Peptide therapy, BPC-157/GI tract, Cerebrolysin/cognition, Brain injury/cerebrolysin, Thymosin

Introduction to Peptide Therapy: Effective, Safe, Natural Medicine

by Mitchell A. Fleisher, MD, DHt, DABFM, DcACBT

Peptide therapy is an evolving, cutting-edge, medical science in which specific, bio-identical, protein amino acid sequences called “peptides” are used to repair, regenerate, support, and improve the structure and function of different parts of the mind and body.  Well-known examples of naturally occurring human peptides are insulin, ACTH, glucagon, growth hormone, and thyroid hormone.

Over 7,000 peptides that are naturally occurring in the body have thus far been identified, and over 60 medicinal peptides are currently used in clinical medicine. 

Peptide therapy is becoming more popular with integrative medicine physicians because medicinal peptides are highly specific and very effective in their therapeutic action, typically very safe, and extremely well tolerated.

  It is very important to understand the difference between pharmaceutical drugs and medicinal peptides.

  With conventional, allopathic, pharmaceutical drugs, the mind and body will always have a “reaction” that unfortunately often includes unpleasant, potentially harmful, and sometimes lethal, adverse side effects. This is due to the fact that pharmaceutical drugs are foreign molecules unfamiliar to the body that biochemically ‘force’ changes and distortions upon the mind and body, which too often react badly. 

In contrast, with bio-identical human medicinal peptides, the mind and body will always have a “response” that is very safe and virtually free of any adverse side effects when properly prescribed by a well-trained medical physician certified in peptide therapy. This is due to the fact that medicinal peptides are “messenger” molecules with which your mind and body are already familiar because they have been in you since you were born.  These peptides are natural, human ‘communication’ molecules.

  The cells in your mind and body use the innate, inborn, medicinal peptides to communicate with one another to tell them what to do or not to do.  That is, they guide and balance all the metabolic and regenerative functions that serve to keep us healthy.

  When properly prescribed and administered by a specially trained physician, medicinal peptides communicate with specific cells, tissues, and vital organs in the body by binding to peptide receptors on the cell surfaces, thereby signaling optimal, cellular messages for health improvement and potentially enhancing and optimizing the function of the entire body and mind.

Peptide therapy includes many new, potent, peptide medicines with amazing potential to promote greater health and well-being and a potentially longer, higher quality of life. Benefits of peptide therapy may include the following:

• Increased energy and stamina

• Better mental focus and memory

• Strengthened immune system defenses

• Improved recovery from illnesses and wounds

• Increased muscle mass and tone

• Increased bone density

• Improved skin elasticity

• Reduced wrinkled skin

• Fuller hair

• Decreased body fat and weight loss

• Lowered cholesterol and lipid levels

• Decreased joint and muscle pain

• Deeper, rejuvenating sleep

• Enhanced sex drive

Breakthroughs in modern medicine have shown the benefits of medicinal peptides to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of a wide number of both physical and mental disorders, as identified by the International Peptide Society (IPS). Peptide therapy may help with a broad range of health conditions:

• Anti-aging and regeneration of the entire body

• Tissue repair of bones, cartilage, ligaments, tendons, joints, muscles, and skin

• Balancing endocrine hormones

• Enhancing growth hormone production

• Hair regrowth and restoration

• Inflammatory diseases, both acute and chronic

• Arthritis, degenerative and rheumatoid

• Autoimmune disorders, e.g., lupus, MS, Sjogren’s syndrome, etc.

• Cognitive, mood, and memory enhancement

• Cellular energy production, and enhanced vitality

• Cytoprotection from oxidative stress

• Alzheimer’s disease and dementia

• Post-stroke recovery

• Obesity and weight management

• Osteopenia and osteoporosis

• Anxiety and stress disorders

• Depression

• Insomnia

• Improving sexual disorders, libido, and erectile dysfunction

A Word of Caution 

Medicinal peptides should only be obtained from FDA-certified, 503A or 503B, US compounding pharmacies that provide peptides with greater than 99.8% purity and chemical integrity.  That is, you are receiving the highest quality, FDA-regulated, pharmaceutical grade, medicinal peptides by US law. 

Never

purchase peptides from online ‘discount’ websites, since they are

not

regulated and have been found to be adulterated, substandard, often fraudulent products that can potentially cause adverse effects and great harm.  The principle of caveat emptor (“buyer beware”) applies here. 

Moreover, peptides are powerful medicines that should and must be carefully prescribed and individually managed by a specially trained, licensed, medical physician who understands the correct peptides and the dosages to be used for different health conditions.  Peptide therapy requires expert medical guidance to experience and benefit from their exceptional therapeutic potential. For educational purpose, here are a few examples of the medicinal peptides.

