Pinealon

Pinealon research peptide in Thailand

Pinealon is a synthetic tripeptide (Glu-Asp-Arg, or EDR) from the Khavinson "short peptide bioregulator" series, studied in cell and animal models of oxidative stress, hypoxia tolerance, and neuronal ageing. Its defining property in the literature is size: at three residues it is small enough to enter cells and reach the nucleus, which is the basis for the gene-regulation hypothesis attached to it.

This listing is for laboratory research use only. Be aware that the evidence base is thin and comes almost entirely from a single Russian research group — see the honest assessment below before designing around it.

Quick facts

Product

Pinealon (EDR tripeptide)

CAS

175175-23-2

Molecular weight

~418.4 g/mol

Form

Lyophilised powder, sealed vial

Intended use

laboratory research use only

How Pinealon works

The proposed mechanism rests on the peptide's small size. Fluorescence-labelled EDR has been shown to cross both the cell membrane and the nuclear envelope in HeLa cells, appearing in cytoplasm, nucleus, and nucleolus, and to interact with deoxyribooligonucleotides and DNA in vitro (Fedoreyeva, Biochemistry (Mosc), 2011). From this, the originating group hypothesises that EDR acts as a transcriptional regulator, binding chromatin and shifting expression of genes involved in antioxidant defence and neuronal survival.

That hypothesis is not the same as a demonstrated pathway. A review from the same group proposes EDR influences MAPK/ERK signalling and the synthesis of caspase-3, p53, SOD2, GPX1, and the transcription factors PPARA and PPARG (Khavinson, Molecules, 2020) — but this is a proposed mechanism assembled largely from the authors' own prior work, not an independently replicated model. Treat the nuclear-penetration finding as the well-supported part and the downstream gene-regulation story as an open hypothesis.

Key research findings

• In cerebellar granule cells, neutrophils, and PC12 cells under oxidative stress, pinealon produced dose-dependent restriction of reactive oxygen species accumulation and reduced necrotic cell death; the authors noted the antioxidant effect saturated at lower concentrations while higher concentrations continued to alter the cell cycle (Khavinson, Rejuvenation Res, 2011).
• In a hypobaric hypoxia model comparing vilon, epitalon, vesugen, and pinealon, pinealon showed the strongest protective effect, which the author attributed to stimulation of endogenous antioxidant enzymes and possible limitation of NMDA excitotoxicity rather than direct radical scavenging (Kozina, Adv Gerontol, 2008).
• In cortical neurons induced from aged human fibroblasts, EDR increased dendritic arborisation and reduced oxidative DNA damage, but showed no effect on mitochondrial dysfunction or p16 elevation — the authors described the protection as partial (Kraskovskaya, Int J Mol Sci, 2024).

Research applications

• Oxidative stress and reactive oxygen species assays in neuronal cell lines
• Hypoxia and hypoxia-tolerance animal models
• Cellular senescence and neuronal ageing models
• Cell-penetration and peptide-DNA interaction studies
• Comparative screening alongside other short peptide bioregulators
• Antioxidant enzyme expression profiling (SOD, GPX)

Dosing in the literature

Reported parameters differ substantially between the in vitro concentration work and the in vivo rodent studies, and no consensus reference range exists in the peer-reviewed literature — figures quoted on vendor pages are generally not traceable to a published protocol. This is a literature summary, not administration guidance. To model concentrations for a defined protocol, use the Pinealon peptide calculator.

Reconstitution & storage

Solvent

Bacteriostatic water — standard for lyophilised research peptides

Mixing

Add solvent down the vial wall and swirl gently until dissolved; do not shake

Storage

Refrigerated (2–8 °C) after reconstitution, in common laboratory practice

Use within

A few weeks once reconstituted

Freeze / light

Keep lyophilised powder frozen or cold, sealed, and protected from light

These are common laboratory handling conventions for lyophilised peptides, not instructions. In Thailand's heat and humidity, the practical risk is cumulative time at ambient temperature — during courier transit, during customs handling, and on the bench — so minimise each of those windows and keep vials sealed and out of direct light.

Selected research

• Penetration of short fluorescence-labeled peptides into the nucleus in HeLa cells and in vitro specific interaction of the peptides with deoxyribooligonucleotides and DNA — Biochemistry (Moscow), 2011
• Pinealon increases cell viability by suppression of free radical levels and activating proliferative processes — Rejuvenation Research, 2011
• Short Peptides Protect Fibroblast-Derived Induced Neurons from Age-Related Changes — Int J Mol Sci, 2024
• EDR Peptide: Possible Mechanism of Gene Expression and Protein Synthesis Regulation Involved in the Pathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease — Molecules, 2020 (review, same group)
• Browse all indexed Pinealon literature on PubMed

The total indexed literature is small, and a large share of it is in Russian-language gerontology journals with limited independent replication. The PubMed search link above is the honest way to gauge the field's size for yourself.

Related compounds

• Semax — an ACTH(4–7) analogue studied for BDNF and NGF expression; a far better-characterised neuro-research peptide, and a useful positive comparator when EDR results are ambiguous.
• Selank — a tuftsin analogue studied in anxiety and neuroimmune models; frequently examined alongside Semax in the same Russian research tradition.
• SS-31 — a mitochondria-targeted peptide studied for cardiolipin binding and oxidative stress; relevant where the research question is mitochondrial rather than nuclear.
• NAD+ — studied in cellular energy metabolism and ageing models, a common companion in senescence research.

See also: mitochondrial research compounds and more neuropeptide signalling compounds.

Pinealon FAQ

Compliance note

Pinealon is supplied for laboratory research use only. It is not for human or veterinary use, and it is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. All findings referenced above are the results of specific published studies, described as such, and are not claims about this product.