What is crystagen?
Crystagen is the synthetic tripeptide Glu-Asp-Pro (EDP), one of the short peptides that V. Kh. Khavinson's Saint Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology calls bioregulatory peptides (Voicekhovskaya et al., 2012; Khavinson et al., 2022). The group's 2022 review table lists it as an immunoprotector, citing a patent for that label (Khavinson et al., 2022), and a 2021 paper by the developers names Glu-Asp-Pro, with the dipeptides Glu-Trp and Lys-Glu, among the active components of their thymus peptide preparation, thymalin (Khavinson et al., 2021). The record is very small.
One paper's PubMed abstract names crystagen, three more abstracts from the institute give its sequence or its code T-36 (PubMed searches for Glu-Asp-Pro, EDP and T-36, 12 October 2026), and the group's transporter docking papers include it. All of it comes from the institute and its partners, the lab papers appeared in Russian journals or their English editions, and the lab work is in cells, rat skin explants and a spleen study whose abstract does not state its model.
It is not an approved drug in the United States (no Drugs@FDA record, October 2026). Disguised Alpha does not currently list crystagen; this page is a literature reference for laboratory researchers. Nothing on this page is guidance for use in people.
Crystagen reference data
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Crystagen |
| Also called | Glu-Asp-Pro, EDP, H-Glu-Asp-Pro-OH, glutamyl-aspartyl-proline, T-36 (the institute's code) |
| Sequence | L-glutamic acid, L-aspartic acid and L-proline joined by peptide bonds, with a free amino terminus and a free carboxyl terminus |
| Compound class | Synthetic tripeptide; a short peptide bioregulator from the Khavinson group, listed as an immunoprotector |
| Molecular formula | C₁₄H₂₁N₃O₈ |
| Molecular weight | 359.33 g/mol (monoisotopic mass 359.13 Da) |
| PubChem | CID 23624313, filed as H-Glu-Asp-Pro-OH; no record under the name crystagen |
Formula, weight and the all-L stereochemistry are from PubChem CID 23624313. A second PubChem record titled Glu-Asp-Pro, CID 145455337, lists L-glutamyl-L-aspartyl-L-proline as a synonym, but its computed structure and name give proline the R configuration, that is D-proline, so it is not the all-L peptide.
The institute's skin study pairs the code T-36 with the sequence (Voicekhovskaya et al., 2012), and the National Library of Medicine's MeSH vocabulary files T-36 tripeptide under glutamyl-aspartyl-proline. Glu-Asp-Pro amide, one of a family of tripeptide amides a Spanish group found in rat testis, is a different molecule (Ruiz-Alcaraz and Del Rio-Garcia, 2005).
What the research covers
Published work on crystagen falls into four areas; each summary names its model. A PubMed title and abstract search for crystagen returns one record (12 October 2026), so most of what follows comes from papers that use the sequence or the code.
Spleen, the one abstract that names it
The only paper whose PubMed abstract names crystagen is a Russian-language report from the institute on four short peptides in the ageing spleen. Its abstract reports that vilon and a peptide coded R-1 activated T-helper cells, that thymogen activated B cells, and that crystagen also activated B cells but did not cause cell renewal in the spleen as it aged (Chervyakova et al., 2014). The abstract does not state the species, the culture system or the concentrations. Model: not stated.
Skin explants from young and old rats, as T-36
The institute compared five tripeptides in organotypic skin cultures from young and old rats, among them T-36 (Glu-Asp-Pro). In explants from young rats, every peptide except T-34 (Glu-Asp-Gly, the chonluten sequence) stimulated cell proliferation, so T-36 did. For explants from old rats, the abstract singles out only T-38 (Lys-Glu-Asp, the vesugen sequence) (Voicekhovskaya et al., 2012). Model: rat skin explants.
Lymphocytes, stem cells and cell lines, as T-36
A 2011 paper tested T-36 and T-38 at 0.1, 1 and 10 ng/mL. Its abstract reports that both, T-38 more strongly, inhibited proliferation of primary embryonic mesenchymal stem cells, rat KF-1 fibroblasts and human erythromyelosis K-562 cells, but later says T-36 did not modulate K-562 proliferation, so its effect on that line is unclear. At 0.1 ng/mL, T-36 increased spontaneous proliferation of normal lymphocytes.
The abstract reports no change from the tripeptides in lymphocyte survival, adhesion, cytotoxic or induced proliferative activity, or in granulocyte engulfment and bactericidal activity (Khavinson et al., 2011). That abstract does not give T-36's sequence; a 2019 paper co-authored by the group describes these findings as effects of EDP (Caputi et al., 2019). Models: cell cultures.
