What it is
Pinealon is a synthetic tripeptide with the sequence Glu-Asp-Arg, also written EDR. It was derived from Cortexin, a brain polypeptide preparation, by the St Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology. It appears in neuroprotection and peptide bioregulation research.
How it works
Pinealon is proposed to enter cells and interact with histone proteins or nucleic acids, modifying MAPK/ERK signalling and antioxidant enzyme expression. The mechanism is proposed and not established.
Regulatory status
- Cosmetic ingredient
- Research compound
- In clinical trials
- Approved medicine
Not approved as a medicine by the FDA or the EMA. Some are registered in individual countries. Supplied for laboratory research only.
What published research is studying
- Reactive oxygen species accumulation in cultured rat cerebellar granule cells and PC12 cells
- Necrotic cell death and cell cycle progression in neuronal cultures
- Spatial orientation and learning in rat offspring after prenatal hyperhomocysteinemia
- Expression of genes and proteins linked to Alzheimer's disease pathology in cell models
Key findings
In cerebellar granule cells, neutrophils and PC12 cells, pinealon produced dose-dependent restriction of reactive oxygen species accumulation and reduced necrotic cell death.
Khavinson V et al., Rejuvenation Res 2011In rat offspring exposed to prenatal hyperhomocysteinemia, pinealon given to the pregnant dams improved spatial orientation and learning and lowered cerebellar neuron ROS accumulation.
Arutjunyan A et al., Int J Clin Exp Med 2012A review of EDR peptide work reports that it limits dendritic spine loss in neuronal cultures from mice modelling Alzheimer's and Huntington's disease.
Khavinson V et al., Molecules 2020
What the studies measured
Study durations
- Cell viability experiments: single in-vitro exposures, with no in-vivo dosing period (Khavinson 2011).
- Prenatal hyperhomocysteinemia study: dosing across rat pregnancy, with offspring assessed after birth (Arutjunyan 2012).
Endpoints
- Reactive oxygen species accumulation in cultured cells
- Necrotic cell death by propidium iodide staining
- ERK 1/2 activation time course and cell cycle distribution
- Spatial orientation and learning in rodent behavioural tests
- Antioxidant enzyme expression in cerebellar neuron culture
How strong is the evidence?
The published evidence for pinealon is preclinical, drawn from rodent and cell culture models, with no randomized controlled trial in humans.
Common questions
Is Pinealon an approved medicine?
Research compound. Not approved as a medicine by the FDA or the EMA. Some are registered in individual countries. Supplied for laboratory research only.
How much human research is there on Pinealon?
The published evidence for pinealon is preclinical, drawn from rodent and cell culture models, with no randomized controlled trial in humans.
Does UU supply Pinealon?
Yes, as premium-grade research material for laboratory use. Every batch is tested by an independent lab and the certificate of analysis is published.