stomach

Discovering Universal Healing

Sikiric's team began testing BPC-157 on other injuries. The results were remarkable. Stomach ulcers healed. Intestinal damage repaired. But then came the surprises.

Cut tendons healed faster with BPC-157. Damaged muscles recovered. Bone fractures knit more quickly. Nerve injuries repaired better. The peptide seemed to accelerate healing in almost every tissue tested.

This wasn't supposed to happen. A stomach peptide shouldn't affect tendons or nerves. Yet study after study showed BPC-157 promoted healing far beyond the gut. Something fundamental was going on.

2005-2015

The Mechanism Hunt

How Does It Work?

Scientists tried to understand BPC-157's remarkable versatility. The peptide appeared to work through multiple pathways. It promoted blood vessel formation (angiogenesis), bringing nutrients to injured tissues. It modulated growth factors. It affected nitric oxide signaling.

BPC-157 seemed to enhance the body's own repair systems rather than doing one specific thing. It was like a repair coordinator, helping tissues heal themselves faster and more completely.

The peptide also showed neuroprotective effects. It protected brain cells from damage and helped nerve connections regenerate. This expanded potential applications to neurological conditions.

2015-2020

The Underground Phenomenon

Athletes Discover BPC-157

Word spread. Athletes dealing with tendon injuries, torn muscles, and joint problems heard about BPC-157. It wasn't approved anywhere, but it was available from research peptide suppliers.

Anecdotal reports flooded online forums. People claimed faster recovery from surgeries, healed tendons that had resisted treatment, resolved gut issues. The peptide developed a devoted following among those seeking alternatives to conventional treatment.

Health authorities issued warnings. BPC-157 was unapproved and unregulated. Long-term safety was unknown. Yet demand continued growing.

2020-Present

Toward Legitimate Medicine

Clinical Trials and Future Promise

Clinical trials are now testing BPC-157 for inflammatory bowel disease and multiple sclerosis. If successful, these could lead to the first approved uses. The peptide's 30-year research history provides a foundation for clinical development.

Researchers continue finding new applications. BPC-157 protects against medication side effects, helps heal surgical wounds, and may treat conditions from heart damage to depression. The scope of potential uses keeps expanding.

Three decades after its discovery, BPC-157 remains one of the most intriguing peptides in regenerative medicine — a healing signal from your own stomach that might one day transform how we treat injuries and disease.