Cortagen
unknown riskAlso: Ala-Glu-Asp-Leu · Cardiogen homolog
Cortagen is a synthetic tetrapeptide from the Russian Khavinson bioregulator series, derived from cardiac tissue. It is purported to have cardioprotective and longevity-promoting effects based on animal and limited human studies.
Reported Benefits
Cardiovascular Protection
Animal studies show reduced cardiac damage after ischemia.
Longevity
Studies in aged animals suggest improved survival rates.
Mechanism of Action
Cortagen is proposed to modulate cardiac gene expression through nuclear penetration, activating cardioprotective pathways and reducing age-related gene expression changes in cardiac tissue.
Key Clinical Studies
Khavinson VKh (2010)
animal · Aged rats
Improved cardiac function and lifespan with cortagen
Overview
Cortagen is the cardiovascular member of the Russian short peptide bioregulator series. Like its family members (thymalin for immune, epithalon for pineal/aging, pinealon for neural), it is derived from the target organ tissue and purported to specifically regulate gene expression in that tissue.
Evidence Context
The evidence base shares the limitations of the broader Khavinson research tradition: primarily animal studies from a single laboratory, with some human pilot data of uncertain methodological quality. Independent Western replication is lacking.
Cardioprotection Mechanism
The proposed mechanism — nuclear penetration and chromatin/gene expression modulation — is consistent across the bioregulator peptide series. Whether this represents a genuine tissue-specific gene regulatory mechanism or a non-specific effect requires more rigorous investigation.
Comparative Context
Cortagen has less evidence than SS-31 (elamipretide), which has also demonstrated cardioprotection but through a much better-characterized mitochondrial mechanism and with Phase 2 human trial data.
Regulatory Status
Research OnlyRussian bioregulator; no FDA/EMA approval
Safety Profile
Side Effects
- •Injection site reactions
Contraindications
- •Active cardiac disease (use only under medical supervision)
Drug Interactions
- •Cardiac medications
Primary Uses
Weekly Briefing
Regulatory updates + new study breakdowns.
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