BPC-157

BPC (Body Protection Compound) 157 is a pentadecapeptide (composed of 15 amino acids) that is naturally produced in the secretions of the gastrointestinal tract.  The body uses it to protect and heal the gastrointestinal mucosal lining from inflammation and injury.  BPC-157 stimulates the stem cells in the gut lining to promote healing and repair. Therefore, BPC-157 has been effectively prescribed for acid reflux, gastritis, GERD, eosinophilic esophagitis, peptic ulcers, intestinal hyperpermeability (leaky gut syndrome), celiac disease, food allergies, inflammatory bowel diseases, and, to improve digestive function, to help and protect the liver from toxic insults, and to generally protect and heal inflamed gastrointestinal epithelium.  BPC-157 has also been shown to promote repair and regeneration of injured, inflamed tissues in the bones, cartilage, ligaments, tendons, joints, muscles, and blood vessels, as well as to protect and promote the healing of injured peripheral nerves and brain cells.

Benefits of BPC-157 may include the following:

• Potent, anti-inflammatory properties

• General digestive function improvement (IBS)

• Repair and maintenance of GI mucosal integrity

• Helps to prevent and heal gastric and duodenal ulcers

• Helps to protect and heal inflamed intestinal epithelium (leaky gut syndrome)

• Promotes healing in Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), esp. in exacerbations/flareups

• Helps to protect and promote healing of liver from toxic insults (alcohol, antibiotics, etc.)

• Helps to promote tissue repair in the GI tract, brain, bone, ligaments, tendons, joints, muscles, etc.

• Helps to promote repair of damaged nerves and support healing of peripheral neuropathy

• Neuro-protective properties, specifically modulating the serotonergic and dopaminergic systems, which helps to improve memory and mood

• Effective treatment for traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-concussion syndrome

• Promotion of angiogenesis and vasculogenesis (new, healthy blood vessel growth)

  Specific Target Conditions for BPC-157 Peptide Therapy may include the following:

• Acute and chronic inflammatory conditions

• GI ulcers and inflammation

• Inflammatory bowel diseases

• Leaky gut syndrome

• H. pylori gastrointestinal infections

• Autoimmune diseases

• Chronic allergies

• Chemical sensitivity

• Lyme disease

• Chronic viral, bacterial and fungal infections with inflammation

• Chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia

• Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disorders

• Heart rhythm irregularities (cardiac arrhythmias)

• Diabetes mellitus and associated chronic problems

• Post-surgical conditions

• Peripheral neuropathy

• Anti-aging and regeneration

Cerebrolysin®

Cerebrolysin® is a nootropic (cognitive enhancing), medicinal neuropeptide complex that possesses neuroprotective and neurotrophic (nerve regenerating) repair properties.  It is a mixture of neuropeptides, including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), nerve growth factor (NGF), ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), and other neuropeptides.  Neuropeptides are used by neurons to communicate with each other.  

Cerebrolysin interacts with several pathways of intracellular signal communication.  The cellular integration of these peptide signals results in the observed neuroprotective and neurorestorative effects.  Cerebrolysin therapy is safe and well-tolerated by patients.

From a scientific perspective, these pathways regulate on a molecular level the cellular processes of neurogenesis, angiogenesis, dendrite arborization, axonal sprouting, myelination, and remodeling of the neurovascular unit, thereby supporting the maintenance and repair of the neuronal network in the brain.

Cerebrolysin has been proven to have a powerful, neurotrophic activity similar to nerve growth factors that promote peripheral and central neuronal stimulation. It improves efficiency within the brain’s aerobic metabolic processes and enhances intracellular peptide synthesis.  Cerebrolysin supports the brain’s ability for self-repair by stimulating neuro-recovery. 

The potent, neuroprotective properties of Cerebrolysin help to shield neurons from metabolic acidosis, to prevent the formation of free radicals and protect against oxidative stress in the central nervous system (brain) and peripheral nervous system, and to decrease the neurotoxic action of certain amino acids and other environmental toxins.

Research has shown that it may reduce the neurodegenerative pathology in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), post-stroke, and post-acute traumatic brain injury.  Significant improvement of the cognitive function of patients on Cerebrolysin has been observed.

Cerebrolysin is used for the treatment of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, traumatic brain injuries (TBI), different forms of dementia (vascular dementia, Alzheimer’s disease), and cognitive disorders, and to prevent cognitive decline after brain injuries.  It prevents the formation of toxic protein aggregates (amyloidosis) and lowers the level of inflammatory processes in the brain, both linked to neurodegeneration.

