Stable Gastric Pentadecapeptide BPC 157—Possible Novel Therapy of Glaucoma and Other Ocular Conditions
/MDPI/2026
Why It Matters
This paper caught my attention because BPC 157 gets discussed constantly in biohacking circles, but almost always for gut or joint issues. Here we have data suggesting it might protect against glaucoma—a leading cause of irreversible blindness. That said, this is purely animal research. No human eye studies exist yet, and injecting experimental peptides near your eyes without clinical trials would be reckless. Worth watching, but years away from practical application.
Key Findings
- In rat models of high eye pressure (acute glaucoma), BPC 157 reduced damage to retinal ganglion cells and preserved optic nerve function when given intraperitoneally or as eye drops
- The peptide appeared to work by counteracting reduced blood flow in the ophthalmic artery and improving microcirculation in eye tissues—the opposite of what happens in glaucoma progression
- BPC 157 showed protective effects across multiple types of eye injury in rats: alkali burns, retinal damage from insulin overdose, and even eye bleeding from blood thinners
- The mechanism involves the nitric oxide system and VEGF pathways, suggesting BPC 157 helps stabilize blood vessel function rather than just reducing inflammation
- All evidence is preclinical only—conducted in rats with induced eye injuries, not humans with naturally occurring glaucoma or other eye diseases