Original, source-backed explainers for researchers who want more than a compound summary. Each guide distinguishes mechanism from outcome, clinical data from preclinical findings, and a published intervention from a separately sourced laboratory material.
Every current catalogue entry—including compounds available only through voting—has a dedicated evidence guide, with primary publications, official records, and limitations kept in view.
01New to peptide research? Start here. This guide explains the vocabulary, evidence ladder, product formats, and quality documents you need to read the field with confidence.
Start with Peptides 101
025-Amino-1MQ is a small-molecule inhibitor used to study nicotinamide N-methyltransferase, or NNMT. It is not a peptide, and its primary research target is an enzyme involved in nicotinamide and methyl-donor metabolism.
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03AHK-Cu is the copper complex of the tripeptide alanine-histidine-lysine. It is studied mainly in dermal-papilla, hair-follicle, fibroblast, and extracellular-matrix models.
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04Bacteriostatic Water is a preserved sterile diluent, not a peptide or active research compound. Its identity depends on the labelled formulation, container, preservative concentration, sterility, and lot documentation.
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05BPC-157 is discussed online far more confidently than the evidence allows. Here is a clear map of the cell, animal, registered human, safety, and anti-doping evidence.
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06CagriSema combines two distinct investigational components in one research strategy. This guide explains what each component does, what the phase 3 trials measured, and where careful interpretation matters.
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07CJC-1295 without DAC is commonly used to mean modified GRF(1–29), a short-acting GHRH analogue. It keeps the active 29-amino-acid GHRH region while adding substitutions intended to resist rapid enzymatic breakdown.
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08CJC-1295 with DAC is a long-acting GHRH analogue engineered with a reactive group that binds circulating albumin. That albumin-binding design—not just the GHRH sequence—is what separates it from the shorter no-DAC material.
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09GHK-Cu is a copper complex of the naturally occurring tripeptide glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine. It is studied in extracellular-matrix, wound-response, collagen, gene-expression, and cosmetic-research models.
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10GLOW is a three-component research blend containing BPC-157, the copper-binding tripeptide GHK-Cu, and TB-500. The convenient name groups several tissue-response pathways; it is not evidence of a cosmetic, skin, or recovery outcome.
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11Ipamorelin is a five-residue synthetic agonist of the ghrelin/growth-hormone-secretagogue receptor. It was developed to stimulate growth-hormone release with less ACTH and cortisol spillover than earlier GHRPs.
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12KLOW is a four-component formulation containing GHK-Cu, BPC-157, TB-500, and KPV. Each component has a different proposed mechanism and evidence base; the blend does not have a shared clinical evidence record.
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13KPV is the three-amino-acid sequence Lys-Pro-Val from the C terminus of alpha-MSH. It is studied in inflammatory-response, epithelial, intestinal, and skin models without reproducing every melanocortin effect of the full hormone.
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14L-Carnitine is an amino-acid-derived quaternary ammonium compound—not a peptide. It participates in the transport of long-chain fatty acids into mitochondria and in buffering acyl groups.
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15Melanotan is an ambiguous catalogue name often used for melanotan I or melanotan II—related but different melanocortin analogues. The exact sequence must be confirmed before a mechanism, comparison, or evidence summary is assigned.
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16MOTS-c is a 16-amino-acid peptide encoded within mitochondrial 12S rRNA. It is studied as a mitochondria-derived signal connecting cellular stress, nutrient metabolism, and skeletal-muscle adaptation.
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17NAD+ is an essential cellular cofactor—not a peptide. It carries electrons in metabolic reactions and is also consumed by enzymes such as sirtuins, PARPs, and CD38.
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18Retatrutide is often summarized as a “triple agonist.” The useful question is what that label means experimentally—and what the published phase 2 data can and cannot tell us.
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19Selank is a synthetic heptapeptide derived from the immune peptide tuftsin. It is studied in neuroimmune, stress-response, neurotransmitter, and behavioural models, with most published work coming from a limited number of regional research groups.
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20Semaglutide is a long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist. It is useful in research as a single-pathway reference: one established incretin signal that can be compared with newer dual agonists, triple agonists, and amylin combinations.
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21Semax is a seven-amino-acid analogue based on the ACTH(4–7) region with a Pro-Gly-Pro extension. It is studied in neurotrophic, neuronal-stress, gene-expression, and cognition-related models without the classic adrenal activity of full ACTH.
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22SLU-PP-332 is a synthetic small-molecule agonist of estrogen-related receptors, with activity across ERR alpha, beta, and gamma. Despite its catalogue placement, it is not a peptide and does not activate estrogen receptors.
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23TB-500 is commonly identified as an N-terminally acetylated fragment related to amino acids 17–23 of thymosin beta-4. It is studied around actin organization, cell migration, and tissue-response biology, but it is not full-length thymosin beta-4.
