2 posts were split to a new topic: Peter Magic, the founder of Janoshik, Peptide Testing
A new peptide, VD11, promotes structural and functional recovery after spinal cord injury
“The regenerative capacity of the central nervous system is very limited and few effective treatments are currently available for spinal cord injury. It is therefore a priority to develop new drugs that can promote structural and functional recovery after spinal cord injury. Previous studies have shown that peptides can promote substantial repair and regeneration of injured tissue. While amphibians have a pronounced ability to regenerate the spinal cord, few studies have investigated the effect of amphibian spinal cord-derived peptides on spinal cord injury. Here we report for the first time the successful identification and isolation of a new polypeptide, VD11 (amino acid sequence: VDELWPPWLPC), from the spinal cord of an endemic Chinese amphibian (Odorrana schmackeri). In vitro experiments showed that VD11 promoted the secretion of nerve growth factor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor in BV2 cells stimulated with lipopolysaccharide, as well as the proliferation and synaptic elongation of PC12 cells subjected to hypoxia. In vivo experiments showed that intravertebral injection of VD11 markedly promoted recovery of motor function in rats with spinal cord injury, alleviated pathological damage, and promoted axonal regeneration. Furthermore, RNA sequencing and western blotting showed that VD11 may affect spinal cord injury through activation of the AMPK and AKT signaling pathways. In summary, we discovered a novel amphibian-derived peptide that promotes structural and functional recovery after spinal cord injury.”
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ARA-290 (cibinetide) is another peptide used in the “research community” for neuropathic pain, peripheral nerve degeneration and inflammation, although it requires daily injection (like SS-31) until they further develop the longer-acting modified version:
Turns out it also may have some anti-aging properties if the research hold up in humans:
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BTW here’s a brand new video from two physicians I respect a lot. Their views on most peptides are pretty conservative yet overall quite reasonable IMO given the lack of clinical trials for many of them (it all depends on one’s risk tolerance).
Regarding the section on GH secretagogues, one thing I’m still trying to figure out is the apparent huge disconnect between the published research on the anabolic effects of human growth hormone (which is underwhelming at best) and real-world use of GH, which has been a staple for decades along with testosterone for professional bodybuilders. It can’t just be a placebo.
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Agent Smith, for those of us who are fairly unknown to the peptide world, how would you suggest we get some reputable vendor information? Some of us on this forum were drawn here initially to try to figure out how to find a reputable source for rapamycin. Peptide sourcing seems fraught with plenty of potential pitfalls and problems.
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I don’t have time to watch the video, but do you know offhand the doses and durations that have been studied in healthy adults? I don’t think we can learn much from AIDS patients or idiopathic short stature.
I can at least describe Broderick Chavez’ theory, which is not that it directly stimulates muscle tissue growth, but (1) keeps tendons, ligaments and bones strong enough to sustain heavier loads and muscle strain (i.e. facilitates recovery via repair), (2) the water retention in the cells, the actual pressure, creates growth signals, (3) the nutrient partitioning, when combined with AAS and insulin drives nutrients into the cells, (4) it might cause hyperplasia. But we’re talking about 6-15+ IU a day and IGF-1 off the charts.
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It is a bit more difficult with peptides as vendors come and go all the time. There are many Chinese vendors of these peptides that provide affordable pricing. I’d be interested to hear from someone who has a better suggestion than buying peptides and having them tested which can be a bit pricy.
Here’s a key study where they combined GH (2 IU/day) with resistance training in elderly men. No effect on strength or hypertrophy above resistance training alone, but lots of side effects.
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Here’s a review paper that sounds a bit more positive. GH clearly reduces body fat mass and increases lean mass, but from other papers it appears that most of the lean mass gains are from water and non-muscle tissue.
GH may shine more in the area of preserving lean muscle mass during caloric restriction rather than directly building muscle.
This is the kind of nuance that I think is missed by those who dismiss GH or GH-releasing peptides as worthless just because they don’t make muscle “grow” per se.
In theory at least, combining GH or a GH secretagogue peptide (tesamorelin) with a GLP medication would both enhance fat loss and at the same time help prevent loss of lean muscle tissue. Would be great to see a study combining two FDA-approved peptides, tirzepatide and tesamorelin, to investigate this.
