PEPTIDE Academy curriculum

Directory published for review: 12 modules and 60 lessons. Descriptions and proposed public objectives pending scientific review. Full lessons are part of the paid Academy; enrollment is available through the verified Kajabi checkout.

1. 1. Peptide Fundamentals

   Molecular structure, biological function, receptor signaling, and the distinction between endogenous signals and manufactured products. The module establishes the vocabulary used to interpret the rest of the program.

   1. 1.1 What is a peptide?

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Define a peptide and distinguish molecular structure, biological function, and evidence for a clinical use.

   2. 1.2 Amino acids and peptide bonds

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Describe amino-acid properties, peptide-bond formation, and sequence direction, and explain why a sequence change may alter activity.

   3. 1.3 Peptides versus proteins and hormones

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Distinguish peptide/protein classification from hormonal function and avoid inferring an administration route from either category.

   4. 1.4 Cell receptors and signaling

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Compare receptor binding with activation and explain how receptor type, tissue, and exposure shape a signaling response.

   5. 1.5 Endogenous and synthetic peptides

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Distinguish endogenous production, chemical synthesis, recombinant production, and analogues, and separate identity, purity, and activity.

   6. 1.6 History and therapeutic evolution

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Place insulin treatment, peptide sequencing, solid-phase synthesis, and recombinant production in historical context without confusing discovery with approval.

   7. 1.7 Sources, regulation and sport

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Evaluate source independence and identify the jurisdiction, product, date, and sporting rules needed to interpret a regulatory claim.

   Related public readings

   • What is a peptide? Structure, function, and evidence
   • How peptide receptors turn binding into a cellular response
   • Endogenous, synthetic, and recombinant peptides: what the labels mean
   • From insulin to engineered analogues: milestones in peptide medicine
   • A structure is not a therapeutic indication
   • Binding is not the same as activation
   • An endogenous molecule can create a different external exposure
   • Discovery, manufacture, and clinical use have different dates

2. 2. Pharmacology, formulation and calculations

   Pharmacodynamics, exposure over time, administration routes, formulation, and safety. It distinguishes measured properties from claims of clinical equivalence and places calculations within product-specific limits.

   1. 2.1 Pharmacodynamics

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Distinguish affinity, potency, efficacy, agonism, and antagonism and interpret a concentration–response comparison within its experimental context.

   2. 2.2 Pharmacokinetics and half-life

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Explain bioavailability, distribution volume, clearance, half-life, and accumulation without using a single parameter to infer a dosing schedule.

   3. 2.3 Routes of administration

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Compare intravenous, subcutaneous, oral, mucosal, and topical delivery and identify why route and formulation are part of the studied intervention.

   4. 2.4 Formulation, stability and storage

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Distinguish chemical stability, physical stability, sterility, and potency and locate product-specific storage and reconstitution information.

   5. 2.5 Lyophilized products, concentration and volume calculation

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Convert mass units and calculate concentration and volume in hypothetical examples, checking denominators and fixed-mixture proportions without selecting a treatment dose.

   6. 2.6 Immunogenicity, adverse effects and interactions

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Distinguish immunogenicity, hypersensitivity, gastrointestinal effects, and interactions, and separate temporal association from causality while recognizing urgent symptoms.

   Related public readings

   • Peptide pharmacodynamics: affinity, potency, and efficacy
   • Exposure over time: peptide pharmacokinetics and half-life
   • Immunogenicity, adverse events, and interactions: reading peptide safety
   • Greater potency does not establish clinical superiority
   • Half-life does not prescribe a schedule
   • An adverse event deserves attention without proving causality

3. 3. Metabolism and body composition

   Incretin physiology, metabolic research, and interpretation of body-composition outcomes. It examines the population and endpoints behind clinical findings rather than treating related compounds as interchangeable.

   1. 3.1 Incretin biology

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Explain the isoglycemic comparison used to measure the incretin effect and distinguish GIP/GLP-1 physiology from therapeutic agonist outcomes.

   2. 3.2 AOD-9604: Community practice and human studies

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Compare reported AOD-9604 use with the routes and outcomes of human studies and identify unsupported extrapolations to subcutaneous regimens.

   3. 3.3 Multireceptor agonism and research

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Distinguish multireceptor agonists from combinations and appraise trial phase, comparators, and endpoints without ranking separate trials as head-to-head evidence.

   4. 3.4 Patient assessment and follow-up

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Construct a metabolic assessment and follow-up framework that records baseline risk, concomitant exposures, measurable goals, and tolerability.

   5. 3.5 Cases of obesity, diabetes and bariatric surgery

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Interpret obesity, diabetes, and post-bariatric cases using the actual population, nutritional context, warning symptoms, and limits of the cited evidence.

   Related public readings

   • Incretin biology: connecting the gut, glucose, and clinical research
   • The incretin experiment needs comparable glucose levels

4. 4. Growth hormone axis

   Growth hormone physiology, GHRH-related compounds, secretagogues, and endocrine risk interpretation. Hormonal responses and changes in IGF-1 are distinguished from demonstrated functional benefits.

