Scientific Reference
Cartilax
Evidence profile: Predominantly preclinical
Cartilax corresponds to the tripeptide Ala-Glu-Asp, one of the short peptide bioregulators studied in Russian gerontology research. The published literature names it AED or Kartalax, and PubChem lists Cartalax among the synonyms of Ala-Glu-Asp; the spelling Cartilax appears in no study located. Most of the work is cell culture from one St Petersburg group, covering skin fibroblasts, kidney explants, thymocytes and mesenchymal stem cells. The cartilage reports are three papers from that same group, published in Russian with English abstracts.
Mechanism of Action
Short peptides of this class are proposed by their authors to enter the cell and act on gene expression rather than on a receptor. For AED, cell-culture reports describe changes in transcripts and proteins tied to proliferation, apoptosis and matrix turnover, including SOX9, aggrecan, type II collagen and COMP in human mesenchymal stem cells during chondrogenic differentiation. No binding partner or receptor is identified in the papers located, and the epigenetic route remains a proposal of the originating group rather than a demonstrated pathway.
Molecular Information
- Type: Synthetic tripeptide
- Length: 3 amino acids
- Molecular weight: 333.29 g/mol
- Molecular formula: C12H19N3O8
- CAS: 85806-95-7