Cardiogen
A Khavinson-group tetrapeptide from heart-tissue extract — proposed to support cardiomyocyte function and cardiac tissue aging; evidence base is Russian-language and largely pre-clinical.
A short tetrapeptide (Ala-Glu-Asp-Arg) in the Khavinson bioregulator series, derived from bovine myocardial extract and proposed to support cardiomyocyte function and tissue homeostasis in the aging heart via tissue-specific gene-expression modulation.
Mechanism of action
Proposed by the Khavinson group to function as a tissue-specific transcriptional regulator in cardiomyocytes — short peptide binding to promoter regions is hypothesized to upregulate expression of proteins supporting contractile function and resistance to ischemic stress in aged tissue. Mechanistic evidence is preliminary.
Primary uses
- Investigational cardiac aging research
- Adjunctive use in Russian geriatric cardiology practice
Typical dosing
Russian supplement forms use 10 mg oral capsules once daily for 10–20 days as a cyclical bioregulator protocol.
Educational information, not medical advice. The doses on this page come from approved labels, published studies and, where no study exists, amounts reported by users. None is a recommendation for you. An unapproved compound has no established safe or effective human dose, and products sold for “research use only” are not made or tested for people. Talk to a doctor before acting on anything on this site, including before you start, stop or change any medicine or dose. Full medical disclaimer.
Regulatory status
Not FDA-approved. Marketed as a bioregulator / supplement in Russia and some CIS countries.
Status as of this entry's last review, October 4, 2026. Approvals, compounding rules and sport rules change; the regulatory tracker is checked more often.
What the studies show
Cardiogen is the tetrapeptide Ala-Glu-Asp-Arg from the Russian short-peptide programme. Its two studies below are in rats and rat tissue, from the group that developed it; no study has tested it in people.
Animal · 2009
Sarcoma in old rats
In senescent rats with transplanted M-1 sarcoma, cardiogen raised tumour-cell apoptosis and slowed tumour growth in a dose-dependent way, through haemorrhagic necrosis rather than a direct cytostatic effect; the authors infer it acts through the tumour's blood vessels.
Animal · 2009
Heart-muscle tissue culture
In organotypic cultures of heart muscle from 3- and 24-month-old rats, cardiogen at 10^-12 M stimulated cell proliferation in both age groups, more than any of the 20 amino acids tested, and lowered p53 expression, which the authors read as reduced apoptosis.
References
- [review] Khavinson VK, Malinin VV. "Gerontological aspects of genome peptide regulation." Karger AG, Basel, 2005.
- [pubmed] Anisimov VN, et al. "Peptide bioregulation of aging: results and prospects." Biogerontology, 2010;11(2):139-49. PMID: 19830585.
- [pubmed] Levdik NV, et al. "Tumor-modifying effect of cardiogen peptide on M-1 sarcoma in senescent rats." Bull Exp Biol Med, 2009;148(3):433-6. PMID: 20396706.
- [pubmed] 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;22(3):409-13. PMID: 20210190.
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Guides & tools
This entry is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Dosing information reflects published regulatory or research data and is not a recommendation. Many compounds described here are not approved for human use in the United States. Consult a licensed medical professional before considering any peptide therapy.