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Condition

Musculoskeletal Health

Musculoskeletal health covers the bones, muscles, tendons and joints that support the body and let it move. Two peptides, BPC-157 and TB-500, have the most research, and studies found better tendon recovery with the first and improved tissue repair with the second, though the evidence is limited for both. Much of it was in animals and cells, and the TB-500 work centered on the heart, so its relevance to people is unclear.

Sources: PMID 21030672; PMID 14554208; PMID 20536454

Supplements studied
0
Medicines and peptides
2
Graded outcomes
4
No supplement studies yetWe haven’t found supplement studies for Musculoskeletal Health. The medicines and peptides studied for it are listed below.

Prescription medicines and peptides studied, for context

These are not supplements. Most need a prescription, and some are research compounds with no approved use.

2 medicines and peptides

BPC-157: outcomes studied for Musculoskeletal Health
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
Tendon Healing

Notable Improvement (mostly animal data)

Improves (the measure goes up)Large effect11 studies180 people

Studies that measured tendon healing

and 8 more on the BPC-157 page

Ligament Healing

Moderate Improvement (mostly animal data)

Improves (the measure goes up)Moderate effect11 studies90 people

Studies that measured ligament healing

and 8 more on the BPC-157 page

Muscle Injury Recovery

Moderate Improvement (mostly animal data)

Improves (the measure goes up)Moderate effect11 studies120 people

Studies that measured muscle injury recovery

and 8 more on the BPC-157 page

TB-500: outcomes studied for Musculoskeletal Health
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
Tissue Repair

Moderate Improvement

Improves (the measure goes up)Moderate effect9 studies75 people

Key findings

  • Tendon HealingBPC-157Improves (the measure goes up)
  • Ligament HealingBPC-157Improves (the measure goes up)
  • Muscle Injury RecoveryBPC-157Improves (the measure goes up)

