What it is
Pinealon is a peptide made of 3 amino acids: glutamic acid, aspartic acid, and arginine. It is made in a lab. It comes from Vladimir Khavinson's group in St. Petersburg, Russia, the same group behind Epithalon. The group says very short peptides like this one enter cells and attach to DNA. They say this changes which genes turn on. Most studies are on brain cells. See the Epithalon entry for a related compound. Other names: EDR peptide, Glu-Asp-Arg.
What researchers study it for
- Brain cell connections in Alzheimer's disease models
- Oxidative stress in brain and immune cells
- Learning in rats exposed to stress before birth
- How it attaches to DNA
What the studies found
1. It restored brain cell connections in a lab model of Alzheimer's disease.
Dendritic spines are small bumps on brain cells where they connect to other brain cells. Mushroom spines are the mature, stable kind tied to memory. In a 2017 study, mouse brain cells were exposed to amyloid, the protein that builds up in Alzheimer's disease. Pinealon raised the number of mushroom spines by 71 percent, back to normal levels. Lab cells only.
2. It prevented spine loss in Alzheimer's model mice.
A 2021 study used mice bred to develop Alzheimer's-like brain changes. Pinealon and a related peptide kept the mice from losing dendritic spines. Computer models found spots where Pinealon could attach to the control regions of Alzheimer's-related genes. Mouse and computer data.
3. It lowered oxidative stress and cell death in several cell types.
A 2011 study stressed brain cells, immune cells, and nerve-like cells in a dish. Pinealon lowered the buildup of reactive oxygen, the molecules that damage cells. Fewer cells died. Higher amounts also changed how cells divide. The authors say this means it acts on the cell's DNA too. Lab cells only.
4. Rat pups did better on learning tests after their mothers got Pinealon.
Pregnant rats were fed extra methionine, which raises homocysteine. High homocysteine before birth harms the developing brain. Pups from mothers given Pinealon learned mazes better. Their brain cells had less oxidative stress. Rat data only.
5. It entered cell nuclei and attached to certain DNA patterns.
A 2011 study tagged Pinealon with a glowing dye. It entered human cells in a dish and reached the nucleus, where DNA is kept. In test tubes, it attached best to DNA pieces that contain the pattern CAG. Lab data only.
How much research exists
A small number of lab and animal studies. All come from the same Russian research group. No outside lab has repeated them. No controlled human trial has been published.
Facts
- Formula: C15H26N6O8
- Weight: about 418 g/mol
- CAS number: 175175-23-2 (could not confirm)
- Sequence: Glu-Asp-Arg
- Time in the blood: never measured
- Storage: powder in the freezer.
Legal status
Not approved by the FDA or any other agency for human use.
For research use only. Not for human use. Nothing here is medical advice.