Andrew Huberman — Professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine and host of the Huberman Lab podcast. This is a solo episode.
The gist
In this solo episode, Huberman provides a framework for understanding therapeutic peptides, defining what a peptide is and stressing their pleiotropic (many-effect) nature. He covers four categories: tissue rejuvenation and repair (BPC-157, thymosin beta 4/TB-500), metabolism and growth via growth-hormone-promoting peptides (sermorelin, tesamorelin, CJC-1295, ipamorelin, hexarelin, GHRPs, MK-677), longevity (epitalon/epithalamin), and vitality/libido (melanotan peptides, PT-141/Vyleesi, kisspeptin). Throughout he emphasizes that most data come from animal studies with little to no human clinical evidence, that anecdotal reports may reflect placebo. He repeatedly warns about tumor and cancer growth risks and urges working with a board-certified physician and sourcing LPS-free peptides from pharma or compounding pharmacies. He shares his own experience using sermorelin and stopping it due to reduced REM sleep.
Big reveals
- To Huberman's knowledge there is only one human study of BPC-157, and it is not a clinical trial and not well performed, despite hundreds of thousands to millions of people now taking it.
- The typical therapeutic dose of BPC-157 is 300 to 500 micrograms subcutaneously two to three times per week, cycled about 8 weeks on and 8 to 10 weeks off.
- BPC-157 upregulates growth hormone receptors and VEGF, so in someone with a tumor it could potentially maintain or accelerate tumor growth.
- Huberman discloses he took sermorelin on and off for a couple years but stopped because it deepened early-night sleep while depleting his REM sleep.
- CJC-1295 had a death in a clinical trial related to cardiovascular dysfunction, making sermorelin and tesamorelin better options in Huberman's view.
- Hexarelin can desensitize growth-hormone-releasing-hormone receptors and potentially turn off the natural system permanently.
- Augmenting growth hormone, whether directly or via peptides, increases tumor and cancer growth risk because growth hormone and IGF-1 are indiscriminate about which tissues they grow.
- Huberman warns people wrongly assume peptides are safe or free of risk simply because they are not hormone therapies.
Things worth remembering
- A peptide is strictly defined as a small protein of two to 50 amino acids, though some up to 75-100 amino acids are still called peptides.
- BPC-157 promotes blood vessel formation at injury sites by activating the enzyme eNOS (endothelial nitric oxide synthase).
- Historically, severed fingers or hands were placed inside the gut to preserve them before attempting to graft them back on.
- The LD50 of BPC-157 is extremely high, as much as 2 grams (2,000 mg) per kilogram of body weight.
- After about age 30, growth hormone release drops by roughly 15% per decade of life.
- Growth hormone is subject to negative feedback, so injecting it can cause the brain and pituitary to shut down natural release.
- Category-two growth hormone peptides work via ghrelin, which also increases hunger and somewhat increases anxiety.
- Epitalon (epithalon) is designed to mimic epithalamin, a peptide naturally secreted from the pineal gland.
- Sunlight activating the melanocortin system causes both skin tanning and dopamine release, which is why people feel better when the sun comes out.
- Kisspeptin sits upstream in the hormone cascade: kisspeptin, GnRH, LH, FSH, then testosterone and estrogen.