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TripeptideLimited humanNot FDA approved

Pinealon

Pinealon

Last reviewed October 27, 2026 · 17 sources · Written for general readers · Compare with another compound →

The bottom line

Pinealon is a tiny three amino acid peptide promoted as a brain bioregulator. Almost all research comes from one Russian network, mostly in rats and cells, and the few human studies had no proper control group and mixed it with another peptide. It is not approved anywhere we could confirm, and it is unproven for memory, sleep, mood or aging.

Where the evidence stands

What it is

Pinealon is a very short peptide made of three amino acids: glutamic acid, aspartic acid and arginine (Glu-Asp-Arg).[1][2]

It comes from the Russian research group of Vladimir Khavinson, which proposes that very short peptides can reach a cell's genes and change how they are used. That group calls this peptide EDR.[3]

Its name points to the pineal gland, the small brain gland that makes melatonin, but we found no study showing it affects melatonin or sleep.[4]

Name
Pinealon (Pinealon)
Other names
Glu-Asp-Arg, EDR peptide
Type
Tripeptide
Sequence
EDR
Formula
C15H26N6O8
Molecular weight
About 418.4 g/mol

How it works

The main idea is that pinealon gets inside cells and affects genes. This has not been shown in people.[3]

  • In cell studies, it lowered harmful oxygen molecules called free radicals and reduced cell death.[2]
  • In aging rat brain cell cultures, it raised serotonin, a mood related brain chemical, and computer modeling suggested it may bind DNA near a serotonin making gene.[5]
  • A review by the same group proposes it changes genes and proteins tied to Alzheimer's disease.[3]

These ideas come almost entirely from one research group and have little outside confirmation.

What the research shows

We keep animal and human evidence apart. A result in animals is a reason to study something in people, not proof that it works in people.

Animal and lab studies

Protective effects in a few rat and cell studies

  • In lab cells, pinealon lowered free radicals and helped cells survive.[2]
  • In pregnant rats with high homocysteine, a blood compound linked to brain harm, pinealon improved learning in the offspring and reduced damaged brain cells.[15]
  • In old rats whose neck artery was blocked, it improved survival.[8]
  • Rats of different ages learned a water maze better on pinealon than on a comparison peptide.[6]
  • In old rats exposed to low oxygen, it seemed to bring blood inflammation signals back toward normal, and it protected rats from low oxygen better than three other short peptides.[10][9]
  • In Alzheimer model mice, it prevented loss of nerve cell contact points.[7]

Limit: These studies are small, often report no group sizes, and come mostly from the same research network.

Human studies

Tiny Russian studies without proper controls

  • A 2015 study of 32 adults aged 41 to 83 with long term illness and brain disorders reported slower biological aging markers with pinealon and a related peptide, vesugen. It had no control group.[11]
  • The same study found more oxidative activity in blood and fewer CD34 blood stem cell markers after treatment, a possible sign of slowed blood cell production.[11]
  • A 2012 study of truck drivers reported better stress and mood scores with pinealon and vesugen. It compared 150 drivers with 150 metal workers, not with a placebo group.[14]
  • A 2012 report on locomotive crews who took pinealon capsules by mouth for two weeks described better biological age and adaptation scores, but did not give the number of people or a control group.[13]
  • A 2016 study of 110 people compared carbon dioxide baths, high pressure oxygen, massage and the peptide pair. The peptide pair had the strongest effect on biological age scores, but no randomization or placebo was described.[12]
  • All of these studies also gave vesugen, so it is hard to tell what pinealon did on its own.[11][14][12]

Limit: None of these studies were described as randomized or placebo controlled, so they cannot show that pinealon works.

Claims check

The most common claims about this compound, and what studies actually found. Verdicts rate the evidence, not whether you should use it.

Sharpens memory and thinking

Only in animals

Only shown in rodents. Young and old rats given pinealon learned a water maze better than rats given a comparison peptide.[6] In mice bred to develop Alzheimer like changes, it prevented loss of dendritic spines, the tiny contact points between nerve cells.[7] No human study has measured memory.

Protects the brain from stroke and low oxygen

Only in animals

In old rats with a blocked neck artery, survival improved.[8] In a low oxygen test, pinealon had the strongest protective effect of four short peptides tested.[9] In old rats starved of oxygen, it appeared to calm inflammation signals in the blood.[10] None of this has been tested in people.

Lowers biological age

Mixed results

In 32 adults aged 41 to 83 with long term illness, biological aging markers improved, but there was no control group and a second peptide was also given.[11] A study of 110 people reported the best biological age results when pinealon was combined with another peptide, without a placebo group.[12] A report on train crews who took capsules by mouth for two weeks gave no participant count or control group.[13]

Improves mood and stress resilience

Mixed results

A 2012 study reported better stress and mood scores in truck drivers given pinealon with another peptide. It compared 150 drivers with 150 metal workers rather than with a placebo group, and did not say how many drivers got the peptides.[14] Rat brain cell work suggests a serotonin link.[5]

Improves sleep and supports the pineal gland

Not tested

No study has measured sleep or melatonin after pinealon. In rat pineal gland tissue grown in a dish, it did not raise a marker of cell growth, while a related peptide did.[4]

Switches on youthful genes

Only in animals

This idea rests on cell work and computer models from the developer's group, which suggest the peptide can bind DNA near certain genes.[3][7] It has not been shown in people.

