TL;DR
- 1.A high peptide score means high genetic match potential, not a green light to take higher doses. The CYP section can tell you to start at half the standard dose even on your #1-ranked peptide.
- 2.Most readers focus on the peptide rankings and skip the pathway scores. That is backwards. The pathway scores explain WHY a peptide ranked where it did and what you need to address first.
- 3.The missing SNPs panel is not a failure. It shows which variants your DNA file did not call and what that means for confidence. 23andMe v5 covers 78% of the markers PeptidesDNA uses.
- 4.Your CYP enzyme phenotypes are not fixed. Intermediate CYP2D6 metabolizer status means adjust your starting dose, not skip the peptide.
- 5.The report's genetic findings are associations, not diagnoses. The FDA requires all DTC genetic health reports to carry this distinction. The report gives you probability, not destiny.
Most people open their peptide DNA report, scroll to the peptide rankings, screenshot the top three, and close the tab. That is like reading a lab result by looking only at the flagged rows and ignoring all the reference ranges. The score at the top of each peptide card is the output of nine sections working together. Skip the sections and you will misread the score.
Sections in a PeptidesDNA report. Most users read two: the peptide rankings and the genetic traits summary. The other seven contain the information that tells you how to actually use the rankings.
This is a page-by-page walkthrough of the sample report. The structure is the same whether you uploaded a 23andMe file or ordered a saliva kit. Each section answers a specific question. Know the question and the section makes immediate sense.
How to read each section of your peptide DNA report
1. The Quality Summary: how much of your DNA did we actually read?
The top of your report shows two numbers: SNPs found and SNPs target. The sample report shows 94 of 120. That 78% coverage rate is typical for 23andMe v5 chip data. AncestryDNA v2 runs slightly higher. MyHeritage runs lower.
What it means for your scores: any peptide that relies on a SNP not present in your file gets a wider confidence interval. The report flags this in the missing SNPs panel (section 8). Your top-ranked peptides are calculated from the SNPs that ARE in your file, so the rankings are still valid, just narrower at the margins for some peptides.
2. The Narrative: the one paragraph that summarizes your entire biology
The narrative section writes out your main signal in plain language: which three to four genes do most of the predictive work in your report, and what pattern they create. In the sample report: "You are built for high-output recovery, but your stress wiring runs hot." That is the COMT + COL5A1 + MMP1 interaction in one sentence.
Read this section first, then come back after reviewing the genetic traits. The second read will be much more useful. The narrative is the synthesis. The trait cards are the evidence.
3. The Genetic Trait Cards: three genes that change how every peptide is scored
Three genes appear in every report because they affect peptide response across almost all categories: COMT (dopamine clearance), BDNF (neuroplasticity), and MTHFR (methylation and glycine availability). Your variant at each of these shifts scores across a wide range of peptides, not just the ones that target those pathways directly.
The most misread card is COMT. Readers with Val/Met see "balanced" and assume there is nothing to address. The insight is actually in the stress-state note: COMT Val/Met means your dopamine clearance rate drops significantly under chronic stress. Peptides that modulate dopamine (Semax, Selank) rank higher for you specifically because they help compensate for that stress-state slowdown, not because you have a dopamine deficit at rest.
Think of the trait cards as your body's factory settings. They do not tell you what to take. They tell you which systems are running near their limits, so you know which peptides are filling a real gap versus addressing something that was already fine.
4. The Body Findings: soft tissue, metabolism, and exercise signals
Body findings translate your genetic data into practical patterns: soft tissue vulnerability, exercise response, lactose tolerance, and three others. These findings drive peptide ranking directly. In the sample report, "Soft tissue: Vulnerable" means COL5A1 and MMP1 variants combine into elevated connective tissue turnover. That is why BPC-157 ranks first.
A common mistake is reading a negative finding as something to fix before starting peptides. It is the opposite. A "Vulnerable" soft tissue finding is the strongest signal to prioritize BPC-157 and GHK-Cu. The finding is not a problem. It is the explanation for the ranking.
5. The CYP Enzyme Panel: the section that changes your doses
This is the section most readers skip and the one most worth understanding. Your CYP enzyme panel shows how fast or slow you clear peptides and hundreds of other compounds through seven liver enzymes.
Slow or Intermediate Metabolizer
A peptide stays in your system longer than the standard dose assumes. Starting dose should be lower (typically 50%). Titrate up over two weeks. The report flags affected peptides with adjusted starting doses. This is not a contraindication. It is a calibration.
