GLP-2
Glucagon-Like Peptide-2
Also called teduglutide, GATTEX, Revestive, glucagon-like peptide-2
The gut's own growth signal, approved as teduglutide
GLP-2 is the gut's own repair signal, and its drug version, teduglutide, is one of the few peptides here that is an approved medicine. It makes the lining of the small intestine grow. It is approved for short bowel syndrome in people dependent on intravenous feeding, not for general gut complaints.
GLP-2 is the signal the gut uses to repair and rebuild its lining, released every time you eat. The drug version, teduglutide (Gattex, Revestive), is one of the few compounds in this library that is an approved medicine. It is approved for short bowel syndrome in people who depend on intravenous feeding, where trials showed it reduced the amount of that feeding needed. It is not a supplement for a bloated stomach.
- Half-life
- Around two hours for the drug version; natural GLP-2 lasts minutes
- Route studied
- Subcutaneous injection (Gattex label)
- Status
- Prescription as teduglutide (Gattex), for short bowel syndrome
Studied in people, and well studied in preclinical models
What GLP-2 has been studied for
The reasons people look it up, roughly in order of how often, and what research exists for each. Interest in a use is not evidence that it works; the evidence is stated under each one.
- Short bowel syndrome
- The approved use. People who have lost much of their small intestine often depend on intravenous feeding. In the STEPS phase 3 trial (86 patients, 24 weeks), more patients on teduglutide reduced that feeding by at least 20% than on placebo.
- Gut lining repair generally
- The reason it turns up in peptide discussions. The mechanism is real, but it has been tested for a specific severe condition, not for the bloating and irritation most people mean by gut health.
Mechanism of Action
How GLP-2 works
The gut already makes this. The drug is a version that survives long enough to be useful.
- What it normally does. Cells in the intestine release GLP-2 when food passes by. It tells the lining to grow: taller folds, more surface, better blood flow, tighter seals between cells. It is basic maintenance, running constantly.
- Why a drug was needed. Natural GLP-2 is destroyed within minutes by an enzyme. The medicine changes a single building block so that enzyme cannot get a grip, which stretches its life from minutes to hours.
- What that achieves. More absorbing surface. For someone missing most of their small intestine, that can reduce dependence on intravenous feeding.
- Why the side effects make sense. A drug whose entire job is making gut tissue grow will cause problems where growth is unwelcome, which is why blockages and existing surgical sites are what prescribers watch.
GLP-2 side effects: what studies reported
Most reported effects follow directly from what the drug does. It makes gut tissue grow, so the complaints are about the gut growing.
Most commonly reported
- Stomach pain and swelling
- Nausea
- Injection-site reactions
- Fluid retention
Worth keeping an eye on
- Blockage where the bowel narrows, because the tissue growth is the point
- Existing stoma sites swelling and needing adjustment
- Gallbladder and pancreas problems, which is why prescribers monitor them
The one prescribers watch for
- It encourages growth in the bowel lining, so anyone with a history of gastrointestinal cancer is screened before and during treatment
Source: Clinical trial and post-marketing experience with teduglutide. This is a summary of published findings, not a complete safety profile and not medical advice. Questions about GLP-2 belong with a licensed clinician who knows your history.
Your Genetics & GLP-2
The genes involved in how GLP-2 works
GLP-2 works through the receptors these genes build, and the genes vary from person to person. Researchers have linked some of that variation to differences in how people respond. A DNA report tells you which versions you carry.
Builds the receptor GLP-2 and teduglutide act on. Variants in this gene have been studied for association with metabolic traits. No study has tested whether they change response to teduglutide.
FUT2 · ••
Non-secretors (AA genotype) have altered gut-lining sugar coatings and microbiome composition, and are associated with some gut conditions in human studies. That describes gut biology, not a response to GLP-2.
DPP-4 is the enzyme that rapidly inactivates natural GLP-2; teduglutide was engineered to resist it. Variants in DPP4 have been studied for association with metabolic traits. Pathway context only.
GLP-2's growth effect on the gut lining partly works through local IGF-1. This promoter variant has been associated with baseline IGF-1 levels. Pathway context only.