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Yup, I’ve seen these studies also, and HGH at replacement doses and the GH related peptides do just cause water retention and will increase lipolysis. Though once insulin sensitivity degrades they begin to work against you, and they’re definitely not anabolic. The nutrient partitioning helps with body composition.
I have stopped HGH and may not touch it again because I don’t like seeing my cystatin C shoot up 20-30% even if it might just be the HGH acting directly to cause the increase. I’m unwilling to take the risk that it’s straining my renal system because of fluid and sodium balance.
I completely agree that the peptides shouldn’t be dismissed, as the growing consensus is that they are very useful for recovery and fat loss, and may be safer to cycle than HGH. Tesamorelin is powerful, and will reduce visceral fat in particular (also some subcutaneous fat), though it can cause more insulin resistance than others. Hexarelin is short acting, very strong, but spikes cortisol. It is best used during the day. Ipamorelin is a solid choice that pairs well with tesamorelin because of their synergistic mechanisms. CJC seems a bit weaker, but is safer than tesamorelin and also pairs with ipamorelin.
What I’m not aware of are any studies in healthy men at bodybuilding doses if HGH, but I have seen the photos before, during and after high HGH cycles, after the water has dropped back off, and pros swear by it. Clearly something different is happening at 6+ IU.
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After helping many people find their way into the peptide world, I’ve come to share the belief often repeated on steroid forums that “spoon-feeding” sources to people isn’t helpful to them in the long run because they don’t actually learn what they need to know in order to navigate the world. So I think the question you’re asking is very much the right way to ask it: how can one find reliable information?
The way I did it was I spent hundreds of hours on different forums until I found discords and telegrams that led to more discords and telegrams and WhatsApp groups.
It is easier now than ever, though. What you need to do is go to these forums and just read and read and read.
www.thinksteroids.com (meso-rx, focus on the Underground)
PepChat – Home of the Peptide Community
https://glp1forum.com/
Those will get you started. Reddit is a waste of time and is filled with misinformation confidently repeated.
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The other source I would recommend would be Peppy’s.
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Agreed, thank you. Major oversight.
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Pepchat is too wild for newbies, and even experienced people, I find. There is absolutely no vetting there. In fact, a vendor (Muya) just scammed people by targeting pepchat specifically. Great for price comparison, but you need to get on one of the review servers to see which ones are worth your time.
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Have used that one for 3 months (Aug to Oct) due to a pinched sciatic nerve. Not sure it helped but I did get some relief after the 2nd month.
My daughter has been “floxed” and suffers significant neuropathy from her knees down and her feet are basically numb. She has been taking ti for 4 months and has started to notice pins and needle effect in her feet for the first time in 6 years.
Just started her on SS 31 as being floxed also messes with your mito’s.
Two diabetics in my circle have tried it, each over 3 months and no relief.
So I’m divided on this one. Nerve issues are complex and difficult to deal with.
ARA 290 is not what I’d hoped it would be but my expectations may have been too high due to reports of over night improvements that I have not seen in 4 people.
Our dose schedule
4.0mg per day 5 days a week for 4 weeks, then repeat
The high dose makes it pricey.
I tried GB-115. It’s pretty good.
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Can we have a quick discussion about TA-1, please.
I have some on hand to consider taking if I should ever get covid or something.
Having said that, I wonder if it would be helpful for me to take this week for 2 reasons…
The main reason would be because we have a bunch of out of town guys coming to do work in the house for several days beginning on Friday. Out of town also means if they are a little sick I don’t foresee anyone cancelling (hotels/flights booked). It’s also right after the holidays when people notoriously have had more exposure.
Also, this week I plan to finally get my pneumonia vax and I read it might help increase the effectiveness of immunizations (I really wouldn’t take it only for this but perhaps it’s a bonus use case)
Incase it matters, on tues I need to have a filling replaced with a crown. I was thinking I might go and get my vax after that considering I’ll be a little drugged and will probably feel blah anyway (I’ll be on triazolam… dentist said one of us needs to take it, so if I don’t, hell need it 
Is my thinking correct and that if begin using it now it might help boost my immunity incase anyone coming to the house has something?
