Your Guide to Peptide Therapy: A Patient-Friendly Overview

What Are Peptides?

Peptides are tiny chains of amino acids — the same building blocks that make up proteins in your body. Think of them as short "instruction messages" your cells send to each other. Your body naturally makes thousands of different peptides to control everything from healing and metabolism to mood and sleep.

As we age, our natural peptide production often declines. Peptide therapy aims to restore or enhance these signals, supporting the body's own ability to repair, regulate, and thrive. Below, we've organized the peptides offered at our practice by the health goals they support — in plain language, without the medical jargon.

Brain Health, Memory Mood

Cerebrolysin

Injection (IM)

Supports blood flow to the brain
Aids recovery after stroke
Helps with traumatic brain injury
Supports cognitive function in dementia

Semax

Nasal Spray

Improves memory and attention
Supports stroke recovery
Helps neurons survive and thrive
Boosts immunity
Improves vascular health
Reduces anxiety
Enhances mood
May help with ADHD and learning

Selank

Nasal Spray

Reduces anxiety and stress
Supports healthy brain cells
Improves thinking and memory
Acts as a natural antidepressant
May help with opioid and alcohol withdrawal

Dihexa

Oral Capsule

Supports memory and recall
Enhances learning and problem-solving
Improves brain blood flow
Supports new nerve connections
May reverse neurological damage from Alzheimer's
Helps manage depression
Increases mental stamina

Research suggests Dihexa may be significantly more potent than naturally occurring brain growth factors.

DSIP (Delta Sleep-Inducing Peptide)

Injection (SQ)

Promotes restful sleep
Induces deep, restorative delta-wave sleep
Crosses the blood-brain barrier easily

Epithalon (Epitalon)

Nasal Spray or Injection (IM)

May lengthen telomeres — protective caps on your DNA linked to aging
Promotes deeper, better sleep
May delay age-related diseases including cancer, heart disease, and dementia
Acts as a powerful antioxidant
Improves skin health and appearance
Helps repair muscle cells
Restores healthy melatonin levels
Increases resilience to stress

Healing, Recovery Tissue Repair

BPC-157

Injection (SQ) or Oral Capsule

Speeds healing of tendons, ligaments, and wounds
Reduces pain and inflammation
Heals the gut lining (helpful for Crohn's & colitis)
Boosts collagen production
Protects the brain and heart
Repairs eye (corneal) damage
Supports nerve repair
Useful after surgery

Thymosin Beta-4 (TB-4)

Injection (SQ)

Helps brain grow new blood vessels after injury
Reduces brain inflammation
Supports the protective coating of nerves (myelin)
May reduce amyloid plaque formation linked to Alzheimer's
Influences cellular communication and healing

TB-500

Injection (SQ)

Repairs tendons, ligaments, and muscles
Reduces scar tissue
Speeds recovery from athletic injuries
Improves muscle tone and stamina
Promotes cell migration to injury sites

IGF1-LR3

Injection (SQ)

Builds and maintains muscle mass
Reduces inflammation
Improves gut health
Boosts collagen production
Helps balance blood sugar
Supports weight loss

LL-37

Sublingual Liquid Drops

Natural antimicrobial — fights bacteria and infections
Promotes wound healing
Balances tissue inflammation
Helps prevent biofilm formation (a protective shield bacteria use)

SS-31 (Elamipretide)

Injection (SQ)

Supports mitochondria (your cells' power generators)
May help with ALS, Alzheimer's, glaucoma, and diabetes
Helps with traumatic brain injury
Supports heart health
May benefit kidney disease
Helps with skeletal muscle weakness

Weight Loss Metabolic Health

Semaglutide Plus

Injection (SQ)

Reduces appetite and food cravings
Slows digestion to help you feel full longer
Decreases body fat percentage
Lowers blood sugar (HbA1c)
Reduces cardiovascular risk in type 2 diabetes patients
Supports healthy pancreatic function

AOD9604

Injection (SQ) or Topical Cream

Decreases fat growth and storage
Boosts metabolism and calorie burning
Triggers fat release from cells
Supports bone and cartilage health
Helps regulate blood sugar

Also available as a topical cream targeting stubborn fat on the waist and thighs.