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Studies cited

100 studies from PubMed

  1. BPC 157 Therapy: Targeting Angiogenesis and Nitric Oxide's Cytotoxic and Damaging Actions, but Maintaining, Promoting, or Recovering Their Essential Protective Functions. Comment on Józwiak et al. Multifunctionality and Possible Medical Application of the BPC 157 Peptide-Literature and Patent Review. Pharmaceuticals 2025, 18, 185.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland), 2025 · PMID 41155565
  2. Protective Effects of BPC 157 on Liver, Kidney, and Lung Distant Organ Damage in Rats with Experimental Lower-Extremity Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania), 2025 · PMID 40005408
  3. Acute Compartment Syndrome and Intra-Abdominal Hypertension, Decompression, Current Pharmacotherapy, and Stable Gastric Pentadecapeptide BPC 157 Solution.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland), 2025 · PMID 40573261
  4. Safety of Intravenous Infusion of BPC157 in Humans: A Pilot Study.Alternative therapies in health and medicine, 2025 · PMID 40131143
  5. Stable Gastric Pentadecapeptide BPC 157 as a Therapy and Safety Key: A Special Beneficial Pleiotropic Effect Controlling and Modulating Angiogenesis and the NO-System.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland), 2025 · PMID 40573323
  6. Concerning BPC-157, a natural pentadecapeptide, that acts as a cytoprotectant and is believed to protect the gastro-intestinal tract (GIT).Inflammopharmacology, 2025 · PMID 40759852
  7. Injectable Therapeutic Peptides-An Adjunct to Regenerative Medicine and Sports Performance?Arthroscopy : the journal of arthroscopic & related surgery : official publication of the Arthroscopy Association of North America and the International Arthroscopy Association, 2025 · PMID 39265666
  8. Regeneration or Risk? A Narrative Review of BPC-157 for Musculoskeletal Healing.Current reviews in musculoskeletal medicine, 2025 · PMID 40789979
  9. Stable Gastric Pentadecapeptide BPC 157 as Therapy After Surgical Detachment of the Quadriceps Muscle from Its Attachments for Muscle-to-Bone Reattachment in Rats.Pharmaceutics, 2025 · PMID 39861766
  10. Multifunctionality and Possible Medical Application of the BPC 157 Peptide-Literature and Patent Review.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland), 2025 · PMID 40005999
  11. Emerging Use of BPC-157 in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine: A Systematic Review.HSS journal : the musculoskeletal journal of Hospital for Special Surgery, 2025 · PMID 40756949
  12. Thymosin beta 4 as an Alzheimer disease intervention target identified using human brain organoidsStem Cell Reports, 2025 · PMID 40816274
  13. Thymosin Beta-4 Modulates Cardiac Remodeling by Regulating ROCK1 Expression in Adult MammalsInt J Mol Sci, 2025 · PMID 40362372
  14. CCN5 suppresses injury-induced vascular restenosis by inhibiting smooth muscle cell proliferation and facilitating endothelial repair via thymosin β4 and Cd9 pathway.European heart journal, 2025 · PMID 39873228
  15. Tβ4-exosome-loaded hemostatic and antibacterial hydrogel to improve vascular regeneration and modulate macrophage polarization for diabetic wound treatment.Materials today. Bio, 2025 · PMID 40070869
  16. Corrigendum to 'Tβ4-exosome-loaded hemostatic and antibacterial hydrogel to improve vascular regeneration and modulate macrophage polarization for diabetic wound treatment' [Mater. Today Bio,Volume 31, 2025, 101585].Materials today. Bio, 2025 · PMID 40568017
  17. Mechanistic study of the Tβ4/SLC7A11 signaling pathway regulating breast cancer evolution.Cellular signalling, 2025 · PMID 40912522
  18. Identification of glutamine as a potential therapeutic target in dry eye disease.Signal transduction and targeted therapy, 2025 · PMID 39837870
  19. Epimedin C promotes mitochondrial transfer and delays thymus atrophy in 4-VCD induced mimetic-menopausal mice.Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology, 2025 · PMID 39919331
  20. Thymosin β4 Regulates Tissue Inflammatory Response in Mouse Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease by Promoting Macrophage M2-Type Polarization.Journal of inflammation research, 2025 · PMID 40322536
  21. Tβ4-Engineered ADSC Extracellular Vesicles Rescue Cell Senescence Through Separable Microneedle Patches for Diabetic Wound Healing.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany), 2025 · PMID 40279568
