Peptide Therapeutics: Benefits and Risks for Health

TL;DR

Peptides are small proteins made of chains of 2 to 50 amino acids that act as hormones, neuromodulators, or signaling molecules with pleotropic effects. Therapeutic peptides fall into three categories: FDA-approved prescription peptides, questionable gray-market peptides, and dangerous black-market peptides that are often contaminated. Understanding the source is essential before using any peptide for tissue repair, longevity, or vitality.

Transcript

welcome to the huberman Lab podcast where we discuss science and science-based tools for everyday life I'm Andrew huberman and I'm a professor of neurobiology and Opthalmology at Stanford school of medicine today we are discussing peptides peptides are a topic that's receiving a lot of attention these days in part because of the excitement about th... Read More

Key Insights

• A peptide is a small protein made up of short chains of amino acids, strictly defined as 2 to 50 amino acids, though chains of 75 to 100 amino acids are sometimes also called peptides.
• Peptides can be visualized as beads on a string, where each bead is an amino acid, and the order of those amino acids along the string determines what the peptide is and what it does.
• Therapeutic peptides fall into three categories: FDA-approved prescription peptides, gray-market peptides sold online with questionable safety and efficacy, and black-market peptides that are often contaminated and dangerous.
• Black-market peptides can be purchased online through many sources but are not recommended, because many are contaminated with substances that cause problems in both the short term and especially the long term.
• Most peptides have pleotropic effects, meaning a single peptide affects many different aspects of cells depending on cell type, time of day, and downstream effects, unlike single-target hormones such as testosterone or estrogen.
• When a peptide binds to a receptor on a cell surface, it triggers a bucket brigade of cellular processes, such as activating pathways for cellular growth, cell migration, and stimulating the growth of blood vessels.
• Many familiar molecules are peptides, including insulin, which regulates blood sugar, and oxytocin, a neuropeptide hormone involved in pair bonding and socialization, among tens of thousands of peptides in the brain and body.
• Peptide naming is a major source of confusion because they are often referred to only by acronyms and numbers such as BPC 157 or MK677, which can be overwhelming to those unfamiliar with them.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is a peptide?

A peptide is a small protein made up of little chains of amino acids. The strict definition is a chain of anywhere from 2 to 50 amino acids, though peptides that are a bit bigger, such as 75 or 100 amino acids in length, are also sometimes considered peptides. Amino acids are the building blocks of peptides, and you can picture a peptide as beads on a string where each bead is an amino acid.

Q: What are the three categories of therapeutic peptides?

Applied therapeutic peptide biology falls into three categories. First are prescription peptides, which are prescribed by physicians for specific purposes and are FDA approved. Second are gray-market peptides that you can purchase online, but whose safety and efficacy is questionable, in some cases very questionable. Third are black-market peptides, which can be bought online through various sources but are not recommended because many are contaminated with harmful substances.

Q: Why are black-market peptides dangerous?

Black-market peptides are not recommended because it is very clear that a lot of them are contaminated with things that can be problematic both in the short term but especially in the long term. While it is possible to buy these peptides online through any number of different sources, the contamination risk makes them unsafe, which is why understanding the source of a peptide is emphasized as an important filter before use.

Q: How do peptides work at the cellular level?

When a peptide binds to a receptor on a cell surface, which can be thought of as a little parking spot on the cell, it sets in motion a kind of bucket brigade or conveyor belt of cellular processes. For instance, it may activate one pathway for cellular growth, another pathway for cell migration so the cell can move, and another pathway that talks to another cell to stimulate the growth of blood vessels. These are pleotropic effects.

Q: What does it mean that peptides have pleotropic effects?

Pleotropic effects means that a single peptide affects many different aspects of cells. Most peptides have these effects, which distinguishes them from targets like dopamine, testosterone, or estrogen. A single therapeutic peptide often does a bunch of different things depending on the cell type, the time of day or night the peptide is present, and the different downstream effects that the peptide triggers within and between cells.

Q: What are some examples of peptides most people already know?

Insulin, which is involved in regulating our blood sugar or blood glucose levels, is a peptide. Oxytocin, sometimes called the love hormone, is a neuropeptide hormone involved in everything from pair bonding to socialization and other functions. These are just two examples familiar to most people by name, among the tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of different peptides that exist within our brain and body.

Q: Why is peptide naming so confusing?

The naming of peptides is confusing because they are often referred to simply by acronyms and numbers, like BPC 157 or MK677. If you are not really familiar with them, this can be a bit overwhelming and confusing. The episode aims to provide a simple organizational framework to help people understand what these different therapeutic peptides are, why certain ones may be advantageous, and how they each work alone and in combination.

Q: What are GLP1 analogues and does this episode cover them?

GLP1 stands for glucagon like peptides, and the so-called GLP1 analogues or agonists are drugs used to treat type 2 diabetes as well as drugs used to treat obesity. They are receiving a lot of excitement and attention. However, this episode does not discuss the GLP1 analogues, and instead focuses on other peptides such as those for tissue healing and repair and those that impact longevity and vitality.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Peptides are receiving significant attention, partly due to excitement about GLP1 analogues used for type 2 diabetes and obesity, though this episode focuses instead on peptides for tissue healing and repair, longevity, and vitality rather than the GLP1 drugs.

• A peptide is a small protein composed of chains of 2 to 50 amino acids, sometimes up to 75 or 100. Some peptides are hormones, others are neuromodulators, and most have pleotropic effects, influencing many cellular processes at once.

• Applied therapeutic peptides fall into three categories: FDA-approved prescription peptides, gray-market peptides of questionable safety sold online, and black-market peptides that are frequently contaminated and dangerous. Understanding a peptide's source is critical before use.