Peptide Therapy

Since peptides can treat very specific conditions in the body, there is a very wide range of benefits. Peptides can be used to improve overall wellness in the body as well as limit the effects of aging in the body. Some of the conditions it can improve are: inflammation, weight management, improving your libido, stimulating growth hormones, helping with anxiety and depression, joint and muscle repair, improving mental clarity and focus, insomnia, and even preventing skin cancer by increasing the melanin in your skin.

Patients with Lyme disease, chronic inflammation, autoimmune disease and other chronic degenerative conditions may benefit from utilizing peptides in their treatment plan. Peptide therapy encompasses different drugs with diverse effects, extending from immune modulation and tissue repair to weight loss and weight training. Ask your physician or speak with a patient representative at +1 (520) 396-4866 to determine if peptide therapy is right for you.

The most common peptide used in peptide therapy is Thymosin alpha-1. Thymosin alpha-1, or TA1 is a peptide that is naturally produced in the thymus gland and lymphoid tissue. It basically helps the body’s ability to protect against foreign invaders that can harm the body. It has been studied extensively for its ability enhance the immune system for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Thymosin alpha-1 (T α 1) is a peptide, or small protein, consisting of 28 amino acids. T α 1 is produced naturally by the thymus gland. The thymus is located behind the sternum and between the lungs, and is where immune cells known as T cells mature and are released, prompted to do so by the T α 1 peptide. T cell production and action within the body is vital to adaptive immunity—the mode by which immune cells are able to recognize and eradicate foreign invaders.

T α 1 has been found to have a profound effect on the immune system, and is used to treat hepatitis B and C, and has been studied extensively for its ability to support an immune system that has been suppressed by chemotherapy in cancer patients.

Specifically, T α 1 has been shown to enhance the function of certain immune cells called T and dendritic cells. This is very important to anyone with a depressed immune system or suffering from an infection, as these white blood cells play pivotal roles in the body’s defense process. T cells, for example, come in two forms: killer and helper T cells. 

Killer T cells are responsible for hunting down and destroying our body’s own cells that are cancerous or infected with bacteria or viruses. Helper cells work with the other cells of the immune system to orchestrate and carry out appropriate immune responses.

Dendritic cells are just as valuable to our body’s defense system. These cells gather important information about infection or the presence of cancerous cells, and communicate with the T cells, who then act appropriately to eradicate the unhealthy cells and stop the infection or cancer growth.

T α 1 itself has been shown to exhibit antibacterial and antifungal properties, suppress tumor growth, increase vaccine effectiveness, and protect against oxidative damage.

Studies have shown that individuals fighting infection have a lower amount of circulating T α 1 and suppressed helper T cell numbers compared to healthy individuals. This is problematic, as optimal immune function is vital to recovery from infection. Supplementation with T α 1 has the potential for great therapeutic benefit for patients suffering from infection or autoimmune disease.

In addition to its use in the treatment of Hepatitis, AIDS, and cancer, T α 1 has shown great promise in the treatment of Lyme disease. This is unsurprising when one considers the large role the immune system plays in combating the disease.

T α 1 assists the immune system in the location and eradication of the Lyme bacteria and infected cells, while helping to prevent oxidative damage, thereby decreasing inflammation and enabling better quality of life throughout treatment.

Growth Hormone Secretagogues (GHSs)

This class of peptides includes a number of therapeutics that boost growth hormone (hGH) secretion. Each peptide varies just a little as far as structure and mechanism of action.

For this reason, a certain peptide may be selected depending on the patient’s health status and desired end result. GHSs include: CJC 1295, GHRP 2, GHRP 6, Hexarelin, and Ipamorelin.

Other Peptides Include ..

Thymosin beta 4 (Tβ4) is the predominant form of thymosin in our bodies. It has been found in high concentrations in wound tissue and certain blood cells involved in clotting, signifying its important role in the healing process. In fact, recent studies have revealed that the first gene to be upregulated after an injury is the Tβ4 gene. As the body begins the recovery process, Tβ4 aids in the creation of new vessels in the injured area, which carry blood, nutrients, and reparative substances to the site. Tβ4 also has anti-inflammatory properties, and works to decrease the amount of inflammatory substances, called cytokines. Inflammation plays a large role in many of the symptoms associated with a large number of conditions (i.e., Lyme disease, CFS, FM, autoimmune diseases, infections, etc.), making the potential impact of Tβ4 quite extensive.

Hexarelin is a peptide that is derived from GHRP 6, but has been optimized to enhance its metabolic stability. Like the other GHSs, hexarelin increases hGH production, resulting in increased muscle mass, bone density, skin elasticity, and decreased body fat. Unlike the other GHRPs, however, hexarelin does not lead to a substantial increase in ghrelin and therefore does not cause the same appetite stimulation. This peptide has been further promoted for its cardioprotective and regenerative action as well. Hexarelin would be an ideal choice for those looking to benefit from increased growth hormone without appetite stimulation.

Growth hormone releasing peptide (GHRP) 2 is a type of peptide therapeutic that mimics the effects of ghrelin, the “hunger hormone”. Ghrelin is a hormone that helps regulate appetite as well as energy distribution and rate of use or metabolism. In the 1980’s, ghrelin was discovered to be the body’s natural ligand (or binding molecule) of the GHRP receptor in the anterior pituitary. This was a significant discovery, as it highlighted the role of ghrelin in hGH secretion and growth regulation.

Modern biotechnology has used this knowledge to develop peptides that can be administered to mimic ghrelin’s hGH stimulation but in a more targeted fashion. GHRP 2 is one such peptide, stimulating hGH secretion by 7-15 times, increasing appetite and meal initiation, while also decreasing fat mass and cholesterol. GHRP 2 is ideal for patients who are hypercatabolic, due to critical illness, cancer, AIDS, etc. It should be noted that GHRP 2 can also increase levels of prolactin, aldosterone, and cortisol.

Melanotan II is an analogue of alpha melanocyte stimulating hormone, the hormone responsible for pigmentation in skin and hair. This peptide has been shown not only to increase skin pigmentation, resulting in a substantially tanner skin tone, but also to stimulate fat loss and increase libido. Its aphrodisiac effects were so substantial that it was the basis for the development of another peptide designed exclusively to address erectile and sexual dysfunction—Bremelanotide PT 141.

Bremelanotide PT 141 was developed from Melanotan II, targeting its aphrodisiac effects. This peptide has been shown to have a substantial effect on libido, generating sexual arousal in both men and women within minutes of administration. It has been shown to be effective in treating erectile dysfunction, even in men who have not responded to other ED treatments, such as Viagra. This peptide is also able to cross the blood-brain-barrier, bypassing the vascular system and acting at the level of the central nervous system. This property gives Bremelanotide an advantage over traditional ED drugs, which can decrease blood pressure to dangerous levels. This peptide can be administered as a nasal spray, making its use convenient and discreet.

These peptides are inhibitors of a protein called myostatin. Myostatin is secreted by muscle cells and acts to essentially block the development of new muscle fibers and, thus, the development of lean muscle mass. In fact, individuals who have mutations in the gene coding for this protein have significantly more muscle mass and enhanced strength. The administration of follastatin peptides can generate enhanced muscle mass and strength, and has been found especially useful in patients suffering from muscle-wasting diseases or who have difficulty gaining muscle.