What is cardiogen?
Cardiogen is the name given to the tetrapeptide Ala-Glu-Asp-Arg, abbreviated AEDR, in the series of short peptides developed at the St Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology, alongside epitalon (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly) and pinealon (Glu-Asp-Arg). The group's own tables list this sequence against cardiovascular regulation (Khavinson et al., 2021; Khavinson et al., 2022).
The published literature on this sequence is very thin, which is the main thing to know before planning work with it, so this guide is deliberately short. Disguised Alpha supplies it as a lyophilized powder for laboratory research use only, and nothing on this page is guidance for use in people.
Cardiogen reference data
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Cardiogen |
| Sequence in the literature | Ala-Glu-Asp-Arg (AEDR), written H-Ala-Glu-Asp-Arg-OH |
| Molecular formula | Not stated on the product page. PubChem CID 11583989 gives C₁₈H₃₁N₇O₉ |
| Molecular weight | Not stated on the product page. PubChem gives 489.5 g/mol for CID 11583989 |
| CAS number | Not stated on the product page. PubChem CID 11583989 carries the registry number 857267-11-9 among its synonyms |
| Name collision | A PubChem search for "cardiogen" returns CID 10917, levocarnitine, which carries Cardiogen only as a trade-name synonym |
| Form | Lyophilized powder |
| Size carried | 20MG |
| Testing | No certificate panel on the product page at the time of writing, and no certificate on record for this compound in the COA portal. Ask support for the certificate covering your lot |
The Compound Information section of the product page lists storage requirements only, so every identity figure above comes from PubChem and from the sequence used in the primary literature. The two sources do not conflict; they do not overlap. Confirm identity and measured content against your lot's certificate.
What the research covers
Almost nothing is indexed under the product name. A PubMed search for "cardiogen" returns about 80 records, nearly all unrelated: most concern a rubidium-82 generator sold under a near-identical name, the rest match the word cardiogenic, and only four concern the peptide. Searching the sequence adds a handful, for a usable total of roughly ten papers, most from the originating institute or its collaborators. Each summary below states the model used.
Explant culture of rat heart tissue
The closest thing to a primary result is organotypic explant work, a method the same programme established earlier using organ extracts rather than synthetic peptides (Chalisova et al., 2000). One study cultured explants of heart, lung, prostate and pancreas from 3-week-old and 18-month-old rats with four peptides from the series and reported that each stimulated growth of the explant from its matching organ at 0.05 ng/mL (Zakutskii et al., 2006).
A follow-up compared 20 amino acids with the tetrapeptide at 10⁻¹² M in myocardium explants from 3-month-old and 24-month-old rats: seven amino acids stimulated proliferation in tissue from young animals and only two in tissue from old animals, while the tetrapeptide was reported to stimulate proliferation in both, with lower p53 expression by immunohistochemistry (Chalisova et al., 2009).
Cell culture, histone binding and a tumour model
In cultured mouse embryonic fibroblasts, the tetrapeptide was reported to raise expression of actin, tubulin and vimentin by two to five times and of lamin A and lamin C by two to three times (Khavinson et al., 2012), and in aging human prostate fibroblast cultures it was the least active of three peptides tested (Kheifets et al., 2010).
The mechanism proposed across the series is sequence-selective binding to DNA and histones rather than action at a cell-surface receptor, and no receptor has been reported: six short peptides including this one bound labeled wheat histones in fluorescence-quenching assays, with binding depending on the histone, the peptide and oligonucleotide methylation state (Fedoreyeva et al., 2013), and docking work placed it among the stronger binders at the LAT1, LAT2 and PEPT1 transporter sites (Khavinson et al., 2023).
In rats carrying transplanted M-1 sarcoma, tumour cell apoptosis was reported above control levels and growth inhibited in a concentration-related way, which the authors attributed to haemorrhagic necrosis and the tumour vascular network rather than a direct cytostatic action (Levdik and Knyazkin, 2009).
A cardiac claim that is not indexed
A 2022 review states that the tetrapeptide was identified in a heart polypeptide complex by mass spectrometry, and summarises a rat coronary-ligation model with about threefold lower mortality than control, smaller necrotic zones and preserved myocardial glycogen (Khavinson et al., 2022). That is a secondary account: the primary report is not indexed in PubMed under the product name or the sequence, so it could not be verified here.
Key studies
- Zakutskii AN, et al. "The tissue-specific effect of synthetic peptides-biologic regulators in organotypic tissues culture in young and old rats." Adv Gerontol. 2006. PMID 17152728.
- Levdik NV, Knyazkin IV. "Tumor-modifying effect of cardiogen peptide on M-1 sarcoma in senescent rats." Bull Exp Biol Med. 2009. PMID 20396706. DOI 10.1007/s10517-010-0730-9.
- Chalisova NI, et al. "The effect of the amino acids and cardiogen on the development of myocard tissue culture from young and old rats." Adv Gerontol. 2009. PMID 20210190.
- Khavinson VKh, et al. "Tetrapeptide H-Ala-Glu-Asp-Arg-OH stimulates expression of cytoskeletal and nuclear matrix proteins." Bull Exp Biol Med. 2012. PMID 22977870. DOI 10.1007/s10517-012-1766-9.
- Fedoreyeva LI, et al. "Interaction of short peptides with FITC-labeled wheat histones and their complexes with deoxyribooligonucleotides." Biochemistry (Mosc). 2013. PMID 23581987. DOI 10.1134/S0006297913020053.
- Khavinson VK, et al. "Feasibility of Transport of 26 Biologically Active Ultrashort Peptides via LAT and PEPT Family Transporters." Biomolecules. 2023. PMID 36979488. DOI 10.3390/biom13030552.
Handling and storage of lyophilized cardiogen
General laboratory practice for this material:
- Store the lyophilized powder at -20°C, protected from light, until use (storage guidance on the product page), and let the sealed vial reach room temperature before opening so moisture does not condense on the powder.
- The sequence carries two acidic side chains and a basic arginine and is highly water soluble; prepare stock in water or a neutral buffer and record the pH.
- Published work sits at 0.05 ng/mL and 10⁻¹² M, where dilution error dominates: make fresh intermediate dilutions and set stock concentration from measured content, not label mass.
- After reconstitution keep solutions at 2 to 8°C, protected from light, in single-use aliquots, and record the lot number with its certificate.
Frequently asked questions
How strong is the published evidence?
Weak by volume and by independence: roughly ten indexed papers, most from the originating institute or its collaborators and most of them explant or cell-culture work. There is no human study, and the cardiac animal account that circulates most widely sits in a review rather than an indexed primary report (Khavinson et al., 2022).
Why do searches for cardiogen return unrelated results?
The name is shared with a rubidium-82 generator and matches the word cardiogenic. Search the sequence, Ala-Glu-Asp-Arg or AEDR.
Is cardiogen the same as pinealon?
No. Pinealon is the tripeptide Glu-Asp-Arg; this is the tetrapeptide Ala-Glu-Asp-Arg, one alanine longer at the N-terminus. They come from the same programme and are often tested side by side: see our pinealon research guide.
Related compounds and guides
- Pinealon and its research guide
- Epitalon and its research guide
- Cartalax and Vesugen: further short peptides
- Cardiogen (20MG) in the catalog
- COA portal: every published certificate, by lot
This product is for research use only. It has not been evaluated for safety or effectiveness in humans. Not for human consumption. All products are intended for laboratory research purposes only.