Recovery &amp; Repair

Growth FactorMuscle GrowthRecovery

PEG-MGF

PEGylated Growth Factor

A PEGylated version of MGF with extended half-life for systemic muscle growth and recovery effects.

BioregulatorCartilageJoint Health+2

Cartalax

Bioregulator Peptide

A synthetic tripeptide bioregulator (Ala-Glu-Asp) from the Khavinson system, studied for cartilage protection, joint health, and musculoskeletal aging.

Exercise MimeticERR AgonistSmall Molecule+4

SLU-PP-332

Exercise Mimetic

A synthetic exercise mimetic that activates estrogen-related receptors (ERRs) to replicate the molecular effects of aerobic exercise — increasing endurance, fat oxidation, and mitochondrial function without physical activity.

AntifibroticThymosin FragmentCardioprotection+3

Ac-SDKP

Endogenous Antifibrotic Peptide

An endogenous tetrapeptide cleaved from thymosin β4 with broad antifibrotic activity across the heart, kidney, lung, and liver — historically developed as the chemoprotective drug goralatide and more recently studied as a biomarker of ACE-inhibitor activity.

InvestigationalMyotonic DystrophyDMPK+3

VX-670

Cyclic Peptide-Oligonucleotide Conjugate

Vertex Pharmaceuticals' investigational cyclic peptide-oligonucleotide conjugate for myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1), using Entrada Therapeutics' Endosomal Escape Vehicle (EEV) cyclic peptide to deliver an antisense oligonucleotide targeting DMPK mRNA.

SyntheticRelaxin FamilyVasodilator+2

B7-33

Relaxin Family

A 33-residue single-chain peptide derivative of human relaxin-2 designed by Mohammed Akhter Hossain's group at the Florey Institute as a functionally selective RXFP1 agonist with improved chemical stability and synthesis tractability over the two-chain native relaxin scaffold — replicates serelaxin's vasodilatory and antifibrotic effects in preclinical models.

FPreliminaryLimited Data

PGN-EDO51

Cell-Penetrating Peptide-PMO Conjugate

PepGen's investigational peptide-PMO conjugate for Duchenne muscular dystrophy exon 51 skipping — discontinued in 2024 after Phase 1 results showed lower-than-expected exon skipping efficiency.

DiscontinuedDuchenne Muscular DystrophyExon Skipping+2

FPreliminaryLimited Data

Conditions under Recovery & Repair

Joint Pain & Arthritis

Peptides explored for joint pain and arthritis — BPC-157, TB-500, GHK-Cu, and KPV — with mechanism, what the evidence actually shows, and how they sit alongside conventional care.

Tendonitis & Tendon Injuries

Peptides for tendonitis and tendon healing — BPC-157 and TB-500 dominate the conversation. Mechanism, animal evidence, and what realistic recovery looks like.

Knee Pain

Peptides explored for knee pain — BPC-157, TB-500, GHK-Cu, pentosan polysulfate — with mechanism, evidence in cartilage and soft-tissue repair, and how peptide therapy fits alongside physical therapy and conventional care.

Back Pain

Peptides explored for back pain — BPC-157, KPV, TB-500 — with honest framing about which back pain types respond, what the evidence shows, and why structural and neurological causes still need conventional evaluation.

Osteoporosis

Peptides for osteoporosis — teriparatide, abaloparatide, romiplostim — with mechanism, evidence from pivotal fracture-prevention trials, and how peptide anabolic therapy fits the osteoporosis treatment landscape alongside bisphosphonates and denosumab.

Wound Healing

Peptides for wound healing — GHK-Cu (the best-evidenced), BPC-157, TB-500, LL-37, and AC-SDKP. What the wound-care literature actually shows.

Plantar Fasciitis

Peptides explored for plantar fasciitis — BPC-157, TB-500, GHK-Cu — with mechanism rationale, what's actually known about connective-tissue healing, and how peptide therapy fits alongside conventional first-line care.

Long COVID

Peptides explored for long COVID (PASC) — BPC-157, Cerebrolysin, thymosin alpha-1, KPV — with honest framing about the heterogeneous syndrome, mechanism alignment with neuroinflammation and vascular dysfunction, and where peptide therapy fits alongside multimodal rehabilitation.

