COMPOUND

Compounds / Bioregulators

Pinealon

Pinealon (EDR Tripeptide: Glu-Asp-Arg)

Bioregulators SubQ · Sublingual · Nasal · Oral Not FDA approved

Khavinson family bioregulator developed at the Saint Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology. Synthetic tripeptide marketed as a brain / cognitive bioregulator with claimed neuroprotective and nootropic effects. Most efficacy data is from Khavinson's own lab and a handful of Russian collaborators; independent Western replication is essentially absent. Commercially sold as oral capsules (Khavinson Peptides), sublingual sprays, and reconstituted SubQ from research-peptide vendors.

At a glance

Routes
SubQ · Sublingual · Nasal · Oral
Vial sizes
20 mg
Evidence base
3 studies 1 review · 2 preclinical

Mechanism

Per the Khavinson 'short-peptide bioregulator' hypothesis, EDR is proposed to enter neuronal nuclei and bind specific gene-promoter regions, modulating expression of neurotrophic and cell-survival genes. Reported effects in animal models include reduced neuronal apoptosis under hypoxia/oxidative stress, improved spatial memory in aged rats, and attenuated amyloid-β toxicity. Mechanism is contested in mainstream pharmacology because tripeptides are normally degraded in serum within minutes; Khavinson's group argues local cellular uptake precedes degradation.

Dosing

No standardized human dosing has been established. Every catalogued study for Pinealon is preclinical or a literature review. Amounts used in animal models do not translate directly to humans.

Published evidence

  1. Review 2013

    Short cell-penetrating peptides: a model of interactions with gene promoter sites

    Khavinson VK, Lin'kova NS, Tarnovskaya SI, et al. Bull Exp Biol Med

    Computational + experimental evidence that short Khavinson peptides (including EDR / Pinealon) bind specific DNA promoter regions and modulate gene expression. Mechanistic basis for the bioregulator hypothesis.

    PMID 23484211

  2. Animal in vivo 2012

    Pinealon protects the rat offspring from prenatal hyperhomocysteinemia

    Arutjunyan A, Kozina L, Stvolinskiy S, et al. Int J Clin Exp Med

    Pinealon administered to pregnant rats reduced oxidative damage and improved cognitive outcomes in offspring exposed to prenatal hyperhomocysteinemia.

    PMID 22567179

  3. In vitro 2012

    Molecular cellular mechanisms of peptide regulation of melatonin synthesis in pinealocyte culture

    Khavinson VK, Lin'kova NS, Kvetnoy IM, Kvetnaia TV, Polyakova VO, Korf HW Bull Exp Biol Med

    Short Khavinson peptides modulate melatonin synthesis and gene expression in pinealocyte culture: supports the proposed pineal-axis mechanism for the EDR/AEDG family.

    PMID 22816096

Reported side effects

Injection site reaction
Rare Mild · Minor local reactions reported anecdotally with SubQ; no peer-reviewed AE profile.
Long-term safety unverified outside Russia
Unknown Mild · Khavinson group reports a clean AE profile across decades of clinical observation, but this has not been independently replicated in Western trials.

Interactions

  • Epithalon Synergy

    Companion Khavinson peptides: Pinealon (cognitive/neuroprotective) + Epithalon (pineal/circadian). Frequently cycled together for combined cognitive + longevity protocols.

  • Semax Synergy

    Common biohacker cognitive stack: Pinealon (claimed gene-expression neuroprotection) + Semax (BDNF/NGF upregulation, melanocortin agonism). Different mechanisms, complementary cognitive profiles.

  • Selank Synergy

    Anxiolytic + nootropic combination. Selank's GABA-modulation pairs with Pinealon's claimed neuroprotective profile in stack protocols.

Reconstitution and storage

20 mg lyophilized vial; reconstitute with 2-5 mL bacteriostatic water. At 4 mg/mL, a 100 mcg dose = 0.025 mL (2.5 units on a U-100 insulin syringe). Very small volumes: easy to overdose; measure carefully.

Lyophilized: room temp short-term, refrigerate for long-term storage. Reconstituted: refrigerate 2-8°C, use within 30 days.

Open the reconstitution calculator for Pinealon