Polypeptide fraction from pig-brain cortex, sold in Russia as a nootropic and post-stroke neuroprotective. One of the few Khavinson peptides with measurable Russian clinical adoption outside gerontology.
mechanism confidence: high
Polypeptide fraction from pig/cow cerebral cortex (Morozov extraction protocol). Composition per Russian Pharmacopoeia: low-MW peptides including L-glutamic acid, L-aspartic acid, glycine + vitamins (tocopherol, thiamine, riboflavin, retinol) + microelements (Zn, Mn, Se, Cu, Mg). The "drug cortexin" is cortexin peptides + glycine, and the combination HYPERPOLARISES neurons (in contrast to peptides alone, which mildly activate). Multi-faceted mechanism: (a) metabolic. restoration of cortical neuron function after ischemia; (b) neuroprotective. reduces neurological deficit in chronic ischemia; (c) nootropic. stimulates CNS compensatory capacity in healthy subjects under stress; (d) anticonvulsant. Wistar rat bilateral carotid occlusion model: cortexin post-occlusion reduces neurological deficit (McGrow stroke index), reduces malonic dialdehyde, increases superoxide dismutase. Effect is most pronounced with delayed ischemic preconditioning. Clinical translation includes acute stroke, chronic cerebral ischemia, epilepsy, glaucoma (Shtilerman-Mikhalsky-Lysyak 2010. glaucoma stabilisation in 52% of patients at 1.5 years follow-up).
- Wistar rats divided by hypoxic resistance (HR vs LR), bilateral carotid occlusion model: effect maximal in delayed preconditioning group; reduces MDA, increases SOD (Zarubina-Buznik-Shabanov 2015)
- Planorbarius corneus mollusk neurons: cortexin peptides + glycine HYPERPOLARISE (reduced impulse frequency); peptides alone mildly activate; glycine alone mildly activates. the combination is the registered drug (Shabanov-Vislohkov 2013)
- 42 patients (62 eyes) primary open-angle glaucoma, visual function improved, electrophysiology and hemodynamics improved, positive effect sustained 1.5y, glaucoma stabilisation in 52% (Shtilerman-Mikhalsky-Lysyak 2010)
- Diakonov-Shabanov 2015 review: 10-15 years of cortexin + retinalamin in neurology, therapy, ophthalmology. low-dose neuroprotection effective in acute cerebrovascular accidents and chronic cerebral ischemia
- Skoromets-Diakonov 2010: cortexin used for restoration of brain function in disease AND for modulation/stimulation of compensatory CNS capacity in healthy subjects under stress. no age limit
grade: Strong. this is the most-cited Russian neuroprotective peptide. Multiple clinical case series (glaucoma n=42 eyes) and controlled animal experiments. Limitation: no multi-centre programmes beyond the mapped Russian/CIS series appear in our archive. The composition is multi-component (peptides + glycine + vitamins + microelements) so the active principle attribution is not straightforward.
- Which peptide in the fraction is active? Multiple peptide species present.
- The glycine co-formulation matters. peptides alone behave differently from the combination
- Stroke trials in Russian clinical practice. have any been meta-analysed by independent groups?
- Does cortexin work in acute ischemic stroke in humans? Most data are chronic ischemia or post-stroke recovery
- PMID 415243502025[Therapeutic equivalence of intravenous and intramuscular dosage forms of Cortexin in ischemic strokes]. doi:10.17116/jnevro202512512160Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova
- PMID 230114232012[Efficacy of reflexology in the combination with neuroprotective treatment in hemiparetic form of children cerebral palsy].Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova
- PMID 310890922019[Treatment of a neglect syndrome in movement rehabilitation of stroke patients]. doi:10.17116/jnevro201911903129Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova
- PMID 287456702017[The administration of neurocytoprotectors in a rat model of experimental spinal cord ischemia]. doi:10.17116/jnevro20171176142-46Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova
- PMID 274597642016[EFFECT OF CORTEXIN ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE EARLY REHABILITATIVE PERIOD AFTER HEMISPHERIC ISCHEMIC STROKE].Klinicheskaia meditsina
- PMID 243008032013[Cognitive disorders and their correction in patients with ischemic stroke].Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova
- PMID 221650982011[Medical treatment for correction of hemodynamic, rheological and metabolic changes in young patients with glaucoma associated with myopia].Vestnik oftalmologii
- PMID 205592742010[Perspectives of treatment of patients with ischemic stroke: the place and the role of cytoflavin].Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova
- PMID 196722392009[Use of cortexin in the early rehabilitation period of ischemic stroke of moderate severity].Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova
- PMID 194312442008[New possibilities of neuroprotection in the treatment of ischemic stroke].Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova
94 total in corpus · top 10 shown
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.