A Khavinson tripeptide (Glu-Asp-Arg) marketed for brain tissue — short cycles for cognitive maintenance and neuroprotection. Khavinson-lineage data, limited independent replication.
Pinealon is a short synthetic tripeptide (Glu-Asp-Arg) from the Khavinson bioregulator family, marketed for brain tissue. Like other Khavinson peptides (Epitalon for pineal, Cartalax for cartilage, Testagen for testes, Prostamax for prostate), it works at very low doses in short cycles. The proposed mechanism is gene-expression modulation in target tissue based on molecular docking + nuclear penetration + sequence preference; in-cell promoter occupancy in vivo has not been independently mapped.
Used for cognitive maintenance, neuroprotection, and age-related mental decline. Russian clinical use dates to the 1990s; Western exposure is primarily through the research-peptide community.
Not FDA approved. Sold in Russia as a биологически активная добавка (БАД, dietary supplement) — not as a registered pharmaceutical. Not specifically named on the WADA 2026 Prohibited List, but the S0 catch-all for non-approved substances may apply at WADA's discretion. Available as oral capsule or injectable.
Per Khavinson's framework, short peptides interact with specific DNA regions relevant to their target tissue. Published mechanistic work documents molecular docking, nuclear penetration, and sequence preference — but in-cell promoter occupancy in vivo has not been independently mapped. The "modulates genes involved in neuronal metabolism / oxidative-stress defense / synaptic plasticity" framing is mechanistic inference from the docking and animal-model data, not direct in-cell evidence.
Preclinical data shows Pinealon reduces ischaemia-reperfusion injury in rodent models (PMIDs 22567179, 18546825), which is the claim driving most clinical use.
The DNA-interaction work is more specific than the usual framing suggests. Silanteva 2019 (PMID 30762356) used spectral analysis, NMR and molecular dynamics to show EDR partly penetrates the major groove of DNA, contacting the N7 and O6 positions of guanine, with magnesium ions substantially enhancing the interaction by screening the phosphate backbone. Khavinson 2014 (PMID 24909721) identified a complementary CCTGCC sequence in the tryptophan hydroxylase promoter — the rate-limiting enzyme for serotonin synthesis — which is the proposed route to the serotonin and, indirectly, melatonin effects. The mechanistic review is PMID 33396470.
Used in Russian longevity programs alongside Epitalon (pineal) as a brain-targeted maintenance component.
| Benefit | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Cognitive function | Animal, mostly. Mendzheritski 2013 (PMID 28976148) found Pinealon outperformed Cortexin — the parent extract it was isolated from — on Morris water maze learning in both young and old rats. The human data is one uncontrolled study of 32 patients (below) |
| Neuroprotection | The strongest preclinical thread. Arutjunyan 2012 (PMID 22567179) gave Pinealon to rats with prenatal hyperhomocysteinemia and found improved spatial learning in offspring with fewer necrotic cerebellar neurons; Kozina 2008 (PMID 18546825) found it the most antihypoxic of four bioregulator peptides tested |
| Stroke recovery adjunct | Not directly studied. The neuroprotection work is ischaemia and hypoxia in rodents; no stroke trial of Pinealon exists |
| Anti-aging maintenance | One human study, uncontrolled, with mixed results. Meshchaninov 2015 (PMID 26390612) followed 32 patients aged 41–83 with polymorbidity and organic brain syndrome. Pinealon showed anabolic effects and improved CNS activity — but see the safety section, because the same study reported two findings that complicate the picture |
The most striking finding is in a dish. Kraskovskaya 2017 (PMID 28853087) applied amyloid-beta to mouse hippocampal neurons to model Alzheimer’s pathology, then treated with EDR at 200 ng/mL: mushroom-shaped dendritic spines — the mature, memory-relevant kind — increased 71%, back to baseline. Khavinson 2021 (PMID 34071923) extended this to 5xFAD transgenic mice, where the tripeptides prevented spine loss.
Kraskovskaya 2024 (PMID 39518916) is the closest to human tissue: dermal fibroblasts from elderly donors transdifferentiated into cortical neurons. EDR promoted dendritic arborisation and reduced oxidative DNA damage — while having no effect on mitochondrial activity, lysosomal function, or p16, the senescence marker. The authors’ own summary is that short peptides “partially protect” these neurons. Partially is the operative word.
One caveat governs all of it: essentially every Pinealon paper comes from Khavinson’s group at the St Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology or its collaborators. That does not make the work wrong — the molecular studies are published in internationally indexed journals and are the most verifiable part — but independent replication outside that network is close to absent, and the clinical claims are the least substantiated part of the record.
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Start Tracking FreeNot medical advice. These figures describe what is reported in the literature and what practitioners and communities do — not a recommendation, and for most compounds here no human dose-finding study exists. Talk to a qualified healthcare provider.
Like other Khavinson bioregulators, expect subtle, accumulating effects rather than acute changes. Most users don’t notice much on a single cycle. Note: SubQ administration is common in peptide-community use but is not documented in the published Pinealon literature — treat it as an empirical route, not a validated one. The upper end of the 400 mcg/day range is similarly extrapolated beyond the 200 mcg/day documented in PMID 22708445.
