Journal

The Research Desk

Articles on peptide science, manufacturing standards, and what we're learning as we build Helix.

How to Read a Peptide Certificate of Analysis (CoA)

How to Read a Peptide Certificate of Analysis (CoA)

How to Read a Peptide Certificate of Analysis (CoA) A Certificate of Analysis is only as useful as the reader's ability to...

· 5 min read
Retatrutide: What the Clinical Evidence Actually Shows

Retatrutide: What the Clinical Evidence Actually Shows

The Research Desk A Phase 2 trial reported retatrutide outperforming earlier GLP-1 therapies on weight-loss endpoints, though cross-trial comparisons carry limits. A...

· 5 min read
The Incretin-Glucagon Axis: GLP-1, GIP, and Glucagon in Hunger and Energy Homeostasis

The Incretin-Glucagon Axis: GLP-1, GIP, and Glucagon in Hunger and Energy Homeostasis

Every time you eat a meal, your gut orchestrates a biochemical response of remarkable precision. Within minutes of food entering the small...

· 4 min read
MOTS-c: The Peptide Your Mitochondria Make, Not Your Genome
metabolic

MOTS-c: The Peptide Your Mitochondria Make, Not Your Genome

The Research Desk, Helix Almost every signaling peptide studied in metabolic research comes from the same source: a gene in the cell's...

· 4 min read
Is Substance P the Next Major Target in Regenerative Research?
tissue-repair

Is Substance P the Next Major Target in Regenerative Research?

This article is written for research and educational purposes only. The compounds, peptides and molecules discussed have not been approved for human...

· 4 min read
Brenipatide: The GLP-1/GIP Peptide Lilly Is Betting On for Addiction, Not Just Obesity
metabolic

Brenipatide: The GLP-1/GIP Peptide Lilly Is Betting On for Addiction, Not Just Obesity

The Research Desk, Helix Most of the incretin pipeline built since semaglutide has followed a predictable script: activate GLP-1 receptors, add a...

· 3 min read
CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin: Mechanisms of Action, Efficacy Data, and Safety Profile
neuroendocrinology

CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin: Mechanisms of Action, Efficacy Data, and Safety Profile

CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin are almost always used together — and almost always described the same way: they make your body produce more...

· 6 min read
Thymosin Beta-4 and TB-500: What the Regenerative Medicine Evidence Actually Supports
tissue-repair

Thymosin Beta-4 and TB-500: What the Regenerative Medicine Evidence Actually Supports

TB-500 is a synthetic fragment of Thymosin Beta-4 — a peptide your body already produces after injury. This article examines the preclinical...

· 5 min read
BPC-157: What the Preclinical and Early Human Evidence Actually Shows
tissue-repair

BPC-157: What the Preclinical and Early Human Evidence Actually Shows

A naturally-derived peptide with consistent preclinical data on tissue repair, tendon healing, and recovery. Here's what the science actually shows.

· 5 min read
Why Some Research Peptides Become Medical Breakthroughs While Others Disappear
neuroscience

Why Some Research Peptides Become Medical Breakthroughs While Others Disappear

Semax, Dihexa, Selank — the marketing promises sharper memory, faster learning, lasting cognitive gains. The science is more nuanced. Here's what the...

· 4 min read
Epithalon and the Pineal Gland: A Critical Appraisal of Anti-Aging Mechanisms and Supporting Evidence
geroscience

Epithalon and the Pineal Gland: A Critical Appraisal of Anti-Aging Mechanisms and Supporting Evidence

Russian gerontologist Vladimir Khavinson built a 50-year case that a peptide from the pineal gland could change how we age. Telomere elongation,...

· 3 min read
DSIP: The Sleep Peptide That Has Been Puzzling Neurologists for 40 Years
neuroscience

DSIP: The Sleep Peptide That Has Been Puzzling Neurologists for 40 Years

Discovered in 1977 in the blood of deeply sleeping rabbits, DSIP improved sleep in multiple controlled human trials — and quietly turned...

· 4 min read
GHK-Cu in Tissue Repair: Evaluating the Preclinical and Clinical Evidence
tissue-repair

GHK-Cu in Tissue Repair: Evaluating the Preclinical and Clinical Evidence

GHK-Cu is a copper-binding tripeptide naturally produced by the body — and one of the most studied peptides in existence. This article...

· 4 min read
GLP-1 Changed Metabolic Medicine. Could GLP-5 Be Next?
metabolic

GLP-1 Changed Metabolic Medicine. Could GLP-5 Be Next?

Semaglutide and tirzepatide didn't come from nowhere. They harness three gut peptides — GLP-1, GIP and glucagon — that have been regulating...

· 4 min read