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GLOW vs KLOW vs Wolverine: Research Peptide Blends Compared

By The Bionova Club Team

Research use only. Bionova products are sold strictly for in-vitro and laboratory research by qualified professionals. They are not drugs, food, or cosmetics, are not approved by the FDA, and are not for human or veterinary use. Nothing in this article is medical advice or a claim about effects in people.

Disclosure: Bionova Club sells the GLOW, KLOW and Wolverine blends compared here, along with their single-compound components.

GLOW, KLOW and Wolverine are retail names, not molecule names. Each one is a single vial that contains more than one research peptide. (New to the terminology? Start with What are peptides? A primer for researchers.) The names come up together in searches because they overlap: all three contain BPC-157 and TB-500, and two of them add GHK-Cu.

This guide lays out what each blend contains, based on Bionova's product pages, what each component is, and what the published literature does and does not cover.

The short answer

  • Wolverine: BPC-157 10 mg and TB-500 10 mg per vial, according to its product page.
  • GLOW: GHK-Cu 50 mg, BPC-157 10 mg and TB-500 10 mg (70 mg total), according to its product page.
  • KLOW: GHK-Cu 50 mg, BPC-157 10 mg, TB-500 10 mg and KPV 10 mg (80 mg total), according to its product page.

The search term "wolverine stack" refers to the same two-peptide BPC-157 + TB-500 bundle.

Side-by-side comparison

  • Components
    • Wolverine: BPC-157, TB-500
    • GLOW: BPC-157, TB-500, GHK-Cu
    • KLOW: BPC-157, TB-500, GHK-Cu, KPV
  • Amounts per vial (from Bionova's product pages)
    • Wolverine: BPC-157 10 mg, TB-500 10 mg
    • GLOW: BPC-157 10 mg, TB-500 10 mg, GHK-Cu 50 mg
    • KLOW: BPC-157 10 mg, TB-500 10 mg, GHK-Cu 50 mg, KPV 10 mg
  • Total per vial
    • Wolverine: 20 mg
    • GLOW: 70 mg
    • KLOW: 80 mg
  • Number of components
    • Wolverine: 2
    • GLOW: 3
    • KLOW: 4
  • Color note
    • Wolverine: No copper peptide, so no blue color from copper
    • GLOW: Blue powder (from the copper peptide)
    • KLOW: Blue powder (from the copper peptide)
  • Bionova product
  • Published studies of the blend itself
    • Wolverine: None found
    • GLOW: None found
    • KLOW: None found

Bionova's product pages describe both GLOW and KLOW as a blue lyophilized powder, which is the characteristic color of the copper complex.

The components, one by one

  • BPC-157
    • What it is: Synthetic pentadecapeptide, Gly-Glu-Pro-Pro-Pro-Gly-Lys-Pro-Ala-Asp-Asp-Ala-Gly-Leu-Val
    • Length: 15 aa
    • Molecular formula: C₆₂H₉₈N₁₆O₂₂
    • Molecular weight: ~1,419.5 g/mol
  • TB-500 (thymosin beta-4)
    • What it is: 43-residue β-thymosin protein (Low et al., 1981)
    • Length: 43 aa
    • Molecular formula: C₂₁₂H₃₅₀N₅₆O₇₈S
    • Molecular weight: ~4,963 g/mol
  • GHK-Cu
    • What it is: Copper(II) complex of the tripeptide Gly-His-Lys
    • Length: 3 aa
    • Molecular formula: GHK: C₁₄H₂₄N₆O₄
    • Molecular weight: GHK: ~340.4 g/mol
  • KPV
    • What it is: Tripeptide Lys-Pro-Val, the C-terminal end of α-MSH
    • Length: 3 aa
    • Molecular formula: C₁₆H₃₀N₄O₄
    • Molecular weight: ~342.4 g/mol

Formulas and weights are from PubChem: BPC-157, CID 9941957; thymosin beta 4, CID 45382195; GHK, CID 73587; Lys-Pro-Val, CID 125672.

BPC-157

BPC-157 is a 15-residue synthetic peptide. Its preclinical literature comes mostly from rodent models. A 2018 review summarizes that body of work (Seiwerth et al., 2018, Current Pharmaceutical Design). Our BPC-157 vs TB-500 research overview goes into detail.

TB-500

Bionova's TB-500 is identified as thymosin beta-4, a 43-residue protein whose sequence was published in 1981 (Low et al., 1981, PNAS). Its best-characterized molecular role is binding monomeric actin (Safer et al., 1991, Journal of Biological Chemistry). In anti-doping literature, "TB-500" instead refers to a seven-residue fragment, Ac-LKKTETQ (Ho et al., 2012, Journal of Chromatography A). Our guide to TB-500 vs thymosin beta-4 explains the naming problem.

GHK-Cu

GHK is a tripeptide first described in 1973 by Pickart and colleagues (Pickart & Thaler, 1973, Nature New Biology). It binds copper(II), and the copper complex is what makes GLOW and KLOW blue. See our GHK-Cu research overview.

