A four-amino-acid peptide (Ala-Glu-Asp-Pro) developed as a defined-sequence companion to Cortexin. Published literature only. no Russian clinical registration under this exact name.
mechanism confidence: low
Synthetic tetrapeptide AEDP (Ala-Glu-Asp-Pro) from the Khavinson school. Mechanism studies (Shabanov-Vislohkov 2013) used intracellular microelectrodes in mollusk Planorbarius corneus pedal ganglia neurons. a classical biophysics model. The pharmacologically meaningful concentration range is 0.1-100 µM, where cortagen HYPERPOLARISES neurons by 2-3 mV and reduces spontaneous impulse activity. i.e. an activating/neuroprotective effect via reduced basal firing (energy conservation). At 1000 µM, mild depolarisation; at 10 mM, strong reversible depolarisation with action-potential suppression. In this assay cortagen is MORE potent than cortexin. Increases slow efflux potassium current amplitude by 3-5% at 0.1 µM. consistent with K⁺ channel opening. The Drosophila study (Mylnikov-Opparina-Malinin 2008) found that mechanisms of vilon and epithalon on mitochondrial ROS differ, implying distinct peptide-specific pathways even within the tetrapeptide class.
- Mollusk neurons (Planorbarius corneus): cortagen 0.1-100 µM hyperpolarises by 2-3 mV, reduces spontaneous firing (neuroprotective pattern); 1000 µM depolarises mildly; 10 mM strong reversible depolarisation; increases slow K⁺ efflux current 3-5% at 0.1 µM. More potent than cortexin (Shabanov-Vislohkov 2013)
- Adjacent (Drosophila): vilon and epithalon have DIFFERENT mechanisms on mitochondrial ROS generation, even though both are tetrapeptides from the same school (Mylnikov 2008)
- Adjacent (regulatory peptides review, Boldyreva 2022): short peptides restore protein biosynthesis in age-related decline, used as adjuncts in neurology/dentistry
- Cortagen belongs to the same proliferotrope family as Cortagen (tetrapeptide from cortex extract), but as a defined sequence can be studied with clean pharmacology
grade: Low-moderate. The biophysics work (Shabanov-Vislohkov) is a classical assay but on mollusk neurons. extrapolating to mammalian CNS is reasonable but not proven. No mammalian in vivo pharmacology specific to cortagen has surfaced in CyberLeninka.
- Cortagen as defined sequence is what cortexin ought to be. but cortexin is a polypeptide fraction. Is the AEDP sequence present in cortexin at significant concentration?
- Mammalian pharmacology of pure AEDP: missing from open literature
- Why does a defined tetrapeptide show more potent neuronal effects than a fraction? Higher specific activity, or absence of antagonistic peptide components in the fraction?
- Drosophila data implies multiple distinct mechanisms among tetrapeptides. but which structural features determine the mechanism?
- PMID 182398172007Effects of bioactive tetrapeptides on free-radical processes. doi:10.1007/s10517-007-0230-8Bulletin of experimental biology and medicine
- PMID 174268492006Production of lymphocyte-activating factors by mouse macrophages during aging and under the effect of short peptides. doi:10.1007/s10517-006-0366-yBulletin of experimental biology and medicine
- PMID 162245912005Synthesis of IL-2 mRNA in cells of rat hypothalamic structures after injection of short peptides. doi:10.1007/s10517-005-0388-xBulletin of experimental biology and medicine
- PMID 151596902004Elucidation of the effect of brain cortex tetrapeptide Cortagen on gene expression in mouse heart by microarray.Neuro endocrinology letters
- PMID 150852532004Effects of short peptides on lymphocyte chromatin in senile subjects. doi:10.1023/b:bebm.0000024393.40560.05Bulletin of experimental biology and medicine
- PMID 124474822002In vitro effect of short peptides on expression of interleukin-2 gene in splenocytes. doi:10.1023/a:1020210615148Bulletin of experimental biology and medicine
- PMID 124200722002Effects of short peptides on thymocyte blast transformation and signal transduction along the sphingomyelin pathway. doi:10.1023/a:1019830308824Bulletin of experimental biology and medicine
- PMID 120964462002[Tissue-specific action of peptides in tissue culture of rats of various ages].Advances in gerontology = Uspekhi gerontologii
- PMID 117135722001Tissue-specific effects of peptides. doi:10.1023/a:1013058701974Bulletin of experimental biology and medicine
- PMID 112763142000Effect of tetrapeptide cortagen on regeneration of sciatic nerve.Bulletin of experimental biology and medicine
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Reviewed against the archive corpora on 2026-09-16. Source-grounded. No clinical claims. Synthesis prose may preserve published experimental context from papers; that is research history, not a recommendation.