Overview
Crystagen is one of four short peptides compared in a study of immunoprotective activity in ageing spleen tissue, alongside Vilon, Thymogen and a peptide designated R-1.
That study drew a specific distinction that is worth preserving. Vilon and R-1 activated T-helper cells — Vilon by decreasing apoptosis, R-1 by increasing proliferation and differentiation. Thymogen activated B-cells by decreasing apoptosis and increasing spleen cell proliferation. Crystagen also activated B-cells, but, unlike Thymogen, it did
not cause cell renewal in the ageing spleen. The peptides in this family are therefore not interchangeable even within the same tissue: they act on different immune cell populations through different routes.
Sequence caveat: vendor listings variously describe Crystagen as Lys-Glu-Asp (KED) or Glu-Asp-Pro (EDP). Neither is supported by an indexed source located in this research, and KED is separately and firmly established as Vesugen. The sequence is recorded here as unconfirmed.
What the evidence shows
Separated by study type- HumanClinical trials and human studies
- No human studies in the indexed literature.
- AnimalRodent and other animal models
- Reported to activate B-cells in ageing spleen tissue without inducing cell renewal, in a comparison against Vilon, Thymogen and peptide R-1.
- In vitroCell and tissue studies
- No separate in vitro characterisation located beyond the spleen work.
Key studies & findings
1 study- 1
Crystagen activated B-cells of the immune system in ageing spleen, but unlike Thymogen it did not cause cell renewal — a specific functional distinction between two peptides in the same family acting on the same cell type.
Benefits & effects
1 documentedB-cell activation in ageing spleen tissue
Side effects & safety
1 reportedSafety noteResearch compound for laboratory use only. No regulatory safety review, no established human safety database, and no controlled toxicology data in the public literature.
Recorded in the cited literature No controlled human safety data exist for this compound.
Amino acid sequence unconfirmed and vendor listings contradict each other
Limitations & open questions
Nearly all published work on this compound originates from a single research programme (the St Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology, Khavinson group) and its collaborators. Independent replication outside that network is sparse to non-existent, sample sizes are small, and much of the source literature is published in Russian-language journals with limited peer-review transparency. Effects reported in cell culture and in aged-donor lymphocytes have not been shown to produce clinical outcomes in controlled human trials. Specific to Crystagen: its sequence is not confirmed by any indexed source. Vendor listings disagree with each other, offering both Lys-Glu-Asp and Glu-Asp-Pro; Lys-Glu-Asp is separately established as Vesugen. The published evidence consists of a single study.
Pharmacology
No PubChem record could be matched to the name Crystagen in this session, no CAS number was confirmed, and no pharmacokinetic study exists. Molecular formula and weight are therefore not stated here.
Frequently asked questions
What is Crystagen's sequence?
Not confirmed. Vendor listings disagree — some say Lys-Glu-Asp, others Glu-Asp-Pro. Lys-Glu-Asp is firmly established as Vesugen, so that assignment is unlikely to be correct for Crystagen. No indexed source located here states the sequence.
How is Crystagen different from Thymogen?
Both activated B-cells in ageing spleen, but Thymogen did so by decreasing apoptosis and increasing spleen cell proliferation, while Crystagen activated B-cells without producing cell renewal.
How much evidence is there for Crystagen?
Very little — essentially one study of immunoprotective activity in ageing spleen. This is among the thinnest evidence bases of any compound catalogued here.
Citations
2 sources- 1Molecular aspects of immunoprotective activity of peptides in spleen during the ageing process
- 2