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Cortagen research

What published studies found for Cortagen: 12 papers, 0 in humans, with sample sizes and key results.

C
Mostly animal studies
Why: No human trials; the evidence is several small rat, mouse and chicken studies plus cell cultures, nearly all from the developer's St Petersburg group.

Cortagen (Ala-Glu-Asp-Pro) is a synthetic tetrapeptide from the St. Petersburg 'peptide bioregulator' program; the published evidence is a handful of small rat, chicken and cell-culture studies, nearly all from the same group. A claimed human benefit on nerve recovery is mentioned only in passing in an animal paper, and no human trials appear in PubMed. Added Europe PMC/CyberLeninka work (2001-2013, same St Petersburg group or collaborators) is cell culture, rat and mollusc-neuron data; one study found cortagen inactive on thymocytes, and very high concentrations were non-specific or toxic in neurons.

✓ 2 positive✗ 2 negative~ 1 mixed? 7 inconclusive

No human safety data in the published literature.

US compounding: Not compoundable. Not an FDA-approved drug and not nominated for FDA's 503A bulks list, so US pharmacies can't legally compound it. Status for every peptide.

Browse and filter these papersCortagen prices and vendors

Animal & lab studies

✓ PositiveanimalBull Exp Biol Med · 2000

Effect of tetrapeptide cortagen on regeneration of sciatic nerve.

AnimalsAnimal study of intramuscular cortagen 10 µg/kg10 days

In rats with a cut and sutured sciatic nerve, 10 days of Cortagen injections increased nerve fibre growth rate by 27% and conduction velocity by 40%.

Key resultCortagen increased growth rate and conduction velocity in regenerating nerve fibers by 27% and 40%, respectively.
Studied
Rats after sciatic nerve transection and suturing
Main outcome
Growth rate and conduction velocity of regenerating nerve fibers
Authors' conclusion
Cortagen increased nerve regeneration speed and conduction velocity in transected rat sciatic nerves.
Limitations
Rat study; the abstract gives no group sizes, controls or statistics.
PubMed 11276314
✓ PositiveanimalEksp Klin Farmakol · 2011

[Cortexin and cortagen as correcting agents in functional and metabolic disorders in the brain in chronic ischemia].

AnimalsAnimal study of cortexin and cortagen

In rats with chronic brain ischemia, Cortagen (like the brain extract Cortexin) sped recovery of behavior and limited lipid peroxidation in brain tissue.

Studied
Rats with chronic brain ischemia, with high and low resistance to hypoxia
Main outcome
Behavior recovery, lipid peroxidation and antioxidant activity in brain tissue
Authors' conclusion
Cortexin and cortagen accelerated behavioral recovery and prevented excessive lipid peroxidation and loss of antioxidant activity; the authors suggest they may increase neuroprotective therapy efficacy in chronic brain ischemia.
Limitations
Rat study; the abstract gives no numbers.
PubMed 21476278
? InconclusiveanimalBull Exp Biol Med · 2007

Effects of bioactive tetrapeptides on free-radical processes.

AnimalsAnimal study of injected epithalon and cortagen

In rats, Epitalon and Cortagen injections lowered lipid peroxidation products and protein oxidation, alongside suppression of antioxidant activity in serum and cortex.

Studied
Rats (serum and cerebral cortex)
Main outcome
Lipid peroxidation products, protein oxidation, antioxidant activity
Authors' conclusion
Epithalon and cortagen decreased lipid peroxidation products and oxidative modification of proteins in rats, accompanied by suppressed antioxidant activity in serum and cerebral cortex.
Limitations
Very brief abstract with no numbers; rat study.
PubMed 18239817DOI
✗ NegativeanimalAdv Gerontol · 2008

[Effects of epithalon and cortagene on immunity and hemostasis in neonatally hypophysectomized chicken and old birds].

