Methodology
How each peptide is researched, how compounds are framed, and where our educational scope ends.
This page documents the repeatable process behind every peptide profile and explanatory article. It is meant to make our work auditable — a reader should be able to see where our information comes from and, just as importantly, what it deliberately excludes.
How peptides are researched
Each profile starts from primary scientific literature and authoritative, publicly accessible databases. We consult resources such as PubChem for chemical structure and identifiers, UniProt for sequence and functional annotation, and the Protein Data Bank for experimentally determined structures.
From these sources we assemble what is actually documented about a compound: its composition, how it has been studied, and the context of that research. We favor peer-reviewed papers and reputable reviews, and we cross-check identifiers across databases to avoid confusing similarly named compounds.
Compounds not authorized by Health Canada
Many peptides we describe are not approved by Health Canada — or by equivalent regulators — for human therapeutic use, and several are restricted to laboratory research. We frame these strictly as subjects of study, not as products or treatments.
For such compounds we foreground under-investigation cautions: that evidence may be preliminary, drawn from cell or animal models, or absent in humans. We make no therapeutic or benefit claims and do not provide dosing, sourcing, or usage guidance.
The data model
To keep profiles consistent and comparable, we structure each peptide around a common set of fields:
- Sequence
- The amino acid sequence where publicly documented, using standard one- and three-letter notation.
- Structure
- Chemical and structural characteristics — size, modifications, and any experimentally resolved structure.
- Research context
- What the compound has been studied for and the nature of that evidence (in vitro, animal, or human).
- References
- The literature and databases the profile draws on, so claims can be verified at the source.
Peptide and gene names, acronyms, and sequences are kept in their standard scientific form and are not translated between languages.
Limitations
Our scope is educational. Profiles summarize published science for learning; they are not exhaustive systematic reviews, and absence of a claim does not imply absence of research.
Nothing here is clinical guidance. We do not evaluate safety or efficacy for any individual, and information may lag behind the latest publications. For any health decision, consult a qualified professional and the primary literature directly.
This methodology was last reviewed on July 10, 2026.
Related
See the standards behind our content, and who produces it.