# Research library

> Sports Peptides reading list — The Sports Peptides reading list contains sources on BPC-157, thymosin beta-4, TB-500, GHK-Cu and KPV experiments.

The published studies and reviews discussed in the essays, with their original titles and identifiers.

## Reading list

The BPC-157 papers include the rat stomach and vascular experiments, animal pharmacokinetics, the tiny human safety pilot and the narrative review. The thymosin beta-4 group includes structural biology, the rat stroke study and the healthy-volunteer trial.

The GHK and GHK-Cu papers concern skin, gene-expression analyses, copper penetration and a hair-growth mixture. The KPV group follows intestinal inflammation, delivery materials and rabbit corneal repair.

The full-length thymosin beta-4 papers are the set I return to most often. Their tested molecule can disappear behind a discussion headed TB-500. The [TB-500 essay](/tb-500) returns to that distinction; the [comparison](/compare) puts the different outcomes alongside one another.

## References

[1] Lee E, Burgess K. Safety of Intravenous Infusion of BPC157 in Humans: A Pilot Study. Altern Ther Health Med. 2025. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40131143/
[2] McGuire FP, et al. Regeneration or Risk? A Narrative Review of BPC-157 for Musculoskeletal Healing. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2025. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40789979/
[3] He L, et al. Pharmacokinetics, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of body-protective compound 157, a potential drug for treating various wounds, in rats and dogs. Front Pharmacol. 2022;13:1026182. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36588717/
[4] Hsieh MJ, et al. Therapeutic potential of pro-angiogenic BPC157 is associated with VEGFR2 activation and up-regulation. J Mol Med (Berl). 2017;95:323-333. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27847966/
[5] Xue XC, et al. Protective effects of pentadecapeptide BPC 157 on gastric ulcer in rats. World J Gastroenterol. 2004;10:1032-1037. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15052688/
[6] Mendias CL, Awan TM. Safety and Efficacy of Approved and Unapproved Peptide Therapies for Musculoskeletal Injuries and Athletic Performance. Sports Med. 2026. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41966639/
[7] Morris DC, et al. A dose-response study of thymosin β4 for the treatment of acute stroke. J Neurol Sci. 2014. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25060418/
[8] Goldstein AL, Hannappel E, Sosne G, Kleinman HK. Thymosin β4: a multi-functional regenerative peptide. Basic properties and clinical applications. Expert Opin Biol Ther. 2012. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22074294/
[9] Ruff D, et al. A randomized, placebo-controlled, single and multiple dose study of intravenous thymosin β4 in healthy volunteers. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2010. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20536472/
[10] Irobi E, et al. Structural basis of actin sequestration by thymosin-beta4: implications for WH2 proteins. EMBO J. 2004. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15329672/
[11] Mortazavi SM, Mohammadi Vadoud SA, Moghimi HR. Topically applied GHK as an anti-wrinkle peptide: Advantages, problems and prospective. BioImpacts. 2025;15:30071. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11830136/
[12] Pickart L, Margolina A. Regenerative and Protective Actions of the GHK-Cu Peptide in the Light of the New Gene Data. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2018;19(7):1987. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6073405/
[13] Lee WJ, Sim HB, Jang YH, Lee SJ, Kim DW, Yim SH. Efficacy of a Complex of 5-Aminolevulinic Acid and Glycyl-Histidyl-Lysine Peptide on Hair Growth. Annals of Dermatology. 2016;28(4):438-443. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4969472/
[14] Pickart L, Vasquez-Soltero JM, Margolina A. GHK Peptide as a Natural Modulator of Multiple Cellular Pathways in Skin Regeneration. BioMed Research International. 2015;2015:648108. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4508379/
[15] Hostynek JJ, Dreher F, Maibach HI. Human skin penetration of a copper tripeptide in vitro as a function of skin layer. Inflammation Research. 2011;60(1):79-86. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3016279/
[16] Zhang D, et al. PepT1-targeted nanodrug based on co-assembly of anti-inflammatory peptide and immunosuppressant for combination treatment of acute and chronic DSS-induced colitis. Front Pharmacol. 2024;15:1442876. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39211778/
[17] Xiao B, Xu Z, Viennois E, et al. Orally Targeted Delivery of Tripeptide KPV via Hyaluronic Acid-Functionalized Nanoparticles Efficiently Alleviates Ulcerative Colitis. Mol Ther. 2017;25(7):1628-1640. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28143741/
[18] Dalmasso G, Charrier-Hisamuddin L, Nguyen HT, Yan Y, Sitaraman S, Merlin D. PepT1-mediated tripeptide KPV uptake reduces intestinal inflammation. Gastroenterology. 2008;134(1):166-178. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18061177/
[19] Kannengiesser K, Maaser C, Heidemann J, et al. Melanocortin-derived tripeptide KPV has anti-inflammatory potential in murine models of inflammatory bowel disease. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2008;14(3):324-331. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18092346/
[20] Brzoska T, Luger TA, Maaser C, Abels C, Bohm M. Alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone and related tripeptides: biochemistry, antiinflammatory and protective effects in vitro and in vivo, and future perspectives for the treatment of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. Endocr Rev. 2008;29(5):581-602. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18612139/
[21] Bonfiglio V, Camillieri G, Avitabile T, Leggio GM, Drago F. Effects of the COOH-terminal tripeptide alpha-MSH(11-13) on corneal epithelial wound healing: role of nitric oxide. Exp Eye Res. 2006;83(6):1366-1372. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16965771/
[22] Getting SJ, Schiöth HB, Perretti M. Dissection of the anti-inflammatory effect of the core and C-terminal (KPV) alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone peptides. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2003;306(2):631-637. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12750433/

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An independent sports-medicine literature brief on repair peptides—evidence and prohibited-list context, never clinical or evasion advice.