Review
. 2025 Feb;41(2):150-152.
doi: 10.1016/j.arthro.2024.09.005. Epub 2024 Sep 10.
Affiliations
PMID: 39265666 DOI: 10.1016/j.arthro.2024.09.005
Review
Injectable Therapeutic Peptides-An Adjunct to Regenerative Medicine and Sports Performance?
Mikalyn T DeFoor et al. Arthroscopy. 2025 Feb.
Abstract
High-level athletes and bodybuilders are constantly seeking novel therapies to enhance recovery and expedite return from injury-injectable peptides are a new and trending therapy that may be the wave of the future in the realm of regenerative medicine research in treating joint injuries and osteoarthritis. Very early in vivo research on pharmacokinetics indicates the possibility that body protection compound 157 (BPC-157) is at the forefront of therapeutic peptides, with early demonstrations of this experimental peptide optimizing endurance training, metabolism, recovery, and tissue repair. Although unregulated and yet readily available for purchase over the internet, there is scarce orthopaedic literature investigating the clinical use and outcomes of such therapeutic peptides in tendon, muscle, and cartilage injury. However, this has not slowed the recent exponential growth of the multi-billion-dollar industry in the development of therapeutic peptides. As orthopaedic surgeons and team physicians, we should stay up to date with the latest pharmacokinetic, safety, ethical, and legal profiles and regulations regarding synthetic peptide supplementation for injury recovery and sports performance optimization in our patients, from elite athletes to fitness fanatics, because they will continue to seek the latest and greatest in treatment options and will be approaching us with questions on their results, risks, and benefits.
Published by Elsevier Inc.
PubMed Disclaimer
Conflict of interest statement
Disclosures The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: M.T.D. reports board membership with Society of Military Orthopaedic Surgeons; receives travel reimbursement from Society of Military Orthopaedic Surgeons; and is on the Arthroscopy Editorial Board. T.J.D. is on the Arthroscopy Editorial Board.