   1. 4.1 Hypothalamus, pituitary gland, GH and IGF-1

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Explain hypothalamic–pituitary GH/IGF-1 regulation and why an isolated GH value or nonspecific symptom does not establish deficiency.

   2. 4.2 CJC-1295 without DAC and sermorelin

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Distinguish GHRH-related compounds by molecular identity and duration of action and avoid transferring long-acting CJC-1295 results to an uncharacterized product.

   3. 4.3 Ipamorelin and GH axis secretagogues

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Describe ipamorelin-related GH secretagogue signaling and distinguish hormonal responses from the outcomes of the postoperative ileus trial.

   4. 4.4 Tesamorelin: Community Use and Research

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Interpret tesamorelin evidence in adults with HIV-associated lipodystrophy and distinguish visceral-fat outcomes from general weight-loss claims.

   5. 4.5 Applications, limitations and endocrine risks

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Identify endocrine and metabolic risks relevant to GH-axis interventions and distinguish age-related changes from documented hormonal deficiency.

   6. 4.6 CJC without DAC and ipamorelin: combinations

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Evaluate CJC/ipamorelin combination claims by checking each component, formulation, proportions, and direct evidence for the combination.

5. 5. Melanotan and PT-141

   Melanocortin-related compounds and the product-specific clinical contexts of afamelanotide and bremelanotide. Reported community use, clinical trials, and serious safety signals are examined separately.

   1. 5.1 Melanotan I and the context of afamelanotide

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Distinguish the afamelanotide implant and its erythropoietic protoporphyria indication from uncharacterized products sold as Melanotan I.

   2. 5.2 Melanotan II: Reported Use and Serious Events

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Interpret Melanotan II case reports as safety signals, recognize serious presentations, and explain why case reports cannot estimate incidence.

   3. 5.3 PT-141: reported use and bremelanotide as context

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Identify the population and endpoints studied with bremelanotide and the cardiovascular restrictions that limit extrapolation to other uses.

6. 6. Tissue repair and mixtures

   Wound-healing biology, matrix research, musculoskeletal outcomes, and the interpretation of named peptide mixtures. Molecular identity, preparation, route, and functional recovery remain distinct questions.

   1. 6.1 Biology of wound healing

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Describe overlapping wound-healing processes and distinguish cellular migration, collagen deposition, wound closure, and functional recovery.

   2. 6.2 BPC-157 and available evidence

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Appraise BPC-157 cell, animal, and small human reports separately and identify why they do not establish general safety or return-to-sport benefit.

   3. 6.3 Thymosin beta-4 and TB-500

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Distinguish full-length thymosin beta-4 from the fragment identified in TB-500 and match each claim to the studied molecule and route.

   4. 6.4 GHK-Cu and extracellular matrix

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Compare GHK-Cu matrix findings in cells, animals, and topical human research without inferring efficacy for a different route or copper peptide.

   5. 6.5 Musculoskeletal injuries: cases and critical evaluation

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Frame a musculoskeletal evidence question around diagnosis, rehabilitation, comparator, and meaningful functional outcomes rather than a molecular surrogate alone.

   6. 6.6 Wolverine, GLOW and KLOW: composition and fixed-mixture proportions

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Check the components and denominators of named peptide mixtures and explain how fixed proportions couple quantities without demonstrating compatibility or clinical synergy.

   Related public readings

   • Tissue repair: why more collagen does not necessarily mean better healing
   • More collagen is not the same as restored function

7. 7. Immunity, inflammation, and the gut

   Immune signaling, thymosin alpha-1, antimicrobial peptides, and intestinal inflammation models. Disease-specific evidence and corrected or inconclusive findings are retained when evaluating immune claims.

   1. 7.1 Immune signaling

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Explain innate and adaptive immune signaling, regulation, and tolerance and distinguish an immune biomarker from a patient benefit.

   2. 7.2 Thymosin alpha-1 and antimicrobial peptides

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Compare thymosin alpha-1 evidence across disease settings, interpret the corrected TESTS mortality result, and distinguish immunomodulation from antimicrobial activity.

   3. 7.3 KPV and LL-37: research practice and models

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Distinguish KPV cell/mouse models from topical LL-37 trials and separate overall trial results from exploratory subgroup findings.

   4. 7.4 Bowel disease and inflammation: research and clinical boundaries

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Interpret intestinal inflammation claims by diagnosis and model, distinguishing celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, symptoms, and objective disease control.

8. 8. Neuropeptides, brain and sleep

   Neuropeptide signaling and the evidence surrounding cognition, stress, and sleep. Mechanistic or imaging measurements are distinguished from clinically meaningful improvements in the studied population.

   1. 8.1 Neuropeptides and neurotransmission

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Describe neuropeptide synthesis, release, receptor signaling, and compartmentalization without equating peripheral measurements with brain effects.

   2. 8.2 Semax: reported use and available evidence

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Separate Semax animal, stroke-related, and imaging findings and identify the evidence needed for a cognitive-enhancement claim in healthy people.

   3. 8.3 Selank: reported use and available evidence

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Evaluate Selank comparative and imaging studies by population, allocation, endpoints, and precision without inferring formal equivalence or universal benefit.