Tesamorelin

Injection (SQ)

Reduces stubborn belly fat (visceral fat)
Preserves lean muscle mass
FDA-approved for fat redistribution disorders

MOTS-C

Injection (SQ)

Regulates metabolism and insulin sensitivity
Acts like an "exercise mimetic" — activates pathways triggered by working out
Protects against age-related insulin resistance and obesity
Improves metabolic flexibility
Increases energy

Exenatide

Injection (SQ)

Lowers blood sugar
Suppresses appetite
Helps you feel full faster and longer
Supports weight loss
Improves sugar processing in tissues

MK-677 (Ibutamoren)

Oral Capsule

Increases growth hormone levels
Builds fat-free muscle mass
Decreases body fat
Strengthens bones
Improves endurance
Promotes longer, higher-quality REM sleep

Tesofensine

Oral Capsule

Significantly reduces appetite
Reduces cravings for sweet, fatty, and salty foods
Supports weight loss
Increases metabolic rate
Improves quality of life across physical and social dimensions

Tetradecyl Thioacetic Acid / Amlexanox

Oral Capsule

Supports weight loss
Lowers LDL ("bad") cholesterol
Improves insulin resistance
Lowers blood pressure
Reduces HbA1c (long-term blood sugar marker)
Heart-protective effects

Sexual Health Hormones

Bremelanotide PT-141

Injection (SQ) or Nasal Spray

Increases sexual desire and arousal in men and women
FDA-recognized treatment for hypoactive sexual desire disorder
Improves overall sexual function and satisfaction
May assist with modest weight reduction

Do not exceed the prescribed dose within a 72-hour period. Always follow your provider's guidance.

Kisspeptin

Injection (SQ)

Stimulates the release of reproductive hormones (GnRH, LH, FSH)
Increases testosterone production
Helps reverse hypogonadism (low hormone levels)

Melanotan-I

Injection (SQ)

Promotes natural skin tanning
May help with erectile dysfunction
Used for rosacea and fibromyalgia

Important: Both Melanotan I and II may be associated with an increased risk of melanoma. Discuss risks carefully with your provider.

Melanotan-II

Injection (SQ)

Sunless skin tanning
Increases libido
Metabolic support: appetite control, anti-inflammatory, fat-burning
May help with autoimmune conditions
Supports glucose and cholesterol metabolism

Common side effects include nausea. May be associated with increased melanoma risk. Discuss with your doctor.

Skin Health Anti-Aging

GHK-Cu (Copper Peptide)

Topical Cream

Tightens loose, aging skin
Reduces fine lines and wrinkle depth
Repairs the skin's protective barrier
Improves skin firmness, elasticity, and clarity
Fades dark spots, hyperpigmentation, and lesions
Smooths rough skin texture
Protects against UV damage
Reduces inflammation and free radical damage
Stimulates wound healing

GHK-Cu / Argireline / Leuphasyl Serum or Cream

Topical Serum or Cream

Relaxes facial muscles to reduce expression lines
Reduces existing wrinkles
Prevents new wrinkles from forming
All benefits of GHK-Cu (see above)

DMAE / Estriol / GHK-Cu / Hyaluronic Acid Biopeptide

Topical Cream

Deeply hydrates and improves skin moisture
Decreases wrinkle depth and pore size
Combines the benefits of copper peptide with skin-firming and hydrating agents

Immune System Support

Thymulin

Injection (SQ)

Strengthens and modulates the immune system
Balances immune cell activity
Reduces inflammatory signaling molecules
Boosts natural anti-inflammatory factors

NAD+

Injection (SQ)

Restores cellular energy and fights mitochondrial decline
Supports cognitive and sensory function
Helps with autoimmune conditions
Supports recovery from depression and anxiety
May assist with addiction recovery and detox
Speeds injury recovery
Protects against heart and vascular disease

NAD+ is a molecule naturally found in every cell of your body, essential for energy production. Levels drop significantly with age.

Muscle, Strength Growth Hormone

CJC-1295 / Ipamorelin

Injection (SQ)

Naturally raises growth hormone levels
Decreases body fat
Increases muscle mass and strength
Improves sleep quality
Enhances cognitive function
Speeds recovery from injury
Boosts metabolism and energy
Improves bone density

Omnitrope Growth Hormone

Injection (SQ)

Decreases body fat
Increases muscle mass
Improves body composition and weight distribution
Increases stamina and energy
Improves bone health and density

Energy, Longevity Cellular Health

Epithalon (Epitalon)

Nasal Spray or Injection (IM)

Supports cellular longevity through telomere lengthening
Powerful antioxidant — reduces cellular aging damage
Regulates the body's sleep-wake cycle (melatonin)
May delay age-related diseases
Increases resilience to emotional stress
Supports stem cell function and neural health

MOTS-C

Injection (SQ)

Encoded in your own mitochondrial DNA — activates naturally during exercise and stress
Improves insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism
Increases fatty acid burning for energy
Promotes metabolic flexibility
Protects against obesity related to aging and diet