Knowledge base
Research guides
Compound overviews, laboratory handling protocols and sourcing checklists, written against the published literature. Educational only, for research purposes. Nothing here is guidance for use in humans.
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All comparison guides in one place: compounds, formats and how to compare EU suppliers.
Compare research peptides and formatsMetabolic research
Browse this categorySemaglutide vs Tirzepatide vs Retatrutide: A Research Comparison
Semaglutide, tirzepatide and retatrutide represent three generations of incretin based compounds investigated for weight reduction in clinical research. Semaglutide is a selective GLP-1 receptor agonist that produced approximately 15% body weight reduction in the STEP programme. Tirzepatide, a dual GLP-1 and GIP receptor agonist, achieved roughly 21% reduction in the SURMOUNT programme. Retatrutide, a triple GLP-1, GIP and glucagon receptor agonist, reported up to 24.2% reduction at 48 weeks in phase 2 research, with phase 3 topline data reporting 28.3% at 80 weeks. Each compound engages a different receptor combination, producing distinct metabolic profiles in published research.
Read guideRetatrutide: What the Current Research Shows
Retatrutide (LY3437943) is an investigational triple receptor agonist that has drawn substantial attention in metabolic research literature. This overview summarises what published work describes, how the compound is handled in a laboratory setting, and where the evidence currently stops.
Read guideRecovery and repair
Browse this categoryBPC-157: Research Overview, Handling and Storage
BPC-157 is a synthetic pentadecapeptide derived from a sequence identified in gastric juice. It is one of the most frequently referenced compounds in preclinical tissue repair literature, and one of the most frequently misdescribed online. This overview separates what the published work actually reports from what it does not.
Read guideBPC-157 vs TB-500: How the Two Compounds Differ
BPC-157 and TB-500 are routinely mentioned in the same breath, which has produced a lot of confusion about what they actually are. They are unrelated molecules studied through different pathways. Here is the comparison Vitality Peps uses internally, restricted to what the literature supports.
Read guideWhat is TB-500? A Plain Explanation of the Research Peptide
TB-500 is one of the most frequently searched research peptides and one of the most frequently misdescribed. This explainer sets out what the molecule is, what the published record covers, and what it does not.
Read guideWhat is KPV? The alpha-MSH tripeptide in published research
KPV is a peptide of just three amino acids: lysine, proline and valine. It is the final stretch of alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH), and researchers have studied it as the smallest fragment of that hormone that still showed activity against inflammation in laboratory models. This guide sets out where KPV comes from, how its mechanism is described, what was observed in cell lines and animals, and where the published evidence stops.
Read guideKPV vs BPC-157: how the research compares
KPV and BPC-157 are both short peptides that come up in research on inflammation and tissue injury, and both have been studied in models of colitis. Beyond that they have little in common. KPV is a three residue fragment of a hormone, studied mainly for its effect on inflammatory signalling inside cells. BPC-157 is a fifteen residue sequence linked to a gastric protein, studied mainly in rat models of injury and blood vessel growth. This guide sets the two side by side, using published studies only.
Read guideWhat is thymosin alpha 1? Thymalfasin in published research
Thymosin alpha 1 is a short peptide first isolated from calf thymus in the 1970s. A synthetic version, thymalfasin, has since been tested in clinical trials in several countries, including large phase 3 trials, which makes it one of the better documented peptides in this catalogue. The record is also mixed. This guide explains where the peptide comes from, how its mechanism is described, what laboratory and clinical studies reported, and where the evidence remains uncertain.
Read guideHormone peptides
Browse this categoryCJC-1295 vs Ipamorelin: How the Two Compounds Differ
CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin appear together so often that many buyers assume they are two names for one thing. They are separate molecules acting on separate receptor families, which is exactly why the blend exists. Here is the distinction as the literature describes it.
Read guideWhat is Tesamorelin? A Plain Explanation of the GHRH Analogue
Tesamorelin is one of the most frequently referenced growth hormone releasing hormone analogues in metabolic literature. This explainer covers the molecule, the stabilisation that defines it and what published work actually describes.
Read guideTesamorelin vs CJC-1295: How the Two GHRH Analogues Differ
Both compounds act at the growth hormone releasing hormone receptor, which is why they are so often confused. The differences sit in the sequence length, the stabilisation strategy and the literature each one carries.
Read guideCognitive research
Browse this categorySemax vs Selank: How the Two Research Peptides Differ
Semax and Selank are often listed next to each other because both came out of the same Russian research programme and both are studied in neuroscience models. They are different molecules with different parent peptides and different literature. This is the comparison as the published record supports it.
Read guideWhat is Semax? A Plain Explanation of the Research Peptide
Semax appears in neuroscience research literature and in a great deal of imprecise summary writing. This explainer sets out the molecule, its origin and the limits of the published record.
