Peptides Explained

Eli Lilly is taking legal action against businesses selling products labeled retatrutide. What do the lawsuits actually establish—and what don't they? John Garrett separates pending legal allegations from court findings, reviews the human trial evidence for the investigational triple agonist, and explains why molecular identity, purity, and pharmaceutical equivalence are not interchangeable. We also examine FDA r...

Can peptide biology protect the brain from vascular damage? John follows a question that started with Vesugen into the biology of vascular cognitive impairment—endothelial dysfunction, hypoperfusion, blood-brain-barrier injury, mitochondrial stress, inflammation and neuronal damage. The episode maps Cerebrolysin, SS-31/elamipretide, ARA-290/cibinetide, Semax, Vesugen and GLP-1 receptor agonists onto different poi...

Vesugen is only three amino acids long: lysine, glutamate, and aspartate — KED. Yet it is promoted as a vascular bioregulator that may support endothelial health and even "rejuvenate" aging blood vessels.

In this episode, John Garrett looks at what the endothelial research actually measured, the proposed gene-regulation mechanism, a small human blood-flow report, and the large gap between an interest...

Follistatin can bind myostatin—one of the body's major restraints on skeletal-muscle growth. Animal studies are dramatic, and small human gene-therapy studies have produced encouraging signals in serious muscle disease.

But is a vial labeled "Follistatin-344" equivalent to the therapy used in those trials?

John Garrett explains FST288, FST315, and FST344; the myostatin/activin pathway; t...

Glutathione gets called the "master antioxidant," and the underlying biology really is important. But does that mean oral supplements, liposomal products or glutathione IVs deliver the sweeping detox, energy, immune and anti-aging benefits often attached to them?

John breaks down glutathione biology, the GSH/GSSG cycle, oral human data, NAC, skin-related research and the gap between changing a biomarker an...

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Is taking smaller GLP-1 doses multiple times per week actually "microdosing"? Not necessarily.

This episode separates split dosing from true dose reduction and explains the pharmacokinetic logic using semaglutide, tirzepatide, and retatrutide. John breaks down half-life, peaks, troughs, total exposure, and w...

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A peptide…in a pill?

Icotyde, or icotrokinra, is an FDA-approved oral peptide designed to block the IL-23 receptor in moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. In Phase 3 trials, it produced substantial skin clearance and outperformed an...

If BPC-157, TB-500, KPV, MOTS-C and similar peptides are so interesting, why don't we have giant randomized human trials?

This episode looks at the less dramatic—and more important—answer: clinical trials require a sponsor, regulatory strategy, manufacturing package, defined indication, safety program, and a very large amount of money. For old, easily copied, poorly protected, or commercially f...

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John Garrett shares his N=1 experience with the so-called "Trinity Stack"—established TRT, retatrutide, and tesamorelin—combined with resistance training, Zone 2 cardio, high protein intake, creatine, sauna, and cold plunging.

The transfor...

SNAP-8 is a synthetic cosmetic octapeptide marketed for expression lines and frequently called "Botox in a bottle." John Garrett, RN, breaks down the SNAP-25 and SNARE-complex mechanism, the difference between topical SNAP-8 and injected botulinum toxin, the skin-penetration problem, the Argireline evidence, a small 2024 microneedle combination study, safety, and the limits of the current human data.

The m...

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For more info on research peptides check out PeptidesExplained.info/OfflinePeptides or email John at john@peptidesexplained.info

What exactly is GLP-1 microdosing?

Depending on who you ask, it can mean remaining on the starter dose, taking a fraction of that dose, spacing injections farther apart, stepping down after weight ...

Can a peptide reverse age-related immune decline?

Thymalin and Thymogen are often discussed together, but one is a complex calf-thymus extract and the other is the defined dipeptide Glu-Trp. John Garrett explains thymic involution, T-cell biology, proposed mechanisms, the Russian clinical history, limitations of the human evidence, safety, and U.S. regulatory status.

The science is interesting...

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What is Pinealon, and does this three-amino-acid peptide really protect the aging brain?

Pinealon—also called EDR or Glu-Asp-Arg—is a synthetic tripeptide associated with the Khavinson bioregulator research program. It is discussed for memory, neuroprotection, oxidative stress, brain aging, and even Alzheimer's disease, but t...

What are Khavinson peptide bioregulators, and what do they actually do?

John Garrett examines the Russian research tradition behind organ-derived peptide complexes and synthetic ultrashort peptides. This episode explains the proposed gene-expression mechanism, the claim of tissue specificity, common examples such as Thymalin and Epitalon, the limitations of the human evidence, oral absorption questions, pr...

Does a weight-loss plateau mean your GLP-1 receptors have become desensitized? John separates cellular receptor biology from whole-body weight regulation and compares semaglutide, tirzepatide, and investigational retatrutide. We examine appetite suppression, food noise, gastric-emptying tachyphylaxis, metabolic adaptation, switching therapies, and what the clinical evidence can—and cannot—tell us.

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