  22. Enhancing fat graft survival: thymosin beta-4 facilitates mitochondrial transfer from ADSCs via tunneling nanotubes by upregulating the Rac/F-actin pathway.Free radical biology & medicine, 2025 · PMID 39761767
  23. Comparative effects of dietary sodium butyrate and tributyrin on broiler chickens' performance, gene expression, intestinal histomorphometry, blood indices, and litter.Scientific reports, 2025 · PMID 40681595
  24. Recombinant human thymosin beta 4 improves ischemic cardiac dysfunction in mice and patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction after reperfusion.Cardiovascular research, 2025 · PMID 41229390
  25. Protective effect of resveratrol on nickel-refining fumes-induced inflammatory damage.Cell biochemistry and biophysics, 2024 · PMID 38589767
  26. Stable Gastric Pentadecapeptide BPC 157 and Intestinal Anastomoses Therapy in Rats-A Review.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland), 2024 · PMID 39204186
  27. In Vitro Study of Thymosin Beta 4 Promoting Transplanted Fat Survival by Regulating Adipose-Derived Stem Cells.Aesthetic plastic surgery, 2024 · PMID 38409346
  28. Thymosin β(4) and β(10) Expression in Human Organs during Development: A Review.Cells, 2024 · PMID 38994967
  29. Stable Gastric Pentadecapeptide BPC 157 Therapy: Effect on Reperfusion Following Maintained Intra-Abdominal Hypertension (Grade III and IV) in Rats.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland), 2023 · PMID 38004420
  30. Stable Gastric Pentadecapeptide BPC 157 May Recover Brain-Gut Axis and Gut-Brain Axis Function.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland), 2023 · PMID 37242459
  31. Stable Gastric Pentadecapeptide BPC 157-Possible Novel Therapy of Glaucoma and Other Ocular Conditions.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland), 2023 · PMID 37513963
  32. Antiarrhythmic Sotalol, Occlusion/Occlusion-like Syndrome in Rats, and Stable Gastric Pentadecapeptide BPC 157 Therapy.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland), 2023 · PMID 37513889
  33. Thymosin beta-4 denotes new directions towards developing prosperous anti-aging regenerative therapiesInt Immunopharmacol, 2023 · PMID 36709593
  34. Thymosin beta-4 - A potential tool in healing middle ear lesions in adult mammalsInt Immunopharmacol, 2023 · PMID 38706788
  35. Targeted Deletion of Thymosin Beta 4 in Hepatic Stellate Cells Ameliorates Liver Fibrosis in a Transgenic Mouse ModelCells, 2023 · PMID 37371128
  36. Deficiency of endothelial sirtuin1 in mice stimulates skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity by modifying the secretome.Nature communications, 2023 · PMID 37696839
  37. Thymosin β4 preserves vascular smooth muscle phenotype in atherosclerosis via regulation of low density lipoprotein related protein 1 (LRP1).International immunopharmacology, 2023 · PMID 37724952
  38. Thymosin beta-4 participate in antibacterial immunity and wound healing in black tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon.Fish & shellfish immunology, 2023 · PMID 37689229
  39. Thymosin Beta 4 Inhibits LPS and ATP-Induced Hepatic Stellate Cells via the Regulation of Multiple Signaling Pathways.International journal of molecular sciences, 2023 · PMID 36834849
  40. The Pathophysiological Role of Thymosin β4 in the Kidney Glomerulus.International journal of molecular sciences, 2023 · PMID 37175390
  41. The preliminary study of exosomes derived from thymosin beta 4-treated adipose-derived stem cells in fat grafting.Genes & genomics, 2023 · PMID 36445571
  42. Pentadecapeptide BPC 157 and the central nervous systemNeural Regen Res, 2022 · PMID 34380875
  43. Stable Gastric Pentadecapeptide BPC 157 May Counteract Myocardial Infarction Induced by Isoprenaline in Rats.Biomedicines, 2022 · PMID 35203478
  44. Pentadecapeptide BPC 157 efficiently reduces radiation-induced liver injury and lipid accumulation through Kruppel-like factor 4 upregulation both in vivo and in vitro.Life sciences, 2022 · PMID 36228773
  45. Stable Gastric Pentadecapeptide BPC 157 as Useful Cytoprotective Peptide Therapy in the Heart Disturbances, Myocardial Infarction, Heart Failure, Pulmonary Hypertension, Arrhythmias, and Thrombosis Presentation.Biomedicines, 2022 · PMID 36359218
  46. Cytoprotective gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157 resolves major vessel occlusion disturbances, ischemia-reperfusion injury following Pringle maneuver, and Budd-Chiari syndrome.World journal of gastroenterology, 2022 · PMID 35125818
