Focus on ulcerative colitis: stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157
Sikiric et al./PubMed/2012
Why It Matters
This paper caught my attention because BPC-157 gets a lot of hype online, but the actual human data is thin. This is a review of animal studies plus one phase II trial (which they don't detail here). The mechanistic claims are interesting—NO pathway modulation, angiogenesis, wound healing—but we're still waiting for rigorous human trials. Not a doctor. Just a guy who reads the papers and sees mostly animal data here.
Key Findings
- BPC-157 remained stable in human gastric juice and showed no toxic effects in animal limit tests (no LD1 achieved)
- In animal models, the peptide accelerated healing of intestinal anastomosis, reversed short bowel syndrome effects, and promoted fistula healing
- The peptide appeared to modulate the nitric oxide system and stimulated early growth response 1 gene (EGR-1), involved in collagen formation and cytokine generation
- One phase II clinical trial was completed for inflammatory bowel disease (referenced as PL 14736) but results are not detailed in this review
- No side effects were reported in the trials mentioned, though specific safety data and trial design are not provided
Read the Paper↗PMID: 22300085