Known risks and side effects

  • Unknown product quality. Pinealon is not on FDA's lists of compounding ingredients, so products sold online fall outside pharmacy oversight and are not checked for purity.[16]
  • Unclear blood effects. One small study reported more oxidative activity and fewer blood stem cell markers after treatment. What this means for health is unknown.[11]
  • One main source of evidence. Most published work on pinealon involves the same research group, which raises the risk of biased results.[2][15]
  • Sport drug testing. WADA bans drugs with no government approval for human use. That rule appears to cover pinealon.[17]

Regulatory status

Today: Pinealon is not an approved drug in the United States, and it does not appear on FDA's compounding nomination lists.[16]

Sources

  1. National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Compound Summary for CID 10273502, Glu-Asp-Arg. PubChem CID 10273502
  2. Khavinson V, Ribakova Y, Kulebiakin K, Vladychenskaya E, Kozina L, Arutjunyan A, Boldyrev A. Pinealon increases cell viability by suppression of free radical levels and activating proliferative processes. Rejuvenation Res. 2011;14(5):535-541. PMID 21978084
  3. Khavinson V, Linkova N, Kozhevnikova E, Trofimova S. EDR Peptide: Possible Mechanism of Gene Expression and Protein Synthesis Regulation Involved in the Pathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease. Molecules. 2020;26(1):159. PMID 33396470
  4. Khavinson VKh, Linkova NS, Chalisova NI, Dudkov AV, Koncevaya EA. Effect of short peptides on expression of signaling molecules in organotypic pineal cell culture. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2011;152(1):138-141. PMID 22803060
  5. Khavinson VKh, Lin'kova NS, Tarnovskaya SI, Umnov RS, Elashkina EV, Durnova AO. Short peptides stimulate serotonin expression in cells of brain cortex. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2014;157(1):77-80. PMID 24909721
  6. Mendzheritski AM, Karantysh GV, Abramchuk VA, Ryzhak GA. [Effect of peptide geroprotectors on the navigation system learning and caspase-3 in brain structures in rats of different age]. Adv Gerontol. 2013;26(2):252-257. PMID 28976148
  7. Khavinson V, Ilina A, Kraskovskaya N, Linkova N, Kolchina N, Mironova E, et al. Neuroprotective Effects of Tripeptides-Epigenetic Regulators in Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2021;14(6):515. PMID 34071923
  8. Mendzheritskiĭ AM, Karantysh GV, Ivonina KO. [Effects of introduction of short peptides before carotid artery occlusion on behaviour and caspase-3 activity in the brain of old rats]. Adv Gerontol. 2011;24(1):74-79. PMID 21809624
  9. Kozina LS. [Investigation of antihypoxic properties of short peptides]. Adv Gerontol. 2008;21(1):61-67. PMID 18546825
  10. Mendzheritskiĭ AM, Karantysh GV, Ryzhak GA, Dem'ianenko SV. [Regulation of content of cytokines in blood serum and of caspase-3 activity in brains of old rats in model of sharp hypoxic hypoxia with Cortexin and Pinealon]. Adv Gerontol. 2014;27(1):94-97. PMID 25051764
  11. Meshchaninov VN, Tkachenko EL, Zharkov SV, Gavrilov IV, Katyreva IuE. [Effect of synthetic peptides on aging of patients with chronic polymorbidity and organic brain syndrome of the central nervous system in remission]. Adv Gerontol. 2015;28(1):62-67. PMID 26390612
  12. Myakotnykh VS, Torgashov MN, Egorin KV, Meshchaninov VN, Gavrilov VI, Borovkova TA, et al. [Comparative analysis of different methods of geroprotective]. Adv Gerontol. 2016;29(4):594-601. PMID 28539017
  13. Nazimko VA, Morgul' EV, Petrova OA, Sheĭkhova RG, Kozina LS, Savenko MA, et al. [Analysis of some parameters of biological age and adaptation possibilities of workers of locomotive brigades]. Adv Gerontol. 2012;25(1):57-62. PMID 22708445
  14. Bashkireva AS, Artamonova VG. [The peptide correction of neurotic disorders among professional truck-drivers]. Adv Gerontol. 2012;25(4):718-728. PMID 23734521
  15. Arutjunyan A, Kozina L, Stvolinskiy S, Bulygina Y, Mashkina A, Khavinson V. Pinealon protects the rat offspring from prenatal hyperhomocysteinemia. Int J Clin Exp Med. 2012;5(2):179-185. PMID 22567179
  16. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Bulk drug substances nominated for use in compounding under section 503A of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Updated May 14, 2026. FDA 503A categories list
  17. World Anti-Doping Agency. World Anti-Doping Code International Standard: Prohibited List 2026. In force January 1, 2026. WADA 2026 List
Medical disclaimer

This page is educational information only. It is not medical advice and does not replace care from a licensed medical provider. Do not use this page to decide whether to take any substance. Talk to a licensed medical provider first.

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