A tripeptide (EDR) from the pineal gland that crosses the blood-brain barrier, reduces neuronal oxidative damage, and modulates CLOCK gene expression — the CNS-focused member of the Epithalon peptide family.
Pinealon is a synthetic tripeptide — Glu-Asp-Arg (EDR) — developed by the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology as part of a broader research program into short regulatory peptides derived from the pineal gland. It's part of the same family as Epithalon (AEDG), Cortagen, and Vilon — cytomedins developed by Vladimir Khavinson and colleagues beginning in the 1980s as tissue-specific bioregulators.
Unlike Epithalon, which is derived from the epithalamin protein and targets telomerase activation, Pinealon is specifically studied for its effects on the central nervous system — particularly neuroprotection, cognitive function, and circadian rhythm regulation. It's the neurological member of the pineal gland peptide family.
Like Semax, Selank, and Epithalon, Pinealon originates from Russian peptide research with a significant body of literature in Russian-language journals. The research is legitimate and substantial but less integrated into mainstream Western literature than American or European peptide research. This context matters when evaluating the evidence base.
Pinealon's mechanism centers on its ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier — a significant advantage for a small tripeptide — and interact directly with neuronal DNA and chromatin. The Khavinson group's research proposes that short regulatory peptides like Pinealon act as epigenetic regulators, binding to specific promoter sequences and modulating gene expression in target tissues.
In neuronal cell models, Pinealon has been shown to influence expression of genes involved in:
The mechanism proposed for Pinealon — short peptide binding to DNA promoter regions to regulate gene expression — is the same framework applied to Epithalon and the broader Khavinson peptide family. It's a compelling model with supporting in vitro data, though the full mechanistic picture in living systems is still being characterized.
The most consistent Pinealon findings come from neuronal cell culture and animal models of oxidative stress. Studies by Khavinson, Linkova, and colleagues have shown that Pinealon pretreatment significantly reduces neuronal cell death following oxidative challenge — with measurable reductions in ROS accumulation, lipid peroxidation markers, and caspase-3 activation in treated cells versus controls.
In aged rodent models, Pinealon administration has been associated with improvements in learning and memory task performance, reduced oxidative damage markers in brain tissue, and improved antioxidant enzyme activity. The effect size is modest but consistent across multiple research groups working within the Khavinson framework.
Several studies have examined Pinealon in hypoxic and ischemic neuronal models — conditions relevant to stroke and traumatic brain injury research. Pinealon pretreatment reduced cell death and preserved mitochondrial membrane potential in neurons subjected to oxygen deprivation, suggesting neuroprotective effects under acute injury conditions.
Given Pinealon's pineal gland origin and interaction with CLOCK gene expression, a subset of research has examined its effects on biological rhythm regulation. This remains a less developed area of the literature but connects Pinealon to the broader melatonin/pineal axis research context.
Most Pinealon research comes from the St. Petersburg group that developed the compound. Independent replication by unaffiliated research groups is limited — a meaningful caveat when evaluating the strength of the evidence. The mechanistic framework is coherent and in vitro data is supportive, but the research base is thinner and less independently verified than for compounds like BPC-157 or Sermorelin.
Pinealon dosing is less standardized than compounds with larger independent research bases. Protocols are extrapolated from the Khavinson group's published work and research community practice.
| Route | Dose | Frequency | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subcutaneous | 5–10mg/day | Daily | 10–20 days per cycle |
| Intranasal | 1–2mg/day | Daily | 10–20 days per cycle |
The Khavinson peptide family is typically used in defined short cycles (10–20 days) rather than continuous long-term administration, with breaks of several weeks between cycles. This contrasts with some other peptides that run for months continuously.
Pinealon and Epithalon are frequently combined in longevity-focused research protocols. The rationale: Epithalon targets telomerase and telomere maintenance (cellular aging at the chromosomal level); Pinealon targets neuroprotection and CNS function. Both are pineal-derived short peptides with complementary applications — one systemic longevity, one neurological protection. The combination is common in the Russian peptide research tradition and has been adopted by the broader research community.
Pinealon typically comes as a lyophilized powder in 20mg vials. Reconstitute with 2mL bacteriostatic water for a 10mg/mL concentration. At a 5mg dose, that's 0.5mL (50 units on a U100 syringe). Store reconstituted solution refrigerated and use within 30 days.
Both peptides come from the same research tradition and the same source tissue, but they have distinct targets and research profiles:
| Factor | Pinealon | Epithalon |
|---|---|---|
| Sequence | Glu-Asp-Arg (EDR) | Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly (AEDG) |
| Primary research focus | Neuroprotection, CNS, circadian | Telomerase activation, longevity |
| Key mechanism | Neuronal antioxidant, apoptosis regulation | Telomerase stimulation, epigenetic normalization |
| Target tissue emphasis | Brain / CNS | Broad systemic / cellular aging |
| Research origin | Khavinson group, St. Petersburg | Khavinson group, St. Petersburg |
| Research volume | Moderate | More extensive |
| Typical cycle | 10–20 days | 10–20 days |
| Common use | Often stacked with Epithalon | Standalone or stacked with Pinealon |
COA-verified vendor pricing with promo codes. Tegridy Research currently carries Pinealon.
View Pricing → Dosage Calculator