Investigational Topical Peptides (BPC-157, AOD-9604, KPV, Dihexa)
Dermatology
In plain English
These are experimental peptides included in some compounded skin creams for claims like tissue repair, anti-inflammation, or rejuvenation. Honest bottom line: there is very little peer-reviewed human evidence that any of them work when applied to the skin. They should be described as investigational/unproven, not established treatments, and are not FDA-approved. Systemic (injected/oral) versions of some of these are addressed in the peptide-focused parts of this library.
The science
This group spans different putative mechanisms — BPC-157 (a synthetic gastric-peptide fragment) is studied preclinically for angiogenesis/tissue repair; AOD-9604 is a growth-hormone fragment; KPV (a tripeptide from alpha-MSH) has anti-inflammatory activity in models; dihexa is an angiotensin-IV-derived peptide studied for neurotrophic effects. Cosmetic-peptide reviews classify such actives as signal/carrier/enzyme-modulating peptides, but note a general scarcity of randomized, controlled human dermatologic trials, and topical bioavailability of larger peptides is often poor.
References
- Errante F et al., cosmeceutical peptides (review), Front Chem 2020
- Ferreira MS et al., insights into bioactive peptides in cosmetics (review), Cosmetics 2023