Normal Metabolizer
Standard dosing applies. CYP3A4 normal, for example, means all CYP3A4-dependent peptides clear at the expected rate. No adjustment needed. Roughly 60% of all prescription drugs also clear through CYP3A4, so this information is useful beyond the peptide context.
The FDA authorized the first direct-to-consumer pharmacogenomics report (23andMe's) in 2018, with a specific requirement: CYP metabolizer results cannot guide dosing decisions without clinical confirmation. The PeptidesDNA report applies this distinction the right way. Your CYP results inform starting dose estimates. They do not replace physician oversight for any medication that requires it.
One important technical caveat: consumer SNP chips like 23andMe and AncestryDNA cannot detect CYP2D6 copy-number variations, which determine ultra-rapid metabolizer status. The report will show CYP2D6 as normal when it is actually ultra-rapid if you have extra gene copies. If you respond unusually quickly to any CYP2D6-dependent compound, a clinical pharmacogenomics test from a provider like GeneSight or Genomind uses sequencing that catches copy-number variants. See our breakdown of how CYP slow metabolizers should approach peptide dosing for the detailed implications.
6. The Pathway Scores: why the top peptide is not always your first priority
Six pathway scores summarize your genetic profile across the major biology domains: tissue repair, inflammation, gut integrity, GH/IGF-1 axis, neuroprotection, and longevity. These scores tell you something the peptide rankings do not: which system to fix first.
| Pathway | What a high score means | Strategic implication |
|---|---|---|
| Tissue Repair (90+) | Connective tissue genetics point to above-average response to repair peptides | BPC-157 and GHK-Cu likely deliver measurable results fast. Start here. |
| Inflammation (70-85) | Moderate inflammatory tone that amplifies other signals | Anti-inflammatory peptides improve baseline before layering performance compounds. |
| Gut Integrity (80+) | Gut-lining genetics responsive to repair peptides | KPV and BPC-157 for gut have a strong foundation to work from. |
| Neuroprotection (85+) | BDNF and dopamine pathway genetics align well with nootropic peptides | Semax or Selank as a second layer after tissue baseline is established. |
The most important strategic read: if your tissue repair and inflammation scores are both high, start with the peptides that address those two pathways before adding anything in the neuroprotection or longevity column. The report's protocol recommendation builds from the highest-scoring pathways outward. Follow that order, not the absolute peptide rankings.
7. The Peptide Rankings: what the score actually means
Each peptide in your report gets a score from 0 to 100 and a confidence tier. The score is not a dose multiplier. It is a genetic match probability: how well your specific variant profile aligns with the pathways a given peptide targets.
"A high genetic compatibility score indicates stronger theoretical match between a user's variant profile and a peptide's mechanism of action. It does not constitute a recommendation to use the peptide or to use higher doses. All dosing guidance should be confirmed with a healthcare provider."
PeptidesDNA Report, Methodology Notes, 2026
The evidence tiers matter as much as the score. Tier 1 means the peptide has published human randomized controlled trial data for the indication your genetics point toward. Tier 2 means animal studies or human observational data. A 91-score tier-1 peptide is a higher-confidence recommendation than a 94-score tier-2 peptide. The tier tells you how solid the ground is under the score.
A peptide ranked in your top 5 with a very different dose than the standard one is the report working correctly, not flagging a problem. That adjusted dose comes from your CYP panel. The most counterintuitive thing your report will tell you: your number-one peptide may need a lower starting dose, not a higher one. For a deep walkthrough of how to build your first protocol from a ranked list, see our guide on the DNA-first decision framework.
8. The Missing SNPs Panel: what was not in your file and what it costs you
Every report includes a panel of SNPs that were not present in your DNA file. This is not a failure. SNP arrays like 23andMe v5 do not sequence your entire genome. They test for pre-selected positions. The positions we use that are not on consumer chips go into the missing panel.
What missing SNPs actually do to your score: they widen the confidence interval. Your score for a peptide that depends heavily on a missing SNP is still calculated, but with lower certainty. The report shows which peptides are most affected. If your #3-ranked peptide has three missing SNPs that are central to its scoring, that ranking is a moderate-confidence estimate, not a high-confidence one.
For users who uploaded 23andMe data and want higher coverage on specific peptides, the saliva kit expands to 120 SNPs versus the 94-SNP average from consumer chip data. See our guide on what your 23andMe data can and cannot tell you for the full coverage comparison.