Autoimmune Disease

Peptides discussed for autoimmune disease — thymosin alpha-1, KPV, BPC-157 — with strict caveats: peptides are at-most adjuncts, never replacements for evidence-validated DMARDs, biologics, and immunosuppressive therapy.

Chronic Pain

Peptides discussed for chronic pain — BPC-157 most prominent — with honest framing about why chronic pain is heterogeneous, what peptides can and cannot do, and how peptide therapy fits multimodal pain management.

Chronic Fatigue

Peptides discussed for chronic fatigue and mitochondrial dysfunction — MOTS-c, SS-31 / elamipretide, humanin, thymosin-α1, and BPC-157. Mechanism and evidence.

Frozen Shoulder

Peptides explored for frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) — BPC-157, TB-500, GHK-Cu — with mechanism rationale, evidence in soft-tissue contracture, and how peptide therapy fits alongside physical therapy and capsular release.

Sciatica

Peptides discussed for sciatica — BPC-157 most prominent — with honest framing about why peptide therapy is fundamentally limited for nerve compression, when surgery or epidural injection matters, and where peptides might help.

Fibromyalgia

Peptides discussed for fibromyalgia — BPC-157, Selank, KPV — with honest framing about central pain biology, what peptides can and cannot do, and how they fit alongside evidence-validated care including LDN, antidepressants, and pacing.

Scarring

Peptides explored for scarring — GHK-Cu, AC-SDKP, copper peptides — with mechanism rationale for matrix remodeling and anti-fibrotic effects, evidence in different scar types, and how peptide therapy fits alongside conventional scar management.

Neuropathic Pain

Peptides discussed for neuropathic pain — BPC-157, Cerebrolysin — with honest framing about limited evidence, why gabapentinoids and SNRIs remain primary, and where peptides may have a narrow adjunct role.

Peptide families relevant to Recovery & Repair

Growth Hormone Secretagogues

The peptide family that stimulates pulsatile endogenous growth hormone release rather than supplying exogenous GH directly. Two mechanistic branches: GHRH analogs (sermorelin, CJC-1295, tesamorelin) acting at the GHRH receptor, and ghrelin receptor agonists (GHRP-2, GHRP-6, hexarelin, ipamorelin, MK-677/ibutamoren) acting at GHSR1a. Often stacked together for synergistic GH pulses.

Thymic Peptides

The peptide family derived from thymic tissue and its synthetic analogs — Thymosin α-1 (Zadaxin / thymalfasin, immune modulation), Thymosin β-4 (TB-500, tissue repair through actin sequestration), Thymalin (Russian-tradition thymic-extract preparation), Thymulin (zinc-dependent thymic hormone), and Thymagen (Khavinson-program synthetic thymic peptide). Two functional branches: α-family for immune function, β-family for actin-mediated tissue repair.

Khavinson Bioregulators

A catalog of synthetic short peptides (typically 2-4 amino acids) developed at the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology since the 1970s, positioned as tissue-specific epigenetic regulators of gene expression. The catalog spans 20+ entries — Epitalon, Cortagen, Pinealon, Vilon, Thymalin, Cardiogen, Bronchogen, and others — each targeted at a specific organ. A real Russian peer-reviewed literature with substantial preclinical depth, but a mechanistically speculative framework that has not been validated to mainstream Western molecular-biology standards.

Endogenous Opioid Peptides

The endogenous peptide ligands of the mu, delta, and kappa opioid receptors — the enkephalins (Hughes & Kosterlitz 1975), beta-endorphin, dynorphin (Goldstein 1979), endomorphin-1 and -2, nociceptin/orphanin FQ, plus food-derived exorphins (casomorphin) and the indirect opioid analgesic kyotorphin. The neurobiological basis of endogenous pain modulation, reward, and stress response.

Natriuretic Peptides

The cardiac and vascular peptide family centered on atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP, de Bold 1981), B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP, Sudoh 1988), and C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP, Sudoh 1990) — the endogenous regulators of vascular tone, sodium balance, and fluid homeostasis. Plus nesiritide (recombinant BNP, FDA-approved 2001 for acute heart failure) and the related vascular peptide adrenomedullin.