AnimalsAnimal study of epithalon vs cortagene injections40 days

In hypophysectomized chickens and old birds, Cortagen did not affect anemia, immune deficiency or clotting changes, whereas Epitalon corrected them.

Studied
Neonatally hypophysectomized chickens and old birds
Compared with
Epithalon (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly) vs cortagene (Ala-Glu-Asp-Pro)
Main outcome
Erythrocytes, immunity and hemostasis
Authors' conclusion
Epithalon completely eliminated the shifts in erythrocytes, immunity and hemostasis, while cortagene did not affect the parameters studied.
Limitations
Bird study; no numbers in abstract. A null result for cortagene.
PubMed 19432169
? InconclusiveanimalNeuro Endocrinol Lett · 2004

Elucidation of the effect of brain cortex tetrapeptide Cortagen on gene expression in mouse heart by microarray.

AnimalscDNA microarray gene expression analysis after cortagen injections5 consecutive days

Microarray study in mice: 5 days of Cortagen changed expression of 234 of 15,247 heart transcripts; the abstract also asserts, without data, a therapeutic effect on nerve recovery in humans.

Key resultOf 15,247 transcripts analysed, 234 clones (1.53%) changed significantly, matching 110 known genes; maximum up- and down-regulation were +5.42 and -2.86.
Studied
Female 6-month-old CBA mice (heart tissue)
Compared with
Control group; Vilon, Epitalon and melatonin profiles
Main outcome
Cardiac gene expression changes
Authors' conclusion
Cortagen produced both common and specific effects on cardiac gene expression compared with other short peptides and melatonin, providing clues to its mechanism of action.
Limitations
Mouse transcriptome screen; no functional outcomes or sample size in abstract.
PubMed 15159690
? InconclusiveanimalBull Exp Biol Med · 2005

Synthesis of IL-2 mRNA in cells of rat hypothalamic structures after injection of short peptides.

AnimalsAnimal study of injected Vilon, Epithalon and Cortagen

Rat brain sections: Vilon, Epithalon and Cortagen modulated IL-2 gene expression in cells of some hypothalamic structures, depending on timing and route of injection; no numbers given.

Studied
Rats (hypothalamic sections analysed by in situ hybridization)
Main outcome
IL-2 mRNA in hypothalamic cells
Authors' conclusion
The three short synthetic peptides modulated IL-2 gene expression in cells of some hypothalamic structures depending on administration time and route.
Limitations
Very brief abstract; no numbers, groups or sample size.
PubMed 16224591DOI
? InconclusiveanimalBull Exp Biol Med · 2006

Production of lymphocyte-activating factors by mouse macrophages during aging and under the effect of short peptides.

AnimalsEx vivo study of Vilon, Epithalon and Cortagen on LPS-stimulated macrophages

Mouse macrophages: young and old animals differed in production of lymphocyte-activating factors, and Vilon, Epithalon and Cortagen had opposite modulating effects in young vs old mice; ex vivo, no numbers.

Studied
Peritoneal macrophages from young and old mice
Main outcome
Production of lymphocyte-activating factors
Authors' conclusion
Lymphocyte-activating factor production was lower in old animals and the short peptides had opposite modulating effects in young and old mice, a possible route to correcting immune ageing.
Limitations
Ex vivo mouse cells; no numbers; effects of cortagen alone not separated in abstract.
PubMed 17426849DOI
~ MixedanimalОбзоры по клинической фармакологии и лекарственной терапии · 2013Russian-language

Нейронопротекторное действие кортексина и кортагена

AnimalsElectrophysiology; cortagen 0.1-10000 uM compared with Cortexin and glycine

Mollusc neurons: cortagen at 0.1-100 uM hyperpolarized neurons by 2-3 mV and slowed spontaneous firing (more than cortexin), but at higher concentrations (10 mM) depolarized them and blocked sodium and calcium currents by 80-90%, which the authors call non-specific or toxic.