Reported side effects are rare, but “clean safety profile” overstates what has actually been looked for — no dedicated toxicology study of Pinealon has been published, and the absence of documented harm reflects limited study rather than demonstrated safety.
Two findings from the human study that looked hardest at biochemistry cut against the marketing. Meshchaninov 2015 (PMID 26390612), 32 patients aged 41–83, reported prooxidant activity on chemiluminescence and a decrease in CD34+ haematopoietic progenitor cells, which the authors describe as significant inhibition of haemopoiesis. Other human work exists — Nazimko 2012 (PMID 22708445) in railway workers, Bashkireva 2015 (PMID 28509489), and Umnov’s review of use in older people (PMID 24738258) — but Meshchaninov is the one that measured redox status and haematopoietic markers. They still recommended the peptides as geroprotectors — but explicitly of an “anabolic neuroprotective and no antioxidant type.” A compound commonly sold for oxidative-stress protection was classified by its own investigators as not antioxidant.
Note the tension with the in vitro work, where EDR reduced oxidative DNA damage in human-derived neurons (PMID 39518916). Cell culture and whole-organism redox behaviour need not agree, and neither finding has been replicated. Chromatin condensation was unaffected in the human study, which the authors read as reassuring at the genetic level.
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Pinealon is a research peptide not approved by the FDA for human use. It is sold only as a research chemical, and StackTrax does not endorse or facilitate personal use.
Quality varies enormously among research-chemical suppliers. At minimum, look for:
Lyvn does not carry Pinealon. They are the vendor we recommend elsewhere on this site, and they publish the full independent panel per batch — which makes their catalogue a useful yardstick for the criteria above even on a compound they do not stock. We are not recommending a specific supplier for Pinealon itself, because we have no basis to.
For research use only. Not for human consumption. 21+.
Build your protocol, log every dose, monitor your body's response, and get reminders so you never miss a dose.
Start Tracking FreePinealon is a short synthetic tripeptide (Glu-Asp-Arg) from the Khavinson bioregulator family, marketed for brain tissue. Like other Khavinson peptides (Epitalon for pineal, Cartalax for cartilage, Testagen for testes), it is used at very low doses in short cycles. It is positioned for cognitive maintenance, neuroprotection, and age-related mental decline. Russian clinical use dates to the 1990s; Western exposure is primarily through the research-peptide community.
No. Pinealon is not FDA approved. It is sold in Russia as a биологически активная добавка (dietary supplement), not as a registered pharmaceutical. It is not specifically named on the WADA 2026 Prohibited List, but the S0 catch-all for non-approved substances may apply at WADA's discretion. Available as oral capsule or injectable.
Per Khavinson's framework, short peptides interact with specific DNA regions in target tissue. Published mechanistic work documents molecular docking, nuclear penetration, and sequence preference, but in-cell promoter occupancy in vivo has not been independently mapped. The framing that it modulates genes involved in neuronal metabolism, oxidative-stress defense, and synaptic plasticity is mechanistic inference from docking and animal-model data rather than direct in-cell evidence. Preclinical data shows Pinealon reduces ischemia-reperfusion injury in rodent models.
Standard cycle is 100 to 200 mcg/day for 10 to 20 days, run 2 to 4 cycles per year. The literature-supported route is oral capsule (PMID 22708445 used 100 mcg twice daily, totaling 200 mcg/day). The up-to-400 mcg/day range that circulates in community protocols is extrapolated beyond what is documented in published clinical use. SubQ administration is common in the peptide community but is not documented in the published Pinealon literature, so treat it as an empirical route rather than a validated one.
Pinealon's clinical track record is built on Russian cohort studies in elderly patients showing modest improvements in memory and attention, plus Russian clinical use as a stroke recovery adjunct. Western independent replication is limited. Like other Khavinson bioregulators, expect subtle, accumulating effects rather than acute changes, and most users don't notice much on a single cycle.
Russian clinical use shows a clean safety profile and side effects are rare. The most common reports are mild GI discomfort (oral) and injection site reactions (SubQ). Use caution with pregnancy or breastfeeding, active brain tumor, and in children. One notable preclinical signal: PMID 21809624 reports Pinealon moderately raised caspase-3 activity (a marker of apoptosis) in rat brain tissue in a sham-operated control and a carotid occlusion model. The clinical significance in humans is unclear, but the finding is worth noting for a compound marketed as purely neuroprotective.
Disclaimer: This guide is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The compounds discussed are not FDA approved for human use. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before starting any new supplement or peptide protocol. StackTrax does not sell peptides or supplements directly — purchase links go to third-party vendors. StackTrax is not responsible for the products, quality, or business practices of any third-party vendor.
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StackTrax guides cover peptides and compounds that are not FDA-approved for the uses discussed. The dosing, reconstitution, and safety information is compiled from published research and community protocols for educational purposes only.
Before using any compound mentioned here, consult a qualified healthcare provider. StackTrax does not sell, prescribe, or recommend these substances for personal use.