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24Tesamorelin is a stabilized GHRH analogue that stimulates pituitary growth-hormone release and downstream IGF-1. It is one of the few catalogue peptides with an approved drug product—but for a very specific indication.
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25Tirzepatide is a single molecule designed to activate both GIP and GLP-1 receptors. Researchers use it to ask what changes when two incretin pathways are engaged together instead of studying GLP-1 alone.
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26BPC + TB combines BPC-157 and TB-500 in one research vial. The rationale is to study two preclinical tissue-response compounds together, but the blend should not be described as a proven recovery treatment.
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27Adipotide is an experimental peptidomimetic designed to target prohibitin-associated blood vessels in white adipose tissue and deliver a pro-apoptotic sequence. Its research strategy targets the tissue’s blood supply rather than an appetite receptor.
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28AICAR, also called acadesine, is an adenosine analogue—not a peptide. Inside cells it is converted to ZMP, which resembles AMP and can influence AMP-sensitive enzymes including AMPK.
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29Alprostadil is prostaglandin E1, a small lipid signalling molecule rather than a peptide. It is studied as a defined reference for vascular smooth-muscle relaxation, cyclic-AMP signalling, and prostaglandin-receptor biology.
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30AOD-9604 is a modified peptide based on the C-terminal 176–191 region of human growth hormone, with an added tyrosine. It was developed to explore lipid-related effects without reproducing the full growth-promoting activity of HGH.
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31ARA-290, also called cibinetide, is an 11-amino-acid peptide derived from the three-dimensional structure of erythropoietin. It was designed to study tissue-protective signalling without stimulating red-blood-cell production.
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32Cagrilintide is a long-acting analogue of amylin, a hormone released by pancreatic beta cells alongside insulin. It is studied alone and as the amylin-side component of the investigational CagriSema combination.
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33This is a proprietary multi-component label, but two component names—CD5 and IC15—are not defined well enough to support a reliable scientific description. IGF-1 DES and KPV are recognizable research names; the complete blend is not interpretable until every sequence and ratio is disclosed.
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34Cerebrolysin is a proprietary mixture of low-molecular-weight peptides and amino acids derived from porcine brain tissue. It is not one defined peptide, which makes formulation identity and product equivalence central to any study.
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35This blend pairs two upstream routes into growth-hormone release. CJC-1295 without DAC is a short-acting GHRH analogue; ipamorelin is a ghrelin-receptor agonist. The combination is studied because both can reach pituitary GH release through different receptors.
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36DSIP, or delta sleep-inducing peptide, is a nine-amino-acid sequence first isolated in 1970s sleep research. Despite the memorable name, its endogenous source, receptor, and role remain uncertain, and sleep findings have been inconsistent.
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37Epithalon—also spelled epitalon—is the synthetic tetrapeptide Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly. It is studied in cell-ageing, gene-expression, chromatin, and telomere-related models, but most of the evidence comes from preclinical or small regional studies.
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38EPO, or erythropoietin, is a glycoprotein hormone that controls red-blood-cell production through the erythropoietin receptor. It is a large, folded, glycosylated biologic—not a simple short peptide.
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39Follistatin 344 is a secreted binding-protein isoform that can bind activins and related TGF-beta-family ligands, including myostatin. It is a regulatory protein—not a receptor-selective myostatin inhibitor.
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40FOXO4 in peptide catalogues usually means FOXO4-DRI, a D-retro-inverso peptide designed to disrupt the FOXO4–p53 interaction in senescent cells. The shorthand is incomplete, so the exact sequence and stereochemistry must be verified.
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41HGH Fragment 176–191 is the C-terminal 16-amino-acid segment of human growth hormone. It is studied in lipid-metabolism models and should be kept distinct from full-length HGH and from the modified fragment AOD-9604.
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42GDF-8 is myostatin, an endogenous TGF-beta-family growth factor that limits skeletal-muscle growth. A vial of GDF-8 supplies the signalling ligand; it is not a myostatin blocker.
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43GHRP-2, also known as pralmorelin, is a synthetic ghrelin-receptor agonist that stimulates pituitary growth-hormone release. It is studied as a GHSR-pathway reference and is not a GHRH analogue.
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44GHRP-6 is a synthetic ghrelin-receptor agonist studied in growth-hormone release, appetite, and gastrointestinal-signalling models. It shares a receptor pathway with GHRP-2, hexarelin, and ipamorelin but not an identical response profile.
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45Glutathione is a three-amino-acid antioxidant and redox cofactor found at high concentrations inside cells. Researchers study reduced glutathione, oxidized glutathione, their ratio, detoxification enzymes, and responses to oxidative stress.
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46Gonadorelin is synthetic human GnRH, a 10-amino-acid hormone that signals the pituitary to release LH and FSH. It is a direct reference for reproductive-neuroendocrine timing and receptor biology.
