A November 2025 New York Times explainer takes a skeptical consumer lens to the peptide-therapy craze, separating the few uses with reasonable evidence (topical GHK-Cu and Matrixyl-type peptides in skincare) from the largely unproven injectable and "biohacking" market (BPC-157, TB-500, epitalon, semax, selank). Dermatologists frame cosmetic peptides as "sidekicks, not hero ingredients," while endocrinologists warn that growth-hormone-releasing peptides like sermorelin and tesamorelin carry the same long-term risks as HGH — diabetes, certain cancers, and acromegaly. The piece notes that most longevity claims rest on cell-culture or animal data only, and that "research-grade" products have no quality controls.