Peptide Sciences Research

A peptide is nothing more than a string of amino acids that is similar to, but not identical to, a protein. To understand what a peptide is and how it differs from a protein, it is necessary to first understand what an amino acid is.

What Are Amino Acids?

Amino acids are biologically important molecules, but not all of them are used by living organisms. In fact, the human body requires only 20 different amino acids to function (the case for almost all living things), even though nearly 500 have been identified in the universe so far. Amino acids have two specific chemical structures, called amine and carboxylic acid groups, at opposite ends. These structures endow amino acids with a common set of functions and define how they interact with one another and with other molecules.

BPC-157 is a partial form of the protein known as body protection compound (BPC). BPC is a natural component within the body and has been found, in experiments on animals, to promote healing. BPC is not just active in intestinal repair and healing, but appears to produce similar effects in a number of tissues. Scientific studies based on animal test subjects has shown that its healing actions are at least partially linked to growth hormone (GH).

TB-500 is also known as thymosin beta 4 (TB4). Thymosin Beta 4 has been found, in animal models, to play a central role in controlling the structure of cells. By improving cell structure, TB-500 is thought to aid in wound healing, improve cell responses to stress, and even help cells to live longer. Scientific animal research studies have shown that TB-500's role in regulating cell structure may eventually make it a leading therapeutic in wound healing, blood vessel repair, and even ocular (eye) repair.

Research has shown that when it comes to brain health, there are few drugs, supplements, or diets that make much difference. Unfortunately, the brain has remained a mystery to medical science and thus efforts to determine how to keep the brain healthy have been hindered. Science can tell us only that regular exercise and a relatively meat-free diet are associated with long-term brain health. There may, however, be some new evidence regarding thymosin beta 4 (also known as TB-4, or TB-500) and its impact on neural health.

Thymosin Beta 4

TB-500 (TB-4) is a naturally occurring peptide that is known to produce a vast array of healing and regenerative effects. It appears to promote everything from bone remodeling and growth after fracture to healing of heart muscle after a myocardial infarction (heart attack). Recent research in rats now suggests that TB-500 (TB-4) may improve neurological outcomes after stroke or brain damage.

IGF1 LR3 (insulin-like growth factor-1 Long R3) is a non-glycosylated, recombinant polypeptide chain made up of 83 amino acids. IGF1 LR3 is the recombinant form of human IGF-1, and as such it contains the entire native amino acid sequence but with two major modifications: substitution of arginine (abbreviated R or arg) at position 3 with glutamic acid (abbreviated E or Glu) hence the label R3; and the extension of the N-terminus of the native sequence by a 13 amino-acid peptide hence the label long. The native form of a polypeptide refers to the naturally occurring amino acid sequence and the resultant conformational structure. The molecular weight of IGF1 LR3 as measured by Mass Spectrometry is 9.116 kD (kiloDaltons). A specifically designed protein expression system is utilized in the production of IGF1 LR3 in Escherichia Coli. Thereafter, chromatographic techniques are used to correctly fold and purify the IGF1 LR3 to the highly-active and functional IGF1 LR3 that can bind to human IGF-1R (insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor).

Thymosin Alpha-1 is a biologically active peptide derived from prothymosin-alpha. Current hypotheses consider Thymosin Alpha-1 to be the main constituent of Thymosin Fraction-5, and as such it is considered to be the active component that restores the immune function in both athymic animals and animals with dysfunctional thymus glands. Thymosin Alpha-1 was among the first peptide isolates of Thymosin Fraction-5 to be sequenced and thereafter synthetically synthesized.

In humans, the PTMA gene encodes prothymosin-alpha, a 113 amino-acid polypeptide. Thymosin Alpha-1 is a 28 amino-acid fragment of prothymosin-alpha, and research has shown that this fragment derivative enhances the cell-mediated immune component of the human immune system. Its immune actions have enabled it to be used for treating viral infections such as Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C. It has also been incorporated into vaccines as an immune booster. Clinical studies have also shown that Thymosin Alpha-1 can be used to manage neoplasias since they upregulate cytotoxic T-cells which are involved in immune surveillance.