Empirical observations by integrative medicine physicians using Cerebrolysin therapy for their patients with chronic pain syndromes have shown that it can provide significant, lasting, pain relief, when appropriately administered, for chronic pain due to arthritis, autoimmune disorders, peripheral neuropathy, and post-infectious, post-traumatic, and post-surgical injury to the nervous system.

Benefits of Cerebrolysin may include the following:

• Improved mental function and memory

• Protection of the brain from oxidative stress

• Protection of the brain from damage by toxins

• Helps repair the brain and nerves after injury

• Useful for treatment of different forms of dementia, cognitive disorders, stroke, TBI

• Prevention of cognitive decline after any brain injuries

• Helps relieve chronic pain in many different conditions: diabetic neuropathy, metabolic neuropathy, toxic and post-traumatic neuropathy   

Thymosin Alpha-1

Thymic peptides, which are naturally produced in the thymus gland, promote physiological processes that include modulation of immune responses—i.e., both stimulation or suppression when needed—and can aid in the treatment of chronic, bacterial, viral, and fungal infections.  They also help promote the regulation of cell motility, neuroplasticity (ability of the brain to form and reorganize neural synaptic connections, esp. in response to learning or experience or following injury), angiogenesis (new blood vessel growth), repair and remodeling of blood vessels, heart cells, and other injured tissues, as well as stem cell differentiation.  

Benefits of Thymosin Alpha-1 may include the following:

• Increases immune cell activity

• Corrects immune system dysfunction

• Normalizes immune system balance and response

• Stimulates T-lymphocyte and natural killer cell production

• Promotes the development of B-lymphocytes into plasma cells

• Decreases production of pro-inflammatory cytokines

• Increases chemotactic response and phagocytosis by neutrophils

• Improves host defenses to infection

• Inhibits viral replication

• Improves tissue repair and healing

• Reduces and normalizes inflammation

• Improves stress tolerance

• Improves microcirculation

• Improves cancer defenses

• Increases antioxidant and glutathione production

• Reverses immunosuppression in chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and Lyme disease

Signs of low thymosin alpha-1 levels include the following:

• Chronic fatigue, physical exhaustion, tired appearance, lack of motivation, apathy

• Chronic infections (colds, herpes, hepatitis, shingles, Lyme, and other severe infections)

• Persistent illness, lack of full recovery, e.g., recurrent bouts of ‘flu-like’ symptoms, chronic fatigue immune deficiency syndrome (CFIDS)

• Easily injured joints, ligaments, tendons, and muscles with slow recovery

• Chronic pain and disability after musculoskeletal trauma

• Slow, difficult, and incomplete wound healing

​

Thymosin Beta-4

This is another thymic peptide, which naturally occurs in all human cells but is found in higher concentrations in areas of damaged tissues.  It has potent, anti-inflammatory properties and helps to promote collagen repair and regeneration in the skin and soft tissues, as well as hair growth.  It also works with thymosin alpha 1 to support the immune system.

Benefits of thymosin beta-4 may include the following:

• Potent, anti-inflammatory for wounds, involving the muscles, joints, and skin

• Helps to support stem cells to heal and regenerate injured tissues

• Helps to promote rapid wound healing with little to no scarring

• Enhances fibroblast cell activity and collagen deposition

• Helps to prevent the formation of adhesions and fibrous bands in injured tissues, esp. in muscles, ligaments, tendons, joints, and skin

• Protects and restores neurons in post-traumatic brain injury (TBI)

• Helps to reduce acute or chronic pain and inflammation

• Helps to promote improved flexibility of the body

• Promotes hair growth and darkening of gray hair

Author

: Mitchell A. Fleisher, MD, DHt, DABFM, is a double board-certified, licensed, Family Physician specializing in anti-aging, regenerative medicine, peptide therapy, stem cell therapy, advanced musculoskeletal injection therapy, constitutional homeopathy, nutritional and botanical medicine, IV therapy, chelation and detoxification therapy, bio-oxidative therapy, and bio-identical bio-mimetic hormone replacement therapy with over thirty years experience practicing the gentler art and science of integrative medicine. He is the originator of Joint Regeneration Therapy (JRT), a safe, effective, natural, non-surgical, alternative, joint repairing therapy that is an anti-inflammatory, tissue restorative, oxygen-ozone, hormonal and homeopathic injection technique designed for the treatment of acute and chronic musculoskeletal pain. Please feel free to call (434) 361-1896 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Mitch Fleisher, the Medical Director of the Center for Integrative & Regenerative Medicine (Afton, Virginia), to determine which medicinal peptides would be most appropriate and best to restore your mind and body to its optimal health and well-being.