BEGINNER GUIDE
Understanding Peptide Names and Abbreviations
GHK-Cu, BPC-157, TB-500 — peptide names look like passwords. Here’s how to decode the letters, numbers and suffixes so the labels finally make sense.
Why the names look so cryptic
Peptide names rarely describe what a compound does. Instead they’re usually shorthand for the sequence, the project or lab that first described it, or a catalogue code. Once you know that, the intimidating strings become far less mysterious.
There’s no single naming system — several conventions coexist — but a handful of patterns cover most of what a beginner meets.
Letters that stand for amino acids
Some names spell out the peptide’s amino acids. GHK, for example, is literally the three amino acids glycine (G), histidine (H) and lysine (K) that make up the peptide. So the name is the sequence, written in single-letter code.
This is why learning that amino acids have one-letter codes (covered in our amino-acids guide) suddenly makes some peptide names readable.
What the numbers and suffixes mean
Numbers are often catalogue or fragment codes rather than anything meaningful about strength — the "157" in BPC-157 and the "500" in TB-500 are identifiers, not doses or potencies. Don’t read a bigger number as "stronger".
Suffixes can carry real chemistry, though. A -Cu ending means the peptide is bound to copper (as in GHK-Cu, the copper-peptide widely studied for skin). Other suffixes flag chemical modifications like acetylation or added stabilising groups.
Why the exact name matters
Because names are precise, small differences are meaningful: a plain peptide and its modified version can behave differently. When you research a compound, match the exact name — including any suffix — to the sequence on its Certificate of Analysis.
Each compound in our Research Library lists its full name and documented study areas, so you can line the label up against the evidence.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Peptide names usually encode sequence, origin or a catalogue code — not effect.
- Some names (like GHK) spell out amino acids in single-letter code.
- Numbers such as "157" or "500" are identifiers, not doses or potencies.
- Suffixes carry chemistry — "-Cu" means copper-bound, as in GHK-Cu.