Function
While BPC-157 is investigated for accelerating healing of gastrointestinal mucosa, tendons, ligaments, bone, and nervous tissue in preclinical models, with anti-inflammatory and pro-angiogenic effects111, SS-31 improves mitochondrial bioenergetics, reduces oxidative stress, and shows protective effects in models of ischemia-reperfusion, neurodegeneration, and other mitochondrial disorders4637137.
Mechanism
While BPC-157 works as a synthetic 15-amino-acid fragment of a gastric cytoprotective protein that promotes angiogenesis and tissue protection primarily by modulating VEGFR2 signaling, Src/caveolin-1–dependent eNOS activation, and nitric oxide production111, SS-31 is a mitochondria-targeted tetrapeptide, d-Arg-dimethylTyr-Lys-Phe-NH2, that selectively binds cardiolipin in the inner mitochondrial membrane, stabilizing cristae structure, improving electron transport, and reducing ROS production4637137143.
Length and Sequence
BPC-157 is 15 amino acids long, whereas SS-31 is shorter as it has a length of 4 amino acids. BPC-157 is made up of a sequence of Glycine, Glutamic acid, Proline, Proline, Proline, Glycine, Lysine, Proline, Alanine, Aspartic acid, Aspartic acid, Alanine, Glycine, Leucine, Valine. SS-31 is made up of a sequence of Arginine, dimethylTyr, Lysine, Phenylalanine.