Cartalax

Also known as: AED, Ala-Glu-Asp, T-31

Evidence: Preclinical

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Overview

Khavinson-series synthetic tripeptide (AED) for cartilage; in vitro it raised chondrogenic markers in aging human stem cells and reduced senescence markers in chondrocytes.

Cartalax is a synthetic tripeptide (AED, Ala-Glu-Asp) from the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology, listed as a chondroprotector; the source cited for that label is a Russian patent (Khavinson 2022). The published work is in cell culture: at 200 ng/mL it raised SOX9, aggrecan, type II collagen and COMP in aging human mesenchymal stem cells (Myakisheva 2023), normalized p16, p21, p53, TNF-alpha and Sirt1 in senescent chondrocytes, and raised sirtuin-1, sirtuin-6 and collagen I in aging skin fibroblasts (Fridman 2020). No animal model of osteoarthritis and no human trial has been published.

Benefits

Chondrogenic gene and protein expression in aging mesenchymal stem cells (in vitro), lower senescence markers in chondrocytes (in vitro), sirtuin and collagen I synthesis in skin fibroblasts (in vitro)

Dosing reference

Research dose: 200 to 1000 mcg daily: vendor/community range, no published human dose
Range: 200 to 1000 mcg, 1x daily

Sold as oral capsules and as lyophilized powder for injection. The only published concentrations are in cell culture (200 ng/mL; Myakisheva 2023). Community protocols run 10 to 20 day courses two or three times a year; no study compared schedules.

Mechanism

Proposed, from cell culture only. In aging human mesenchymal stem cells the peptide raised gene expression and synthesis of chondrogenic differentiation proteins (SOX9, aggrecan, collagen II, COMP) (Myakisheva 2023). In chondrocytes with a senescence-associated secretory phenotype it lowered p16, p21, p53, TNF-alpha and IL-1alpha and raised Sirt1. In skin fibroblasts it raised sirtuin-1, sirtuin-6 and collagen I (Fridman 2020) and inhibited MMP-9 and caspase-3 (Lin'kova 2016). MMP inhibition in cartilage itself has not been shown.

Evidence

Preclinical: animal or in vitro data only

At 200 ng/mL, raised SOX9, aggrecan, type II collagen and COMP expression in aging human mesenchymal stem cells (Myakisheva et al., 2023)
Normalized senescence markers (p16, p21, p53, TNF-alpha, IL-1alpha, Sirt1) in aging chondrocyte cultures (Myakisheva et al., 2023)
Raised sirtuin-1, sirtuin-6 and collagen I in human skin fibroblasts during replicative aging (Fridman et al., 2020)
Inhibited MMP-9 and caspase-3 and raised Ki-67 in aging skin fibroblast cultures (Lin'kova et al., 2016)
Human-trial status: no published human study and no animal osteoarthritis model

References

Side effects

No controlled safety study has been published in any species, and the animal and cell studies, almost all from the developing institute, were not designed to detect harm. Commonly reported (anecdotal): injection-site irritation with injectable forms; oral capsules draw few complaints.

Storage

Storage: Room temperature
Lyophilized: 24+ months

Pharmacology

Half-life: No published pharmacokinetic data in any species
Bioavailability: Not measured in any species
Molecular weight: 333.29 Da
Sequence: AED (Ala-Glu-Asp)