9. The Methylation Strategy: the practical action layer most people skip
The methylation section closes the report and most readers skip it entirely because it looks like supplement noise. It is actually the most immediately actionable section in the report.
If your MTHFR status is heterozygous C677T or compound heterozygous (C677T + A1298C), your report will flag three specific things: switch from folic acid to methylfolate, switch from cyanocobalamin to methylcobalamin, and add glycine before bed if you are running BPC-157. BPC-157 metabolism is glycine-dependent. Low methylation means reduced glycine synthesis. The peptide still works, but the substrate it needs is undersupplied. Five grams of glycine before sleep addresses this directly and costs roughly $0.10 a night.
The methylation section also flags drug interactions: high-dose niacin (above 500 mg) depletes methyl groups in real time. If you are running a peptide protocol with any nicotinamide compound, the report tells you to space them by at least four hours. This is the kind of practical note that does not appear in any peptide guide, and it is entirely specific to your genotype. You can view BPC-157's full profile to see how the methylation interaction plays out in dosing context.
Verdict: Your report is nine interlocking sections, not one score and 24 extras. The peptide ranking is the answer. The other eight sections are the reasoning behind it. Reading them in order, starting with pathway scores and working outward to the peptide rankings, gives you a protocol that is specific to your biology. Reading only the rankings gives you a sorted list you could have guessed. Get your DNA-based peptide report to see all nine sections applied to your specific variants, or order a saliva kit for the highest-coverage option.
Your DNA shapes how you respond to the peptides discussed above.
A personalized report scores 25+ peptides against your unique genetic profile — including the ones covered in this article.
Frequently asked questions
What does the peptide score in my DNA report mean?
The score (0 to 100) represents how closely your genetic variant profile matches the biological pathways a given peptide targets. A score of 90 means your DNA profile aligns strongly with that peptide's mechanism of action. It is a match probability, not a dose recommendation. High scores indicate stronger theoretical response potential, not that you should take more of the peptide.
What does CYP2D6 intermediate metabolizer mean in my report?
It means you clear CYP2D6-dependent compounds roughly 30% slower than average. For peptides like Semax and Selank, which interact with dopamine pathways, this means starting at half the standard dose and titrating up over two weeks. The report flags affected peptides and adjusts their starting dose recommendations automatically. It is a calibration, not a contraindication.
Why does my top-ranked peptide have a lower dose than the standard?
Your CYP enzyme panel adjusted the dose. If you are a slow or intermediate metabolizer for the enzyme that processes that peptide, the standard dose would produce higher-than-intended plasma levels. The adjusted dose is calculated for your specific clearance rate. This is the report working correctly. Start at the adjusted dose, then titrate up if response is minimal after two weeks.
What does it mean when SNPs are listed as missing from my report?
Consumer DNA chips like 23andMe v5 test pre-selected positions in your genome. Some SNPs that PeptidesDNA uses for scoring are not on those chips. Missing SNPs do not automatically lower your score, but they widen the confidence interval. The missing SNPs panel shows which peptides are most affected by your gaps. Ordering the saliva kit provides broader coverage and tighter score confidence.
What is the difference between evidence tiers in the report?
Tier 1 means the peptide has published human randomized controlled trial data for the condition your genetics flag. Tier 2 means animal studies or human observational data. Tier 3 means biologically plausible mechanism with limited direct evidence. A tier-1 peptide with a score of 88 may be a stronger practical choice than a tier-2 peptide with a score of 92. The tier tells you how much evidence exists that the high score translates into real-world effect.
Do I need to see a doctor before acting on my report?
The FDA requires all direct-to-consumer genetic health reports to include a disclaimer that results are informational, not diagnostic, and should be confirmed with a healthcare provider before making medical decisions. The PeptidesDNA report follows this framework. For any peptide that requires a prescription or that you plan to use for a medical condition, discuss the report findings with a physician. For general wellness protocols, the report gives you a personalized starting point.
What does the methylation section tell me?
The methylation section translates your MTHFR and MTRR status into practical co-factor recommendations. If you carry MTHFR C677T, you should substitute methylfolate for folic acid and methylcobalamin for cyanocobalamin. For BPC-157 protocols, glycine supplementation before bed is flagged because BPC-157 metabolism is glycine-dependent and MTHFR variants reduce glycine availability. The section also flags drug interactions, including high-dose niacin depleting methyl groups.
This article is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and does not diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting any peptide protocol. Individual results vary.