Gut & GI research
This hub covers compounds researched in models of intestinal inflammation, gut injury, bowel motility and digestive function. Most compounds listed have been studied in animals or cells; the human data are one negative post-surgery trial and an abstract-only colitis study.
Approved or human trial evidence
Limited human data
IpamorelinLimited human data · Not approved — research use onlyGhrelin receptor agonist tested in a randomized placebo-controlled phase 2 trial of 117 patients after bowel resection; time to first tolerated meal did not differ significantly.
ARA-290Limited human data · InvestigationalIn a DSS colitis model in mice, cibinetide was reported to improve weight gain, survival and tissue integrity and to reduce inflammatory cell infiltration.
LarazotideLimited human data · InvestigationalTight-junction regulator tested in randomized celiac disease trials; its phase 3 study was terminated by the sponsor.
Animal and laboratory research
BPC-157Preclinical research · Not approved — research use onlyDerived from a gastric protein and studied for gastrointestinal injury in rats; a 2005 abstract-only ulcerative colitis trial was judged insufficient by FDA.
KPVPreclinical research · Not approved — research use onlyMelanocortin-derived tripeptide studied in mouse DSS and transfer colitis models and in human intestinal cell lines; no human clinical trial was identified.
LivagenPreclinical research · Not approved — research use onlyA Russian-language rat study reported that Livagen resists breakdown by small-intestinal enzymes and altered digestive enzyme activity in young and old rats.
5-Amino-1MQPreclinical research · Not approved — research use onlyIn diet-induced obese mice switched to a low-fat diet, NNMT inhibitor treatment was associated with a distinct cecal microbiome pattern; no human study.
Comparisons in this area
Guides
Questions people ask
Which peptides have been studied for colitis?
KPV and ARA-290 (cibinetide) have been studied in mouse colitis models, and BPC-157 in a randomized ulcerative colitis study known only from a 2005 meeting abstract, which FDA judged insufficient. No controlled human trial of KPV was identified.
Does BPC-157 have human evidence for gut healing?
No controlled human trial of gut healing has been published. BPC-157 shows gastrointestinal healing in animal models, and in the one randomized human study, in ulcerative colitis, the between-group confidence interval included zero.
Has ipamorelin been tested for bowel recovery after surgery?
Yes. A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled phase 2 trial in 117 patients after bowel resection found no significant difference in time to first tolerated meal, and a larger completed phase 2 trial has no posted outcome data.
For research use only. Not for human or veterinary use. Not a drug, food, or dietary supplement. Listing a compound under a research goal describes published research in the stated model. It is not a claim that the compound works, and it is not medical advice.