Read guideWhat is Selank? The tuftsin analogue heptapeptide in published research
Selank is a short synthetic peptide developed at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and it is often discussed alongside Semax, which came from the same institute. Most of what is published about it appears in Russian journals. This guide sets out where Selank comes from, how its mechanism is described, what was observed in rodents and in small clinical studies, and where the evidence stops.
Read guideWhat is DSIP? Delta sleep-inducing peptide in published research
Delta sleep-inducing peptide, or DSIP, was named for an effect seen in rabbits in the 1970s, and the name has stayed even though its link to sleep was never firmly established. Four decades of research have produced a long list of observations and few firm answers. This guide sets out where DSIP comes from, how its activity is described, what was observed in animals and in small human studies, and where the evidence stops.
Read guideLongevity research
Browse this categoryGHK-Cu vs AHK-Cu: Two Copper Peptides Compared
GHK-Cu and AHK-Cu are both copper binding tripeptides, which is where the similarity stops being useful. The sequences differ, the research literature differs sharply in volume, and the handling notes that matter in a laboratory differ too.
Read guideWhat is GHK-Cu? A Plain Explanation of the Copper Peptide
GHK-Cu is the most studied copper peptide and the one most often described loosely. This explainer covers the molecule, the role of the copper ion and what the published record supports.
Read guideWhat is MOTS-c? The mitochondrial-encoded peptide in published research
MOTS-c is one of a small group of peptides encoded not in the nucleus but in the DNA of the mitochondria. Since its description in 2015 it has been studied as a signal that links mitochondrial metabolism to the rest of the cell. This guide sets out where MOTS-c comes from, how its mechanism is described, what was observed in mice, cell lines and human blood samples, and where the published evidence stops.
Read guideWhat is SS-31 (elamipretide)? The cardiolipin-binding peptide in research
SS-31 is a synthetic tetrapeptide from the Szeto-Schiller family, also known as elamipretide, MTP-131 and Bendavia. It is one of the few research peptides that has been through large randomised clinical trials, with mixed results. This guide sets out where SS-31 comes from, how its binding to cardiolipin is described, what was observed in animal models and human trials, and where the published evidence stops.
Read guideSS-31 vs MOTS-c: two mitochondrial peptides compared
SS-31 and MOTS-c are both discussed as mitochondrial peptides, which makes them easy to confuse. They differ in almost every respect: one is a synthetic tetrapeptide designed to sit in the inner mitochondrial membrane, the other a natural 16 residue peptide encoded in mitochondrial DNA that acts as a signal. This guide compares their origin, mechanism, research models and the weight of published evidence.
Read guideWhat is NAD+? The coenzyme behind ageing research, explained
NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is not a peptide but a coenzyme found in every living cell. It has become one of the most studied molecules in ageing research, because levels fall with age in rodents and humans and because several enzymes linked to ageing depend on it. This guide explains what NAD+ is, how its decline is described, what trials of its precursors found, what is known about NAD+ given directly, and where the evidence stops.
Read guideWhat is Epithalon (Epitalon)? The AEDG tetrapeptide in published research
Epithalon, also spelled Epitalon or Epithalone, is a four amino acid peptide that has been studied for more than 25 years, mostly in the context of ageing research. Much of the early literature comes from one group in St Petersburg, and newer work from other laboratories has revisited some of its claims in cell models. This guide sets out where Epithalon comes from, how its mechanism is described, what was observed in cells and animals, and where the evidence stops.
Read guideHandling and fundamentals
Browse this categoryPeptide Research Glossary: Terms Explained
Peptide research listings and batch documents carry a dense vocabulary. This glossary defines the terms that appear most often across our guides and product pages, grouped into receptor and signalling language, documentation and analysis language, and laboratory handling language. Each definition is descriptive only and describes how a term is used in published research and in supplier paperwork.
Read guideHow to Store and Handle Research Peptides
Peptide degradation is usually a storage problem, not a product problem. Lyophilised material is comparatively forgiving; reconstituted material is not. This is the handling protocol Vitality Peps recommends to research customers.
Read guideHow to Read a Peptide COA (Certificate of Analysis)
An analysis report is only useful if you can read it, and most buyers never look past the headline number. Here is what each section actually tells you, and which parts matter when you are comparing suppliers. Vitality Peps publishes a batch report for every compound it ships.
Read guideWhat your vial should look like
Appearance is the first check a laboratory makes when a parcel arrives. It confirms the vial is intact and the material matches the documented description, but it says nothing about identity or purity. That is what the certificate of analysis (COA) for the batch is for.
Read guideWhere to Buy Research Peptides in Europe: A 2026 Buyer's Checklist
Sourcing research peptides inside the European Union requires clear delivery limits, storage information and batch documentation. This is the checklist we would apply as buyers.
Read guideHow to Reconstitute Research Peptides
Step by step reconstitution protocol: workspace preparation, diluent selection, mixing technique and post-reconstitution storage.
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