The dots after each gene are where your own result goes. Your report fills them in with the two letters you carry at that position.
Which of these variants do you carry?
Your report reads the DNA file you already have against this research.
Often discussed alongside
Compounds that come up next to GLP-2 in research and discussion. Each has its own page. None of this is a suggestion to combine them.
KPV
also studied for the gutEmerging EvidenceKPV (Lys-Pro-Val)
A three-amino-acid fragment snipped off the end of a hormone your body already makes. Almost every page describes it as switching on a melanocortin receptor; the research fairly clearly says it does not. What it appears to do instead is more interesting, and it is why nearly all the data are about the gut rather than skin. No human study of KPV has been published.
4
Gene variants
15+
Studies
BPC-157
also studied for the gutModerate EvidenceBody Protection Compound 157
BPC-157 comes up whenever people talk about injuries that will not heal: tendons, ligaments, a gut irritated by painkillers. It is a short chain of amino acids copied from part of a protein the stomach already makes, and the preclinical research on it is unusually consistent for this category: across many separate preclinical studies, injured tissue healed faster than it did without it. The gap is that this has largely not been repeated in people, and it is not an approved medicine, so no regulator checks the quality of what is sold under its name.
3
Gene variants
19+
Studies
Access
Access and legal status
GLP-2: Prescription as teduglutide (Gattex), for short bowel syndrome. Decisions about any prescription medicine belong to a prescriber. We don't link to any seller, and nothing on this page is a recommendation to obtain or use it.
Your DNA and GLP-2: see which of the variants studied alongside it you carry, and what that research does and does not show. Read my DNA, $99 →
Educational information only, not medical advice. Most peptides are not FDA-approved. Do not start, stop or change any medication or peptide because of this page; talk to a licensed clinician.
Worth knowing about GLP-2
Interactions and situations where there is a specific reason to be careful. Where the honest answer is that nobody has studied something, it says so and says what that leaves open.
- A prescription medicine for a narrow condition
- Teduglutide is approved for one serious condition, and decisions about it belong to a prescriber. Products sold online as GLP-2 are not teduglutide.
- Not a leaky-gut supplement
- The gap between what it does and what it is marketed for online is wide. It was tested in people missing much of their small intestine, and that is not the same problem as feeling bloated.
Last updated
Frequently Asked Questions
What is GLP-2 approved for?
Its drug version, teduglutide (Gattex), is FDA-approved for short bowel syndrome in people who depend on intravenous feeding. It stimulates growth of the intestinal lining and improves absorption in that condition. It is not approved or tested for general gut complaints.
How is GLP-2 different from GLP-1?
GLP-1 and GLP-2 are released together by the same intestinal cells but have different targets. GLP-1 acts on the pancreas (insulin) and brain (appetite), and is the basis for semaglutide. GLP-2 acts on the intestine itself, driving growth of its lining. They are not interchangeable.
Do genes affect GLP-2 response?
No study has tested whether any genotype changes response to teduglutide. GLP2R builds its receptor, DPP4 the enzyme that breaks down natural GLP-2, and FUT2 secretor status is associated with gut biology in human studies. A DNA report can show which versions you carry and what that research does and does not show.
Watch
What clinicians and researchers say about GLP-2
Learn more about GLP-2
peptide guides
In depthGLP-2 and the gut lining: what the teduglutide trials show
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peptide guides
In depthPeptides studied for gut health: GLP-2, KPV, BPC-157, and the one with human trials
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genetics
Akkermansia, P9 and gut hormones: what the research shows
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how it works
In depthThe gut-liver axis: what preclinical studies of BPC-157 and GLP-2 found
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safety
Are peptides legal in the US? 8 facts about FDA approval and compounding in 2026
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how it works
Peptides for beginners: what they are, what is approved, and how to read the evidence (2026)
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Your DNA and GLP-2
What the research says about your variants.
The report
Which GLP-2 variants do you carry?
Your report reads the DNA file you already have against the published research on 31 peptides, marker by marker, and says what that research does and does not show.
Read my DNA, $99