Cortagen
⚠️ Structural Separation Notice
The Ageless Pep Academy is a clinical education property independent from any commerce operation. Any references in this profile to Ageless Peps product SKUs, pricing, or the agelesspeps.com domain are for completeness and transparency; they are not endorsements and do not form part of the clinical education content. Clinicians are responsible for independent verification of any product sourcing decision. The Academy's Medical Director provides editorial oversight only and does not endorse commercial products.
Synthetic tetrapeptide (Ala-Glu-Asp-Pro) bioregulator proposed to support cerebral cortex function via neuroprotective gene regulation in cortical neurons.
Methodological Note: >95% of published research on this peptide originates from the Khavinson bioregulation group (Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology, St. Petersburg). Independent replication by Western laboratories is lacking. All evidence should be interpreted with this single-group limitation in mind.
Quick Facts
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Also Known As | AEDP tetrapeptide, Ala-Glu-Asp-Pro |
| Category | Cognitive / Neuroprotective / Khavinson Bioregulator |
| Sequence | Ala-Glu-Asp-Pro (AEDP, 4 amino acids) |
| Molecular Weight | ~416 Da |
| Molecular Formula | C15H24N4O8 |
| PubChem CID | N/A — research peptide |
| Administration | SubQ |
| Typical Dose Range | 10-20 mcg/day (from Khavinson protocols) |
| Half-Life | Very short (minutes; typical of tetrapeptides) |
| Storage | Lyophilized: -20C long-term; 2-8C short-term. Reconstituted: 2-8C for 2-4 weeks |
| FDA Status | NOT FDA-approved. Approved in Russia as bioregulator; no Western regulatory approval |
| WADA Status | Prohibited under S0 (non-approved substances) |
Mechanism of Action
Cortagen (Ala-Glu-Asp-Pro) is a synthetic tetrapeptide developed by the Khavinson group, obtained by directed synthesis based on amino acid analysis of Cortexin, a natural brain cortex peptide extract preparation used in Russian neurology.
Microarray analysis of mouse heart tissue after Cortagen treatment revealed that the peptide altered expression of multiple genes involved in cellular stress response, signal transduction, and transcription regulation (PMID: 15159690). Notably, this study demonstrated cross-tissue effects (brain-derived peptide affecting cardiac gene expression), which both supports the general bioactivity claim and challenges the strict tissue-specificity narrative.
In clinical contexts (reported in Russian literature), Cortagen has been credited with pronounced therapeutic effects on structural and functional post-traumatic recovery of peripheral nerve tissue, as well as cerebrovascular and cardiovascular effects. However, these clinical reports have not been replicated in Western controlled trials.
The proposed mechanism follows the standard Khavinson model: the peptide penetrates cell membranes, enters the nucleus, interacts with specific DNA sequences in gene promoter regions, and modulates transcription of neuroprotective genes. Cortagen is proposed to be the synthetic equivalent of endogenous short peptides normally produced by the cerebral cortex.
Key Research Areas
- Gene expression modulation — Microarray-confirmed changes in gene expression in vivo
- Neuroprotection — Proposed cortical neuron support and post-traumatic nerve recovery
- Cross-tissue effects — Brain-derived peptide affecting cardiac gene expression
- Cerebrovascular function — Proposed vascular effects in brain circulation
Evidence Level Summary
| Evidence Type | Count | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Human RCTs | 0 | No randomized controlled trials |
| Human observational | 0 | Russian clinical reports only (not PubMed-indexed RCTs) |
| Animal in vivo | 1 | Mouse heart gene expression microarray |
| In vitro | 1 | THP-1 cell study |
| Systematic reviews | 1 | Khavinson self-review (2021) |
Clinical Applications
- Cognitive Enhancement — Proposed cortical neuroprotection (no clinical evidence)
- Neuroprotection — Proposed nerve recovery support (Russian clinical reports only)
- Stroke Recovery — Proposed cerebrovascular support (no Western clinical data)
Protocols Using This Peptide
- No established clinical protocols. Used in Khavinson bioregulation research protocols only.
Ageless Peps Products
- APWS-Cortagen-Vial — Cortagen Vial, wholesale only
Dosing Reference
Research Dosing Ranges (from literature)
| Route | Dose Range | Frequency | Duration | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SubQ | 10-20 mcg | Daily | 10-20 days | Khavinson protocols |
Cycling
Khavinson protocols typically recommend 10-20 day treatment courses with 1-3 month intervals. No independent validation exists.
Contraindications & Safety
- Contraindications: Unknown — no systematic safety studies
- Common side effects: Unknown — no human clinical data from controlled trials
- Drug interactions: Unknown — no interaction studies. Theoretical concerns with CNS-active medications
- Pregnancy/nursing: Contraindicated (no safety data)
- Special populations: No data available
Synergistic Combinations
Per Khavinson protocols (unvalidated):
- Pinealon + Cortagen — Combined neuroprotective support (cortex + pineal)
- Vilon + Cortagen — Immune + neuroprotective support
Related Research
| PMID | Title | Year | Study Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15159690 | Cortagen Effect on Gene Expression in Mouse Heart by Microarray | 2004 | Animal in vivo |
| 34834147 | Peptide Regulation of Gene Expression: A Systematic Review | 2021 | Systematic Review |
| 35408963 | Peptides Regulating Proliferative Activity in THP-1 Cell Line | 2022 | In vitro |
References
- PMID 15159690 — Microarray gene expression in mouse heart
- PMID 34834147 — Systematic review of peptide gene regulation
- PMID 35408963 — THP-1 cell line study
Related
#peptide #cognitive #neuroprotective #khavinson-bioregulator #subq