The Reading Room

Copper peptides are attracting growing interest in hair research. Studies involving human hair follicles, dermal papilla cells, tissue remodeling, and growth signaling are helping researchers understand why this peptide family may be relevant to hair and scalp biology.

Glutathione is one of the body’s primary antioxidant defense systems. Human research is revealing how glutathione status may influence oxidative stress, healthy aging, immune biology, detoxification pathways, and skin health.

Semaglutide, tirzepatide and retatrutide are often grouped together, but they target different combinations of metabolic receptors. Here’s what the research shows about GLP-1, GIP and glucagon agonism—and why those differences matter.

Weight loss doesn't always mean fat loss. Research shows that preserving lean mass can be an important part of improving body composition. We examine what the evidence says about resistance training, protein intake, rate of weight loss, and newer weight-loss therapies.

Building muscle and losing fat can become more challenging with age—but not for the reasons many people think. We examine what research says about muscle protein synthesis, body composition, hormones, recovery, and why resistance training matters after 40.

Peptide research is moving beyond individual compounds. Advances in computational design, structural prediction, analytical testing, and biological datasets are changing how peptide candidates are discovered and how researchers decide which signals are worth pursuing.

Mitochondrial-derived peptides such as MOTS-c and humanin have opened a new area of research into metabolic signaling, cellular stress, aging, and mitochondrial communication. Here’s what the evidence actually shows—and where intriguing findings remain preliminary.

BPC-157 has attracted enormous attention for tissue repair, tendon healing, gastrointestinal protection, and recovery. Preclinical research is extensive—but human evidence remains remarkably limited.

CJC-1295 is a long-acting GHRH analog studied for its effects on growth hormone and IGF-1 signaling. This review examines the published human evidence, the important distinction between CJC-1295 with DAC and without DAC, and the questions that remain unanswered.

GHK-Cu is a naturally occurring copper-binding tripeptide studied in tissue remodeling, skin biology, wound repair, and other research contexts. Here’s what the published literature supports—and where important questions remain.

A peptide lab report may include chromatograms, mass spectra, purity percentages, and assay results. Here’s what those measurements actually tell you—and why they should not be treated as interchangeable.

Retatrutide is an investigational triple receptor agonist targeting GIP, GLP-1, and glucagon receptors. Clinical research has reported substantial effects on body weight and metabolic measures, while important questions remain about long-term outcomes, tolerability, and emerging areas of study.

A Certificate of Analysis can look authoritative at a glance. But what information actually makes a COA useful—and what can a single document really establish about a peptide sample?

A peptide labeled “99% pure” may sound nearly perfect. But that number answers a narrower analytical question than many people realize. Here’s what peptide purity can tell us—and what it cannot.