Key resultCortagen 0.1-100 uM hyperpolarized neurons by 2-3 mV; at high concentration sodium and calcium currents were suppressed up to 80-90%.
Studied
Identified neurons of mollusc pedal ganglia, recorded with microelectrodes, and isolated neurons under voltage clamp
Main outcome
Resting and action potentials, firing rate, ion currents
Authors' conclusion
Low concentrations of cortagen had an activating (neuroprotective) effect on neurons, stronger than Cortexin; at very high concentrations effects were non-specific and even toxic.
Limitations
Invertebrate neurons in vitro; no sample sizes in text; Russian-journal paper from a pharmacology research institute.
CyberLeninka (Russian)
? Inconclusivein vitroBull Exp Biol Med · 2004

Effects of short peptides on lymphocyte chromatin in senile subjects.

Number of subjects not stated; leukocytes from subjects aged 75-88In vitro study of five short peptides (Vilon, Epithalon, Livagen, Prostamax, Cortagen) on chromatin

In cultured white blood cells from people aged 75-88, Cortagen and other short peptides decondensed chromatin and activated ribosomal genes.

Studied
Leukocytes from subjects aged 75-88 years
Compared with
Untreated cells
Main outcome
Ribosome gene activity and chromatin condensation
Authors' conclusion
All peptides activated ribosome genes and decondensed chromatin; Epithalon, Livagen and Prostamax decondensed chromosome 1 pericentromeric chromatin.
Limitations
In vitro; not specific to Prostamax; no clinical outcome.
PubMed 15085253DOI
? Inconclusivein vitroBull Exp Biol Med · 2002

In vitro effect of short peptides on expression of interleukin-2 gene in splenocytes.

Cells / labIn vitro comparison of Vilon, Epithalon and Cortagen

Mouse splenocytes: cortagen activated interleukin-2 mRNA synthesis without inducers, but less strongly than Vilon and Epithalon; cell culture only.

Studied
Splenocytes from CBA mice
Main outcome
Interleukin-2 mRNA synthesis
Authors' conclusion
All three peptides activated IL-2 mRNA synthesis in the absence of specific inducers; Vilon and Epithalon were most potent and Cortagen produced a less pronounced effect.
Limitations
Cell culture; no numbers or sample size in abstract.
PubMed 12447482DOI
✗ Negativein vitroBull Exp Biol Med · 2002

Effects of short peptides on thymocyte blast transformation and signal transduction along the sphingomyelin pathway.

Cells / labIn vitro comparison of Vilon, Epithalon and Cortagen

Mouse thymocytes: cortagen had no comitogenic effect (unlike Vilon) and a weaker effect than Vilon and Epithalon on sphingomyelinase activity; cell culture only.

Studied
Mouse thymocytes
Main outcome
Thymocyte proliferation and sphingomyelinase activity
Authors' conclusion
Vilon had the most potent comitogenic effect, Epithalon less so, and Cortagen produced no such effects; Vilon also stimulated sphingomyelinase more than the other two.
Limitations
Cell culture; no numbers in abstract. A null result for cortagen.
PubMed 12420072DOI
? Inconclusivein vitroBull Exp Biol Med · 2001

Tissue-specific effects of peptides.

Cells / labIn vitro explant growth assay

Rat tissue explants: Cortagen stimulated growth of brain-cortex explants (and Epithalon, Livagen, Vilon stimulated their matching tissues); organ culture only.

Studied
Organotypic explant cultures from rat brain cortex, subcortical structures, liver and thymus
Main outcome
Explant growth
Authors' conclusion
The peptides stimulated growth of explants from the tissues whose peptide extracts were used for their design, i.e. tissue-specific effects; Cortagen acted on brain cortex.
Limitations
Tissue culture; no numbers in abstract; developer's institute.
PubMed 11713572DOI

Verdicts are judged on each paper's own main outcome; grades run from A (strong human evidence) to D (little or none). Details are read from the abstracts, and figures are reproduced only from openly licensed full texts. Not medical advice.