KPV

KPV (Lys-Pro-Val) corresponds to residues 11 to 13 of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) (Brzoska et al., 2008, Endocrine Reviews). It has been studied mainly in intestinal-cell and mouse models of inflammatory signaling (Dalmasso et al., 2008, Gastroenterology). Our KPV research overview covers it in more depth.

Has any of these blends been studied?

Not as far as we can find. Each component has its own published literature, but we found no peer-reviewed studies of the Wolverine, GLOW or KLOW combinations as formulations. The ratios in these vials are product formats, not ratios taken from a published study. Results reported for one compound alone cannot be assumed to carry over when it is combined with others.

Blend or single vials? A study-design view

The choice is about experimental design, not "better or worse":

  • A blend keeps every component at a fixed, labeled ratio in one vial, which means fewer separate items to track when a design intentionally includes all of them.
  • Single-compound vials give full control when each compound needs to be varied, omitted or tested as its own variable.
  • Mixed designs sometimes pair a blend with a single-compound control so the contribution of each component can be separated.

Bionova's full range of multi-compound formats is in the research blends category.

Storage notes for lyophilized blends

  • Expect blue for GLOW and KLOW. The copper peptide gives both blends a blue color. Wolverine contains no copper peptide. Material that looks wet, clumped or an unexpected color should be reported to the supplier.
  • Keep it sealed, cold and dry. Store the lyophilized powder in its original sealed vial, away from light and moisture.
  • Warm before opening. Let a sealed vial reach room temperature before opening so moisture does not condense on the powder.
  • Follow the label. Store as directed on the product label.

Key takeaways

  • Wolverine = BPC-157 10 mg + TB-500 10 mg (20 mg).
  • GLOW contains GHK-Cu 50 mg, BPC-157 10 mg and TB-500 10 mg (70 mg total).
  • KLOW = BPC-157 10 mg + TB-500 10 mg + GHK-Cu 50 mg + KPV 10 mg (80 mg).
  • GLOW and KLOW are blue because of the copper peptide; Wolverine is not.
  • None of the three blends has been studied as a formulation, so evidence for each component applies only to that component.
  • All of these are research materials only and are not approved for human use.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between GLOW and KLOW?

The GLOW product page lists three components: GHK-Cu 50 mg, BPC-157 10 mg and TB-500 10 mg, for 70 mg total. The KLOW product page lists the same three components at the same amounts plus KPV 10 mg, for 80 mg total.

What is the Wolverine blend?

Wolverine is a two-peptide research blend of BPC-157 and TB-500. Bionova's Wolverine product page lists 10 mg of each per vial.

What does "wolverine stack" mean?

It is a search term for the same BPC-157 + TB-500 bundle. Bionova sells it as a single pre-blended research vial.

Why are GLOW and KLOW blue?

Both contain GHK-Cu, the copper(II) complex of the tripeptide GHK. The bound copper gives the powder its blue color.

Have these blends been studied?

We found no peer-reviewed studies of the Wolverine, GLOW or KLOW combinations themselves. Each component has been studied separately, mainly in cell and animal models.

How should lyophilized blends be stored?

Keep the sealed vial cold, dry and away from light, let it reach room temperature before opening, and store it as directed on the product label.

Shop for your research: the GLOW, KLOW or Wolverine (BPC-157 + TB-500) blend, for laboratory research. Use code CLUB10 at checkout for 10% off.

References

  1. Seiwerth S, et al. BPC 157 and Standard Angiogenic Growth Factors. Gastrointestinal Tract Healing, Lessons from Tendon, Ligament, Muscle and Bone Healing. Curr Pharm Des. 2018. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29998800/
  2. Low TL, Hu SK, Goldstein AL. Complete amino acid sequence of bovine thymosin beta 4: a thymic hormone that induces terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase activity in thymocyte populations. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1981. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6940133/
  3. Safer D, Elzinga M, Nachmias VT. Thymosin beta 4 and Fx, an actin-sequestering peptide, are indistinguishable. J Biol Chem. 1991. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1999398/
  4. Ho EN, et al. Doping control analysis of TB-500, a synthetic version of an active region of thymosin β4, in equine urine and plasma by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. J Chromatogr A. 2012. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23084823/
  5. Pickart L, Thaler MM. Tripeptide in human serum which prolongs survival of normal liver cells and stimulates growth in neoplastic liver. Nat New Biol. 1973. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/4349963/
  6. Brzoska T, et al. Alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone and related tripeptides: biochemistry, antiinflammatory and protective effects in vitro and in vivo, and future perspectives for the treatment of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. Endocr Rev. 2008. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18612139/
  7. Dalmasso G, et al. PepT1-mediated tripeptide KPV uptake reduces intestinal inflammation. Gastroenterology. 2008. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18061177/
  8. PubChem. BPC 157, CID 9941957. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/9941957
  9. PubChem. Thymosin beta 4, CID 45382195. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/45382195
  10. PubChem. Glycyl-histidyl-lysine (GHK), CID 73587. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/73587
  11. PubChem. Lys-Pro-Val, CID 125672. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/125672

For laboratory research use only. Not for human consumption.