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47HCG, or human chorionic gonadotropin, is a large glycoprotein hormone that activates the luteinizing-hormone/chorionic-gonadotropin receptor. It is used in reproductive-endocrine research and is structurally more complex than a short synthetic peptide.
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48Hexarelin, also called examorelin, is a synthetic six-amino-acid ghrelin-receptor agonist. It is studied in pituitary growth-hormone release and in exploratory cardiovascular models.
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49Hexarelin acetate is the acetate-salt form of hexarelin. The active peptide sequence and ghrelin-receptor mechanism are the same; “acetate” describes the counter-ion associated with the material, not a new hormone pathway.
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50HGH, or human growth hormone, usually refers to somatropin: a 191-amino-acid protein hormone that activates the growth-hormone receptor. It is studied in growth, metabolism, body-composition, and downstream IGF-1 signalling.
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51HMG, or human menopausal gonadotropin, is a biologic preparation with FSH and LH activity, historically purified from urine. It is a mixture of gonadotropin activities—not one defined peptide sequence.
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52Hyaluronic acid is a large sugar polymer found throughout the extracellular matrix; it is not a peptide. Researchers study its water-binding, viscoelastic, cell-matrix, and molecular-weight-dependent signalling properties.
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53IGF-1 DES, more precisely des(1–3)IGF-1, is IGF-1 without its first three amino acids. The truncation reduces binding to several IGF-binding proteins and can increase apparent activity in some tissues and assays.
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54IGF-1 LR3 is an engineered 83-amino-acid IGF-1 analogue with an N-terminal extension and an Arg substitution at position 3. It was designed to retain IGF-1-receptor activity while binding less strongly to IGF-binding proteins.
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55Insulin is a two-chain peptide hormone central to glucose and nutrient signalling. Researchers use it to study insulin-receptor activation, glucose transport, glycogen and lipid metabolism, and growth-related pathways.
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56Kisspeptin-10 is the shortest C-terminal fragment of kisspeptin that retains strong KISS1-receptor activity. It is studied as an upstream switch in reproductive-neuroendocrine signalling.
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57LL-37 is the only human cathelicidin-derived antimicrobial peptide. It is studied in microbial membranes, chemotaxis, innate immune signalling, wound response, angiogenesis, and inflammation.
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58Mazdutide is a single dual agonist engineered to activate GLP-1 and glucagon receptors. It combines an incretin pathway with a glucagon pathway, making it a useful comparison with GLP-1-only, GIP/GLP-1, and triple-agonist designs.
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59MGF, or mechano growth factor, usually refers to the E-domain peptide associated with the IGF-1Ec splice variant. It is studied in local mechanical-response, cell-survival, and tissue-growth models, but the exact sequence used matters.
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60Oxytocin is a nine-amino-acid hormone and neurotransmitter studied in reproductive smooth muscle, milk ejection, social behaviour, stress, and neural-network models. Its popular “bonding hormone” nickname captures only a small and oversimplified part of the biology.
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61PEG-MGF is a pegylated MGF-related analogue. Adding polyethylene glycol is intended to change physical and pharmacokinetic behaviour, but it also creates a distinct research material whose findings cannot be assumed from unmodified MGF.
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62PNC-27 is an experimental peptide built from a p53-derived sequence joined to a membrane-resident peptide. It has been studied for selective membrane-disrupting activity in cancer-cell and tumour-model research.
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63PT-141 is the development name for bremelanotide, a cyclic melanocortin-receptor agonist derived from melanotan II. It is studied in central sexual-response signalling rather than as a direct vascular smooth-muscle drug.
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64Sermorelin is the first 29 amino acids of human GHRH—the shortest fragment that retains strong GHRH-receptor activity. It gives researchers a defined way to study the pituitary side of growth-hormone release.
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65SNAP-8, usually acetyl octapeptide-3, is a cosmetic-research peptide designed from part of the SNAP-25 protein. It is studied for possible effects on SNARE-complex assembly and localized contraction-related appearance models.
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66SS-31 is the research name for elamipretide, a mitochondria-targeting tetrapeptide that associates with cardiolipin in the inner mitochondrial membrane. It is studied for effects on membrane organization, electron transport, and mitochondrial stress.
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67Survodutide is an investigational single molecule that activates GLP-1 and glucagon receptors. Its development programme studies both body-weight and liver-disease questions, reflecting the different biology contributed by the two receptors.
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68Thymosin alpha-1—also called thymalfasin—is a 28-amino-acid peptide derived from prothymosin alpha. It is studied in T-cell, dendritic-cell, innate-immune, and cytokine-response models.
Read the evidence guideWe link the evidence we use, name the study design, preserve important limitations, and correct material when stronger evidence changes the conclusion. These guides are educational and do not provide medical advice, dosing, preparation, or instructions for human use.