   4. 8.4 Cognition, stress, sleep, and clinical evidence

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Formulate cognition, stress, and sleep questions using diagnosis and meaningful outcomes and distinguish a peptide target from a drug's molecular structure.

9. 9. Mitochondria and longevity

   Mitochondrial organization, MOTS-c research, Epitalon, and the limits of longevity biomarkers. It separates cell experiments, animal administration, human physiology, and clinical intervention evidence.

   1. 9.1 Mitochondrial biology

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Explain mitochondrial compartments, electron transport, ATP synthesis, and quality control and distinguish biochemical measurements from clinical function.

   2. 9.2 MOTS-c: Community practice and metabolism

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Separate endogenous MOTS-c measurements after human exercise from animal administration and distinguish MOTS-c from a modified clinical analogue.

   3. 9.3 Epitalon: longevity claims and cellular evidence

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Interpret Epitalon telomerase findings as cell-culture evidence and distinguish them from human survival claims and evidence for epithalamin.

   4. 9.4 Biomarkers and limitations of longevity claims

      Proposed public objective (review pending): Evaluate senescence markers, telomeres, and epigenetic clocks without treating a biomarker change as demonstrated rejuvenation or longer survival.

   Related public readings

   • Mitochondrial biology beyond the energy metaphor
   • A mitochondrial measurement is not a longevity outcome

10. 10. Skin and hair

    Skin signaling, extracellular-matrix concepts, hair and skin-aging outcomes, and topical safety. Evidence is interpreted at the level of the actual formulation and route.

    1. 10.1 Skin signaling peptides

       Proposed public objective (review pending): Explain skin signaling and extracellular-matrix findings and distinguish ingredient activity from clinical evidence for a finished product.

    2. 10.2 Skin and hair aging

       Proposed public objective (review pending): Evaluate skin-aging and hair claims by diagnosis and experimental model and distinguish AHK-Cu from GHK-Cu and isolated follicles from treated patients.

    3. 10.3 Evaluation of efficacy, topical routes and safety

       Proposed public objective (review pending): Appraise topical-product efficacy through formulation, penetration, vehicle controls, reproducible outcomes, and tolerability without equating delivery with benefit.

11. 11. Clinical assessment and follow-up

    Clinical histories, exposure reconstruction, biomarkers, adverse events, and integrated case interpretation. The focus is documenting and evaluating information rather than deriving unsupported treatment protocols.

    1. 11.1 Focused clinical history

       Proposed public objective (review pending): Build a focused clinical history that records the patient's problem, prior treatment, concomitant exposures, relevant risk, and baseline functional context.

    2. 11.2 Assessing patient requests and peptide exposures

       Proposed public objective (review pending): Assess a patient request by clarifying diagnosis, product identity, proposed exposure, contraindications, and applicability of the cited trial population.

    3. 11.3 Laboratory tests and biomarkers

       Proposed public objective (review pending): Choose and interpret laboratory measurements according to a defined clinical question and explain the limits of isolated IGF-1, pancreatic-enzyme, or calcitonin results.

    4. 11.4 Comparison of community regimens and evidence

       Proposed public objective (review pending): Compare a reported community regimen with the actual studied product, population, endpoint, and schedule without inferring combination benefit from mechanisms alone.

    5. 11.5 Safe administration and follow-up

       Proposed public objective (review pending): Identify product-specific administration and storage requirements, single-person device rules, and checks of understanding needed for safe follow-up.

    6. 11.6 Adverse effects and discontinuation

       Proposed public objective (review pending): Recognize adverse-effect warning signs, prioritize urgent evaluation, and distinguish causality assessment from decisions about discontinuation or re-exposure.

    7. 11.7 Integrative clinical cases

       Proposed public objective (review pending): Integrate history, molecular identity, biomarkers, and safety findings in a case while documenting uncertainty and the next information needed.

12. 12. Integration and final evaluation

    Comparison of peptide families, polypharmacy, critical appraisal, and integrative cases. The module connects evidence quality, applicability, and uncertainty across the program.

    1. 12.1 Comparison of families and types of evidence

       Proposed public objective (review pending): Compare peptide families using molecular identity, studied population, formulation, and evidence type instead of ranking unrelated mechanisms as treatments.

    2. 12.2 Interactions and polypharmacy

       Proposed public objective (review pending): Reconcile medicines and other exposures, distinguish pharmacokinetic from pharmacodynamic interactions, and identify evidence gaps in combinations.

    3. 12.3 Interpretation of scientific publications

       Proposed public objective (review pending): Critically appraise allocation, masking, primary endpoints, effect size, precision, missing data, corrections, and conflicts of interest in a scientific report.

    4. 12.4 Discussion of complex cases

       Proposed public objective (review pending): Prioritize safety and diagnostic questions in complex cases and produce an explicit conclusion whose certainty matches the available evidence.

    5. 12.5 Final exam and conclusions

       Proposed public objective (review pending): Apply the program's structure, pharmacology, evidence, and safety principles to an integrated assessment and identify when a conclusion exceeds its supporting data.