In a recent episode of the Made In Chaos podcast, former MMA athlete and podcast host Ryan Cordis revealed that he used the peptides BPC-157 and TB-500 during his recovery from a catastrophic training accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down.
Joined by scientist Dr. Dean St Mart, a pharmacology and synthetic chemistry doctoral graduate, the two talked about what these peptides are and how they function in the body.
Dr. St Smart explained that BPC-157 is a peptide naturally produced in the stomach and gastrointestinal tract. Because the stomach lining is constantly exposed to acid and mechanical stress, the body relies on like BPC-157 to maintain tissue integrity by supporting blood flow and nutrient delivery.
“And we produce this BPC-157 peptide to encourage blood flow and nutrient delivery to keep our stomach cells constantly repairing themselves,” Smart said. “Researchers managed to isolate this back in the 1980s.”
Once isolated and studied, scientists observed that BPC-157 promotes angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels, and increases the expression of growth hormone receptors in injured tissue. These effects are particularly relevant for tendons and ligaments, which typically have limited blood supply and fewer growth hormone receptors than other tissues.
By improving circulation and receptor availability, BPC-157 can encourage collagen deposition and accelerate the structural repair process that rehabilitation then reinforces.
Smart then turned to the second peptide commonly paired with BPC-157.
“If you look at the partner peptide that people often talk about with it, TB-500, that’s essentially a synthetic version of thymosin beta-4, which is a peptide we naturally produce in the body as well,” he explained.
TB-500 is a synthetic analogue of thymosin beta-4, a naturally occurring peptide involved in tissue repair, cell migration, and inflammation control. It operates through a different biological pathway than BPC-157, but ultimately targets many of the same healing processes.
Ryan Cordis then asked the obvious question: why do the two seem to work so well together?
“Because when people talk about combining them, they call it the Wolverine stack, don’t they?” he said.
Dr. St. Smart clarified that the relationship between the two is often misunderstood. The peptides do not act in direct biochemical synergy, but their effects converge on the same outcome.
“So when we look at how they work together in the body, it’s not that they work together in synergy,” Smart said. “It’s that when we look at the broad effects of the two of them in isolation, they both end up improving the same healing environment.”
BPC-157 primarily drives angiogenesis and growth hormone receptor expression, while TB-500 supports tissue regeneration by improving cellular migration, reducing inflammation, and enhancing immune response. Together, they increase the delivery of oxygen, nutrients, glucose, and amino acids to damaged tissue, conditions that support faster recovery.
The combination has circulated under the nickname “the Wolverine stack” since the mid-2000s, long before peptides entered mainstream fitness and rehabilitation discussions.
Dr. St. Smart stated: “The Wolverine stack has existed as a healing strategy since like the mid 2000s. It’s just now you know, the growth of social media and and influencer, people are talking about it.”
Cordis revealed that he had never publicly discussed using these peptides before this episode. “I took them throughout my injury, and I think it helped me significantly,” he said.
He explained that he had no prior knowledge of peptides at the time of his accident. Instead, people close to him recommended them and connected him with a reputable source who explained how they worked.
“They’ve worked wonders for me,” Cordis said, adding that whenever people ask him privately about his recovery, he always mentions them.
Dr. St. Smart acknowledged that many anecdotal reports describe unusually fast recovery timelines when the two are used together. In some cases, injuries expected to take 16 to 20 weeks to heal have reportedly resolved in six to eight weeks.
However, he also pointed to the primary scientific concern surrounding BPC-157. Because it promotes the formation of new blood vessels, there is a theoretical risk that it could also support the growth of tumors or cancerous tissue.
Early animal research has suggested the opposite effect, showing potential diversion of blood flow away from malignant cells, but comprehensive human clinical trials remain limited.
As a result, long-term safety data is still being gathered, and the peptides remain an area of active research rather than settled medical consensus.
