Researcher(s)
- Chloe Kappen, Biomedical Engineering, University of Delaware
Faculty Mentor(s)
- Xin Lucas Lu, Mechnical Engineering, University of Delaware
Abstract
Introduction: Body Protection Compound 157 (BPC-157) is a synthetic peptide derived from a protective protein found in human gastric juice. It has been investigated for its potential regenerative and tissue repair properties. Although peptide-based therapeutics have attracted increasing interest as potential treatments for osteoarthritis (OA), clinical evidence supporting the use of BPC-157 for OA remains limited, and its mechanisms of action in articular cartilage are not well understood. Previous studies have suggested that BPC-157 may influence collagen production and tissue repair. However, its direct effects on cartilage matrix synthesis have not been well characterized. Because glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) and collagen are major components of the cartilage extracellular matrix, their synthesis is important for maintaining cartilage structure and function. This study investigated the effects of BPC-157 on chondrocyte viability and cartilage matrix synthesis in human OA cartilage explants.
Methods: Cylindrical human OA cartilage explants (3 mm in diameter) were harvested from surgical waste from total knee replacement surgeries. To assess chondrocyte viability, explants were exposed to BPC-157 at concentrations of 10 μM, 100 μM, and 1.41 mM for 2 hours, with viability assessed after 24 hours. To evaluate cartilage matrix synthesis, explants were continuously treated with 1 mM BPC-157 for 4 days. GAG and collagen synthesis were measured using metabolic labeling and click chemistry.
Results: BPC-157 did not significantly affect chondrocyte viability at any concentration tested compared with the PBS control. Continuous BPC-157 treatment also did not significantly affect GAG or collagen synthesis compared with PBS-treated controls.
Significance: BPC-157 was not cytotoxic to human OA cartilage explants at the concentrations tested and did not significantly alter GAG or collagen synthesis following 4 days of continuous treatment. These findings provide insight into the direct effects of BPC-157 on human OA cartilage and suggest that BPC-157 does not significantly influence cartilage matrix synthesis under the conditions evaluated. Further studies are needed to determine whether BPC-157 affects other aspects of cartilage metabolism or produces different responses under alternative treatment conditions.