A four-amino-acid peptide (Lys-Glu-Asp-Trp, in the KEDW form characterized by Tarnovskaya 2013) developed for pancreatic indications. The one Khavinson synthetic peptide with a published mechanistic paper that names specific transcription factors (Pdx1, Ngn3, Pax6, Foxa2) it appears to upregulate.
mechanism confidence: medium
Synthetic tetrapeptide H-Lys-Glu-Asp-Trp-NH₂ (KEDW). The most striking direct finding: Tarnovskaya-Benberin 2013 showed that in ageing pancreatic cell cultures, KEDW INCREASES expression of pancreatic differentiation factors Ptf1a, Ngn3, Pdx1, Pax6, Foxa2, Nkx2.2, Pax4. which normally decrease with age. This is the cleanest molecular mechanism of any Khavinson peptide. direct gene-expression regulation in a specific tissue. The compound is named for pancreas regeneration. Multipolar development: Tarnovskaya SI and Benberin VV at the Institute of Gerontology, Almaty, KAZAKHSTAN. not Russia. Note: search audit returns mostly PANCREATIN ENZYME papers (Gegechkori 2023. proteolytic activity determination; Sviridenko 2020. whey protein hydrolysates using pancreatin). These are NOT about pancragen the peptide. Relevance filter correctly demoted these to tangential.
- Ageing pancreatic cell cultures: KEDW (H-Lys-Glu-Asp-Trp-NH₂) INCREASES expression of differentiation factors Ptf1a, Ngn3, Pdx1, Pax6, Foxa2, Nkx2.2, Pax4. normally decrease with age (Tarnovskaya-Benberin 2013, Institute of Gerontology, Almaty, Kazakhstan)
- Most "pancragen" search hits are PANCREATIN ENZYME papers. NOT the tetrapeptide. Filtered out as tangential.
- Chalikova 2025: proliferotropic peptide effects on immune organs. KEDW family peptides stimulate spleen + thyroid proliferation
grade: Moderate. single direct mechanistic paper (Tarnovskaya 2013) but it is exceptionally clean: gene-specific upregulation of pancreatic differentiation factors. The multipolar Kazakhstan collaboration (Institute of Gerontology, Almaty) is structurally important.
- Is the KEDW sequence present in the natural pancreas extract? (Or was KEDW derived from the chromatographic profile?)
- Clinical translation in diabetes mellitus. any?
- Why is the differentiation factor effect specific to pancreatic cells?
- Has this been independently replicated outside the Tarnovskaya lab?
- Most pancragen search results are PANCREATIN ENZYME. the peptide has minimal dedicated literature
- PMID 285095002015[Correction of impaired glucose tolerance using tetrapeptide (Pancragen) in old female rhesus monkeys].Advances in gerontology = Uspekhi gerontologii
- PMID 224483642011Prospects of using pancragen for correction of metabolic disorders in elderly people. doi:10.1007/s10517-011-1354-4Bulletin of experimental biology and medicine
- PMID 186427132007Effect of pancragen on blood glucose level, capillary permeability and adhesion in rats with experimental diabetes mellitus. doi:10.1007/s10517-007-0377-3Bulletin of experimental biology and medicine
- PMID 171527282006[The tissue-specific effect of synthetic peptides-biologic regulators in organotypic tissues culture in young and old rats].Advances in gerontology = Uspekhi gerontologii
- PMID 234865912013Effects of pancragen on the differentiation of pancreatic cells during their ageing. doi:10.1007/s10517-013-1987-6Bulletin of experimental biology and medicine
- PMID 228085152012Peptides tissue-specifically stimulate cell differentiation during their aging. doi:10.1007/s10517-012-1664-1Bulletin of experimental biology and medicine
6 total in corpus
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.