I have no idea what that protocol looks like for different use cases… I just figured IF I ever got sick, I’d look it up then. Any suggestions on dose and timing?
And… @AgentSmith
EDIT: in reading elsewhere, I’m also seeing epitalon might be part of this protocol, so I thought it was worth noting I have some of that… why do I have it, well, I needed to buy something else for free shipping of course, duh
EDIT 2: I’m seeing some take 500mcg daily or 1-1.5mg 2-3x per week as a preventative and aprox 1mg daily if they have known exposure
This is an FDA approved “drug”/peptide. How it is used is well documented when used to boost the immune system of HIV patients and treat other viral infections. So there is good clinical evidence of it’s function and use protocol.
There is also the "internet’ way.
Your choice, clinically proven or the internet way.
I try to follow the clinical method. It has a short reconstitution life. This has been debated ad nauseum on the internet, with no proof the internet is correct.
As far as the clinical method goes, my guess is that the short reconstitution life is guided by a narrow band of clinical functionality to reach the studies end points. The end points would be established when the trial is registered, and the dosing would be driven by the clinical trial results that led to it becoming an FDA approved peptide.
Example: 1 = the beneficial number in the trial dose, effectiveness drops off when it’s below 0.9 so the clinical functional band has a 0.1 allowed variation.
Speculation here on my part - because of the possibility of an “approved” narrow functional band, TA-1 when used clinically is typically reconstituted in single 1 time use vials. That would be a very narrow band of effectiveness that was part of the approval process, thus the added care in how it is administered clinically, where lives depend on it working.
Further searching of studies indicates it may remain effective for up to 7 days. I chose to use this in 5 day vials, where the dose I use is used up completely in 5 days. Then I reconstitute anther 5 day vial and I typically do this 3 times = 15 day cycle
The clinical dose is 1.6mg every other day.
I do deviate from this standard.
I combine LL 37 + TA-1 in 1 vial and take 2 doses per day
Recon with 2.0mL BAC water
Dose in mg x 2 times a day
LL 37 = 0.300mg x 2 = 0.600mg per day x 5 = 3,0mg
Ta-1 = 0.850mg x 2 = 1.700mg per day x 5 = 8.5mg
Total Doses 10 / 2 = 5 days
Dose Units 20
Since you are only using Ta-1 a 5 day cycle would be
Ta-1 = 0.850mg x 2 = 1.700mg per day x 5 = 8.5mg
Or you can do the internet thing as detailed in the attached as well as the clinical way NOTE that the longer term stability claims come from peptide vendors, reddit users, or other non-clinical sources that are referenced.
thymosin alpha 1.pdf (404.4 KB)
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All great info. So, because I’m math challenged, I’ll share what I think I’m doing just incase you spot a mistake
I’ll begin today and will be taking it for 5 days (to use up the vial) at 1.7mg per day.
The math:
11.59 vial mixed with 2ml of water means I would give myself 29 units each day to get a dose of 1.7mg.
(I’ll give some to my husband too, so I’ll be using up the vial and no problem about waste)
So, if we each take a 1.7mg per day dose, it will take 3.4 days to use a vial, so if we use 4 vials, that gives us 13 days… which sounds close enough, right?
Just curious, where did you get the 1.7?
Ok, I’m re-reading what you wrote
Ta-1 = 0.850mg x 2 = 1.700mg per day x 5 = 8.5mg
and now I realize you are saying to take it twice per day and not once. What is your rationale for taking it 2x per day, which I ask in light of the clinical dose being 1.6mg EOD?
And I just looked up LL 37… wow, so many interesting things out there.
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Me too so I use spreadsheets, like the one attached here that I’ve used to verify your numbers
Because of the LL 37 short half life I do this combo in 2 doses.
1.7 x 5 = 8.5mg = easier for me to weigh out.
For Ta-1 only I would probably still do 2 daily doses but 1 per day is the clinical way.
Reconstitution_Basic.xlsx (11.5 KB)
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