  47. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy Reveals Molecular Changes in Blood Vessels of Rats Treated with Pentadecapeptide BPC 157.Biomedicines, 2022 · PMID 36551886
  48. Stable Gastric Pentadecapeptide BPC 157 and Striated, Smooth, and Heart Muscle.Biomedicines, 2022 · PMID 36551977
  49. The anti-nociceptive effect of BPC-157 on the incisional pain model in rats.Journal of dental anesthesia and pain medicine, 2022 · PMID 35449779
  50. Thymosin beta-4 improves endothelial function and reparative potency of diabetic endothelial cells differentiated from patient induced pluripotent stem cells.Stem cell research & therapy, 2022 · PMID 35012642
  51. Aberrant Expression of Thymosin Beta-4 Correlates With Advanced Disease and BRAF V600E Mutation in Thyroid Cancer.The journal of histochemistry and cytochemistry : official journal of the Histochemistry Society, 2022 · PMID 36321670
  52. The Role of Tβ4-POP-Ac-SDKP Axis in Organ Fibrosis.International journal of molecular sciences, 2022 · PMID 36362069
  53. Stable Gastric Pentadecapeptide BPC 157 and Wound HealingFront Pharmacol, 2021 · PMID 34267654
  54. Stable Gastric Pentadecapeptide BPC 157 Therapy for Monocrotaline-Induced Pulmonary Hypertension in Rats Leads to Prevention and Reversal.Biomedicines, 2021 · PMID 34356886
  55. Over-Dose Lithium Toxicity as an Occlusive-like Syndrome in Rats and Gastric Pentadecapeptide BPC 157.Biomedicines, 2021 · PMID 34829735
  56. BPC 157 as a Therapy for Retinal Ischemia Induced by Retrobulbar Application of L-NAME in Rats.Frontiers in pharmacology, 2021 · PMID 34177567
  57. Intra-Articular Injection of BPC 157 for Multiple Types of Knee Pain.Alternative therapies in health and medicine, 2021 · PMID 34324435
  58. Thymosin beta 4 alleviates non-alcoholic fatty liver by inhibiting ferroptosis via up-regulation of GPX4Eur J Pharmacol, 2021 · PMID 34280397
  59. Thymosin beta-4 prenatal administration improves fetal development and halts side effects due to preterm deliveryEur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci, 2021 · PMID 33506933
  60. Association between Thymosin beta-4, acute kidney injury, and mortality in patients with sepsis: An observational cohort studyInt Immunopharmacol, 2021 · PMID 34607232
  61. Adjunctive Thymosin Beta-4 Treatment Influences PMN Effector Cell Function during Pseudomonas aeruginosa-Induced Corneal Infection.Cells, 2021 · PMID 34944086
  62. Utilizing Developmentally Essential Secreted Peptides Such as Thymosin Beta-4 to Remind the Adult Organs of Their Embryonic State-New Directions in Anti-Aging Regenerative Therapies.Cells, 2021 · PMID 34071596
  63. Modulatory effects of BPC 157 on vasomotor tone and the activation of Src-Caveolin-1-endothelial nitric oxide synthase pathwaySci Rep, 2020 · PMID 33051481
  64. The effect of pentadecapeptide BPC 157 on hippocampal ischemia/reperfusion injuries in ratsBrain Behav, 2020 · PMID 32558293
  65. Pentadecapeptide BPC 157 resolves suprahepatic occlusion of the inferior caval vein, Budd-Chiari syndrome model in rats.World journal of gastrointestinal pathophysiology, 2020 · PMID 32226643
  66. Preclinical safety evaluation of body protective compound-157, a potential drug for treating various wounds.Regulatory toxicology and pharmacology : RTP, 2020 · PMID 32334036
  67. BPC 157 Rescued NSAID-cytotoxicity Via Stabilizing Intestinal Permeability and Enhancing Cytoprotection.Current pharmaceutical design, 2020 · PMID 32445447
  68. Pentadecapeptide BPC 157 resolves Pringle maneuver in rats, both ischemia and reperfusion.World journal of hepatology, 2020 · PMID 32547687
  69. Pentadecapeptide BPC 157 shortens duration of tetracaine- and oxybuprocaine-induced corneal anesthesia in rats.Acta clinica Croatica, 2020 · PMID 34177048
  70. Thymosin-β4 induces angiogenesis in critical limb ischemia mice via regulating Notch/NF-κB pathwayInt J Mol Med, 2020 · PMID 32945357
  71. Thymosin beta 4 attenuates PrP(106-126)-induced human brain endothelial cells dysfunction.European journal of pharmacology, 2020 · PMID 31877278
  72. Antimicrobial Effects of Thymosin Beta-4 and Ciprofloxacin Adjunctive Therapy in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Induced Keratitis.International journal of molecular sciences, 2020 · PMID 32961846