DNA and transporter docking
In docking models of DNA complexes for 19 short peptides, EDP and the dipeptide Lys-Glu shared a binding site at the sequence agat (Khavinson et al., 2016).
In a 2023 docking study of 26 short peptides, EDP ranked 9th for the amino acid transporter LAT1, and the authors suggest it could inhibit LAT1 more strongly than known comparators, but it ranked 23rd for LAT2 and 18th for the peptide transporter PEPT1 (Khavinson et al., 2023). The 2022 review gives an earlier LAT1 score for it (Khavinson et al., 2022). Model: computer docking; these are scores, not measurements.
Key studies
- Chervyakova NA, et al. "Molecular aspects of immunoprotective activity of peptides in spleen during the ageing process." Adv Gerontol. 2014. PMID 28976144. In Russian. Spleen; model not stated.
- Voicekhovskaya MA, et al. "Effect of bioregulatory tripeptides on the culture of skin cells from young and old rats." Bull Exp Biol Med. 2012. PMID 22803085. DOI 10.1007/s10517-012-1527-9. Rat skin explants.
- Khavinson VKh, et al. "Effect of tripeptides on lymphoid and stem cells." Bull Exp Biol Med. 2011. PMID 22485217. DOI 10.1007/s10517-011-1425-6. Cell cultures.
- Khavinson VK, et al. "Short Peptides Regulate Gene Expression." Bull Exp Biol Med. 2016. PMID 27909961. DOI 10.1007/s10517-016-3596-7. DNA docking.
- 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. Transporter docking.
Handling and storage of lyophilized crystagen
General laboratory practice for lyophilized short peptides, from the peptide storage guide and the peptide reconstitution guide:
- Keep the sealed powder dry, at -20°C and protected from light, and let a cold vial reach room temperature before opening.
- With two acidic side chains and no basic residue, it is an acidic peptide under the rule the reconstitution guide cites, which says such peptides dissolve best in basic solutions. Dissolve it before adding any salt or buffer, and record the pH.
- It has no cysteine, methionine or tryptophan, the residues the storage guide names as prone to oxidation, but the guide lists aspartic acid as prone to hydrolysis. Make solutions close to use, keep them at 2 to 8°C in single-use aliquots, protect them from light and avoid freeze-thaw cycles.
- Confirm identity by mass: C₁₄H₂₁N₃O₈, monoisotopic 359.13 Da. Mass alone cannot tell the all-L peptide from its D-proline form.
Frequently asked questions
What is crystagen?
The synthetic tripeptide Glu-Asp-Pro, a short peptide bioregulator that Khavinson's group lists as an immunoprotector (Khavinson et al., 2022). It has been studied in rat skin explants, cell cultures, a spleen study and computer models.
Is crystagen a peptide?
Yes. The crystagen peptide is glutamic acid, aspartic acid and proline joined by peptide bonds, with free ends (PubChem CID 23624313). Its sequence is the last three residues of cortagen (Ala-Glu-Asp-Pro) and of prostamax (Lys-Glu-Asp-Pro).
Is crystagen the same as T-36?
Yes, by sequence. The institute codes Glu-Asp-Pro as T-36 (Voicekhovskaya et al., 2012), and MeSH lists T-36 tripeptide under glutamyl-aspartyl-proline. The cell culture work under that code is summarized above (Khavinson et al., 2011).
Is crystagen related to thymalin?
One 2021 paper by the developers says so: it names Glu-Asp-Pro, with Glu-Trp (thymogen) and Lys-Glu (vilon), among thymalin's active components (Khavinson et al., 2021), but a 2023 paper from the institute names only Lys-Glu and Glu-Trp as its components (Linkova et al., 2023). For this the 2021 paper cites stem cell and cell differentiation papers rather than an analysis of the preparation. See the thymalin research guide.
Has crystagen been tested in people?
Not in any study indexed in PubMed (searches of 12 October 2026). The indexed work is cell culture, rat skin explants, a spleen study and computer modeling.
Does Disguised Alpha sell crystagen?
Not currently. Related bioregulators listed in the catalog include Thymalin, Vesugen (Lys-Glu-Asp) and Pinealon (Glu-Asp-Arg).
Related compounds and guides
- Peptide bioregulators explained
- Peptide bioregulators list, A to Z
- Thymic peptides explained
- Thymalin research guide
- Vesugen research guide
- Pinealon research guide
- Vilon research guide
- Thymogen research guide
- Chonluten research guide
- Cortagen research guide
All Disguised Alpha products are for laboratory research only and are not for human consumption.