PMID: 36359218
Sikiric et al./PubMed/2022
Why It Matters
This paper caught my attention because BPC 157 is heavily marketed in biohacking circles, but this is a review by researchers with financial interest in the compound. The proposed mechanism — recruiting backup blood vessels to route around damage — is intriguing, but we're looking at animal data being extrapolated to human heart disease. Not a doctor. Just a guy who reads the papers, and this one needs serious skepticism about conflicts of interest.
Key Findings
- BPC 157 prevented blood clots in rats with major vessel occlusion and deep vein thrombosis without affecting coagulation pathways — essentially preventing clots through a different mechanism than standard blood thinners
- The peptide modulated nitric oxide (NO) pathways and activated the Src-Caveolin-1-eNOS pathway, which controls blood vessel tone and function
- Animal studies showed activation of collateral vessel pathways — essentially training minor blood vessels to take over when major vessels failed
- BPC 157 counteracted heart arrhythmias and reduced infarction damage in rats, along with protective effects in brain, lung, liver, kidney, and gastrointestinal tissues
- The compound remained stable in human gastric juice, suggesting oral bioavailability, though human pharmacokinetic data is not provided in this review
Read the Paper↗PMID: 36359218