  73. Gastric pentadecapeptide body protection compound BPC 157 and its role in accelerating musculoskeletal soft tissue healingCell Tissue Res, 2019 · PMID 30915550
  74. Investigation of the effect for bisphenol A on oxidative stress in human hepatocytes and its interaction with catalase.Spectrochimica acta. Part A, Molecular and biomolecular spectroscopy, 2019 · PMID 31153119
  75. Thymosin β4: A Multi-Faceted Tissue Repair Stimulating Protein in Heart InjuryInt J Mol Sci, 2019 · PMID 31333080
  76. miR-200a mediates protection of thymosin β-4 in cardiac microvascular endothelial cells as a novel mechanism under hypoxia-reoxygenation injury.Journal of cellular biochemistry, 2019 · PMID 31265170
  77. Inhibition of microRNA-34a mediates protection of thymosin beta 4 in endothelial progenitor cells against advanced glycation endproducts by targeting B-cell lymphoma 2.Canadian journal of physiology and pharmacology, 2019 · PMID 31397599
  78. Thymosin β-4 is a novel regulator for primary cilium formation by nephronophthisis 3 in HeLa human cervical cancer cells.Scientific reports, 2019 · PMID 31048733
  79. Ethosomal Gel for Improving Transdermal Delivery of Thymosin β-4.International journal of nanomedicine, 2019 · PMID 31819429
  80. Lipid peroxidation diminishing perspective of isolated theaflavins and thearubigins from black tea in arginine induced renal malfunctional rats.Lipids in health and disease, 2018 · PMID 30021615
  81. Novel Cytoprotective Mediator, Stable Gastric Pentadecapeptide BPC 157. Vascular Recruitment and Gastrointestinal Tract Healing.Current pharmaceutical design, 2018 · PMID 29879879
  82. BPC 157 and Standard Angiogenic Growth Factors. Gastrointestinal Tract Healing, Lessons from Tendon, Ligament, Muscle and Bone Healing.Current pharmaceutical design, 2018 · PMID 29998800
  83. Thymosin beta 4 regulation of actin in sepsisExpert Opin Biol Ther, 2018 · PMID 29508629
  84. Thymosin beta 4 and the eye: the journey from bench to bedsideExpert Opin Biol Ther, 2018 · PMID 30063853
  85. Sources of variability in quantifying circulating thymosin beta-4: literature review and recommendations.Expert opinion on biological therapy, 2018 · PMID 29502471
  86. Therapeutic potential of pro-angiogenic BPC157 is associated with VEGFR2 activation and up-regulationJ Mol Med, 2017 · PMID 27847966
  87. Stress in Gastrointestinal Tract and Stable Gastric Pentadecapeptide BPC 157. Finally, do we have a Solution?Current pharmaceutical design, 2017 · PMID 28228068
  88. Thymosin beta-4 overexpression correlates with high-risk groups in gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors: A retrospective analysis by immunohistochemistry.Pathology, research and practice, 2017 · PMID 28756979
  89. Targeted delivery of thymosin beta 4 to the injured myocardium using CREKA-conjugated nanoparticles.International journal of nanomedicine, 2017 · PMID 28442910
  90. Thymosin beta-4 regulates activation of hepatic stellate cells via hedgehog signaling.Scientific reports, 2017 · PMID 28630423
  91. Potential role of thymosin beta 4 in the treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.Chronic diseases and translational medicine, 2017 · PMID 29063072
  92. Recombinant adeno-associated virus carrying thymosin β(4) suppresses experimental colitis in mice.World journal of gastroenterology, 2017 · PMID 28127198
  93. Adsorption effects of the doping relevant peptides Insulin Lispro, Synachten, TB-500 and GHRP 5.Analytical biochemistry, 2017 · PMID 28887173
  94. Brain-gut Axis and Pentadecapeptide BPC 157: Theoretical and Practical ImplicationsCurr Neuropharmacol, 2016 · PMID 27138887
  95. Ginger extract modulates Pb-induced hepatic oxidative stress and expression of antioxidant gene transcripts in rat liver.Pharmaceutical biology, 2016 · PMID 26079851
  96. In vivo effects of s-pantoprazole, polaprenzinc, and probiotic blend on chronic small intestinal injury induced by indomethacin.Beneficial microbes, 2016 · PMID 27824272
  97. Empagliflozin lessened cardiac injury and reduced visceral adipocyte hypertrophy in prediabetic rats with metabolic syndrome.Cardiovascular diabetology, 2016 · PMID 27835975
  98. BPC 157: The counteraction of succinylcholine, hyperkalemia, and arrhythmias.European journal of pharmacology, 2016 · PMID 27060013
  99. Cardioprotection by Thymosin Beta 4Vitam Horm, 2016 · PMID 27450736
  100. Thymosin Beta 4: A Potential Novel Therapy for Neurotrophic Keratopathy, Dry Eye, and Ocular Surface DiseasesVitam Horm, 2016 · PMID 27450739