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Readers may assume that the “Wolverine stack” refers to the accumulated wealth of Hugh Jackman, an actor who has played the Marvel Comics superhero in several films. However, the connection with Mr. Jackman’s alter ego is more subtle. Wolverine is known for his powers of regeneration. The batch in question is a plethora of chemicals – specifically a pair of substances called BPC-157 and TB-500, which are alleged to provide similar benefits to mere humans.
Both are popular among athletes looking to recover faster from bone fractures and torn ligaments. But they are spreading more widely. A study of Internet forums discussing BPC-157, TB-500 and some related chemicals published last year highlighted their use to promote “anti-aging” and general wellness, particularly among older men.
Chemically, BPC-157 and TB-500 are peptides – chains of amino acids too short to count as complete proteins. The first is a piece of stomach protein. The latter of thymosin beta-4, a protein found in most cells of the body. As is true of many natural peptides, these compounds function as signaling molecules. Animal experiments also show that both BPC-157 and thymosin beta-4 have several injury-repairing effects (little work has been done on the TB-500 fragment). These include promoting wound healing and blood-vessel formation and reducing inflammation. Such experiments have also failed to reveal worrisome side effects.
But human studies are scarce. A recent review found only three for BPC-157 (one of which suggested potential relief for chronic knee pain) and, although thymosin beta-4 is the subject of promising trials for recovery from heart attack-induced tissue damage and treating corneal problems, TB-500 itself is not. “Unofficial” users typically manage stack injection, which brings its own risks.
In the absence of tests, a “folk pharmacology” has developed. Forum users swap tips, warn about potential side effects, stoke naive expectations of miraculous improvements by trusted newcomers and even run informal product-testing laboratories to sort the wheat from the chaff, from the range of commercial offerings available.
All this is a result of the unclear legal status of the compounds. No jurisdictions have approved their use as medicines, but some have banned their sale. These may therefore be marketed as “experimental chemicals” as long as no therapeutic claims are made. Professional sports bodies, including the World Anti-Doping Agency, ban them. But this does not prevent their use by enthusiastic hobbyists.
The result is a mess – and a lost opportunity. Peptides are an important class of drugs. About 100 have been approved as drugs, including insulin, human growth hormone, and GLP-1 (the active principle of Vegov, a weight-loss drug, and Ozempic, a type-2 diabetes treatment). In a streamlined world, the components of the Wolverine stack would either be given a chance to join this list, or be dismissed from it once and for all.
But this would mean clinical trials on people. This would be expensive, time-consuming, and difficult to justify for pharmaceutical companies, as it would be difficult to patent a product based on molecules so clearly in the public domain. Despite the efforts of forum users, the result is an unregulated market in which the accuracy and strength of what is offered cannot be guaranteed, with all the risks involved. So for now, exercise extreme caution.
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