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PeptideMostly animalNot FDA approved

Cardiogen

Ala-Glu-Asp-Arg tetrapeptide

Last reviewed October 27, 2026 · 11 sources · Written for general readers · Compare with another compound →

The bottom line

Cardiogen is a four amino acid peptide from the Khavinson group, marketed for the heart. Its support comes from rat heart tissue in a dish, a few rat studies and the inventors' own patent. No human trials have been published, so nobody knows if it helps the heart or is safe.

Where the evidence stands

What it is

Cardiogen is the group's name for AEDR, four amino acids in a row: alanine, glutamic acid, aspartic acid and arginine.[1] A US patent by Khavinson and coworkers claims this same sequence as a substance that restores heart muscle function.[2]

It belongs to the family of short peptide bioregulators developed in St. Petersburg, which the group says act on specific tissues.[3]

Sellers say it repairs the heart, steadies heart rhythm and slows aging. The sections below check each claim against the published studies.

Name
Cardiogen (Ala-Glu-Asp-Arg tetrapeptide)
Other names
AEDR, alanyl glutamyl aspartyl arginine
Type
Peptide
Sequence
AEDR

How it works

The claim is that Cardiogen helps heart cells grow and resist cell death.

  • In heart tissue from young and old rats grown in a dish, it strongly boosted cell growth and lowered p53, a protein tied to cell death.[4]
  • In lab tests, AEDR and related peptides bound histones, the proteins DNA wraps around, which the group says could change which genes are active.[3]
  • A 2022 review by the group says AEDR regulates molecules tied to inflammaging, the low level inflammation of aging blood vessels and heart cells.[5]
  • A computer modeling study predicted AEDR is among the peptides most likely to be carried into cells by known transporter proteins.[6]

These ideas come from lab work and modeling by the developer's group and are not confirmed in people.

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

Rat tissue, rat studies and patent data

  • In heart tissue from 3 month old and 24 month old rats grown in a dish, Cardiogen strongly boosted cell growth in both ages and lowered p53. Only 2 of 20 plain amino acids tested still worked in old tissue.[4]
  • In heart, lung, prostate and pancreas tissue from young and old rats grown in a dish, Cardiogen and sister peptides boosted tissue growth.[8]
  • In aging human prostate fibroblasts, the cells that make connective tissue, Cardiogen raised several signaling proteins that fall with age, though another peptide was more active.[9]
  • The patent describes tests in rats with induced heart attacks, isolated guinea pig hearts and rat models of heart rhythm problems, plus toxicity tests in mice, rats and guinea pigs.[2]
  • In old rats with an implanted tumor, Cardiogen slowed tumor growth, which the authors linked to damage to the tumor's blood supply.[7]

Limit: Patent results are not peer reviewed, and the published studies come from one group in Russian or translated journals without outside replication.

Human studies

No human studies

  • We found no published clinical trials of Cardiogen in people. The patent describes no human subjects.[2]

Limit: There is no human evidence that it helps the heart or that it is safe.

Claims check

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

Repairs the heart after a heart attack

Only in animals

The inventors' patent describes tests in rats with induced heart attacks and in isolated guinea pig hearts.[2] Patent data are not peer reviewed. In rat heart tissue in a dish, it boosted cell growth and lowered a cell death protein.[4] No human study exists.

Steadies heart rhythm

Only in animals

The patent describes rat models of heart rhythm problems, but these results were not published in a peer reviewed journal.[2] No human study has tested it.

Slows aging of the heart and blood vessels

Only in animals

In heart tissue from both young and old rats, it boosted cell growth in a dish.[4] The group's 2022 review links AEDR to aging related inflammation molecules, but this is a review of lab work, not a test in living people.[5]

Fights cancer

Only in animals

In old rats with an implanted sarcoma, Cardiogen slowed tumor growth and raised tumor cell death, which the authors linked to damage to the tumor's blood supply. It did not directly stop tumor cells from dividing.[7]

Safe for the heart

Not tested

The patent reports toxicity tests in mice, rats and guinea pigs, but no human safety study has been published.[2]

Known risks and side effects

  • Unregulated products. It is sold online outside pharmacies with no FDA review, so what is in the vial or capsule, how pure it is, and how much it holds are unknown.[10]
  • No human safety data. No human trials have been published, so side effects on the heart or elsewhere, and how often they occur, are unknown.[2]
  • Not a heart treatment. Its evidence is from rat tissue and animal models only. People with heart disease should not use it in place of proven care.[4]
  • Effects on blood vessels unclear. In rats with tumors, the authors linked its effect to damage to the tumor's blood vessels, and what it does to healthy vessels in people is unknown.[7]
  • Banned in sport. WADA bans unapproved drugs at all times, in and out of competition.[11]

Regulatory status

Today: It is not approved by the FDA for any use. It is not named on FDA's list of risky bulk substances for compounding as updated April 22, 2026.[10] WADA bans at all times any drug not approved by a government health agency for human use, so athletes should treat it as banned unless their anti doping agency says otherwise.[11]

Sources

  1. Khavinson VKh, Lin'kova NS, Tarnovskaya SI. Short Peptides Regulate Gene Expression. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2016;162(2):288-292. PMID 27909961
  2. Khavinson VK, Ryzhak GA, Grigoriev EI, Ryadnova IY. Peptide substance restoring myocardium function. US Patent 7,662,789 B2. Granted February 16, 2010. US 7662789 B2
  3. Khavinson VK, Popovich IG, Linkova NS, Mironova ES, Ilina AR. Peptide Regulation of Gene Expression: A Systematic Review. Molecules. 2021;26(22):7053. PMC8619776
  4. Chalisova NI, Lesniak VV, Balykina NA, Urt'eva SA, Urt'eva TA, Sukhonos IuA, Zhekalov AN. [The effect of the amino acids and cardiogen on the development of myocard tissue culture from young and old rats]. Adv Gerontol. 2009;22(3):409-13. PMID 20210190
  5. Khavinson V, Linkova N, Dyatlova A, Kantemirova R, Kozlov K. Senescence-Associated Secretory Phenotype of Cardiovascular System Cells and Inflammaging: Perspectives of Peptide Regulation. Cells. 2022;12(1):106. PMID 36611900
  6. Khavinson VK, Linkova NS, Rudskoy AI, Petukhov MG. Feasibility of Transport of 26 Biologically Active Ultrashort Peptides via LAT and PEPT Family Transporters. Biomolecules. 2023;13(3):552. PMID 36979488
  7. Levdik NV, Knyazkin IV. Tumor-modifying effect of cardiogen peptide on M-1 sarcoma in senescent rats. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2009;148(3):433-6. PMID 20396706
  8. Zakutskii AN, Chalisova NI, Ryzhak GA, Aniskina AI, Filippov SV, Zeziulin PN. [The tissue-specific effect of synthetic peptides-biologic regulators in organotypic tissues culture in young and old rats]. Adv Gerontol. 2006;19:93-6. PMID 17152728
  9. Kheifets OV, Poliakova VO, Kvetnoi IM. [Peptidergic regulation of the expression of signal factors of fibroblast differentiation in the human prostate gland in cell aging]. Adv Gerontol. 2010;23(1):68-70. PMID 20586252
  10. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety Risks. Content current as of April 22, 2026. FDA
  11. World Anti-Doping Agency. The 2026 Prohibited List, World Anti-Doping Code International Standard. In force January 1, 2026. WADA 2026
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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