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Lexicon
Bioregulators

Crystagen

A Khavinson cytogen peptide aimed at the immune system.

3 min read 7 sources

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Vial with white powder, a blue cap and a black TPD label for Crystagen on a white podium, next to it a short chain of blue and white glass spheres as a molecule model in a bright lab
No registered trial · not approved

Summary

At a glance

Sources checked on 26 Oct 2026

Length
3 amino acids

Glu-Asp-Pro (EDP), also detected in the thymus extract Thymalin2

Immunogram normalised
82 %

older people with weakened immunity, on top of standard care, taken by mouth (control 56%)2

Human trials in the registry
0 trials

no trial with Crystagen on ClinicalTrials.gov, as of 26 Oct 20266

  • Crystagen is the tripeptide Glu-Asp-Pro (EDP) from the Khavinson programme. It is regarded there as a bioregulator for the immune system and was also detected in the thymus extract Thymalin.27
  • According to a review by the same research group the immunogram of older people with weakened immunity normalised in 82 percent under Crystagen plus standard care, in 56 percent with standard care alone. Crystagen was taken by mouth.2
  • Mainly T cells responded: more CD3 and CD4 cells, a more normal ratio of CD4 to CD8. The effect on B cells was weaker.2
  • In cell and animal experiments EDP prompted scavenger cells to produce messengers, promoted the division of thymus cells and activated B cells in the ageing spleen.23
  • Not approved and no registered trial, the data come almost entirely from one research line. Everything here is the state of research, not a recommendation.61
Profile

Updated May 2026

Class
Short bioregulator peptide

Khavinson cytogen

Use
Subcutaneous

in mg

Target tissue
the immune system
Status
Data mostly from the Khavinson program
Sizes
20 mg

1 size in the shop

Contents 15 sections
  1. At a glance
  2. What is Crystagen?
  3. How it works
  4. What you need
  5. Reconstitution
  6. Dosing
  7. Injection
  8. What the research shows
  9. Research status
  10. Side effects
  11. Storage
  12. Related compounds
  13. FAQ
  14. Glossary
  15. Sources

What is Crystagen?

Crystagen is a short peptide from the Russian Khavinson program, which deals with tissue-specific bioregulators. These very short peptides (usually 2 to 4 amino acids) are meant to act specifically on a particular tissue, Crystagen is aimed at the immune system.

Up front: most research comes from a single research line and mostly from Russia, large independent studies are missing.

Comparison

Peptides for the immune system

Crystagen next to other peptides related to immunity, as described in the TPD lexicon. Tap a card to open its entry.

Tripeptide, immune system Crystagen Bioregulator
Dipeptide, immune system Vilon Bioregulator Thymus dipeptide Thymogen Bioregulator Thymus extract Thymalin Bioregulator Thymus peptide, different approach Thymosin Alpha-1

How it works

The theory behind the Khavinson peptides: they are meant to act at the level of gene regulation and restart age-related declining functions of a tissue. For Crystagen a supportive effect on the immune system is described.

How well this concept transfers to humans is little established outside the originating research.

Where it acts

Where Crystagen acted in experiments

Tap a point or a card. Grey = observed, no receptor is known.

  1. Immune cells

    More CD3 and CD4 cells in older people with weakened immunity, according to a review2

    Observed in trials
  2. Skin

    Cell division stimulated in skin cultures of young rats, not of old ones4

    Observed in trials
Translucent cells with glowing DNA inside, two small blue molecule chains releasing points of light towards the central cell
Theory: action at the level of gene regulation in immune cells. Symbolic image.

What you need

Supplies

2 things, numbered as in the picture

Tick off what you already have. Vial and BAC water are our real shop photos at the same size.

Crystagen vial and bacteriostatic water at the same size with the black TPD label, next to two U-100 insulin syringes, two alcohol swabs and a sharps container with a blue lid

  1. Crystagen vial

    The vial (lyophilized powder, usually 20mg).

    In the shop

  2. Water and supplies

    Bacteriostatic water, U-100 insulin syringes, alcohol swabs.

    In the shop

Reconstitution

Use the peptide calculator. A 20mg vial with 2ml water gives 10mg per ml. Just add the water to the vial and let it dissolve.

Step by step

Dissolving the powder

Four steps, the same for every vial size.

  1. 1Wipe the cap

    Clean the rubber stopper with an alcohol swab.

  2. 2Add BAC water

    Just add it, it does not matter if it hits the powder directly.

  3. 3Swirl or shake

    Until everything has dissolved, both are fine.

  4. 4Draw up

    With the U-100 insulin syringe.

Less water higher concentration fewer units on the syringe Example: 20 mg + 2 ml = 10 mg/ml

Dosing

Dosing

Dosing, titration and syringe

Loading the dosing information …

  • Getting started and stepping up, drawn as a staircase
  • Units on the U-100 syringe for every step
  • How long one vial lasts

Injection

The injection is subcutaneous, into the fat layer under the skin. Common spots are the abdomen (keep about two finger-widths clear of the navel), the front and the inner side of the thigh, or the back of the upper arm.

The short version:

Injection

Where and at what angle

Pick a spot or switch the angle. Subcutaneous means: into the fat layer, not the muscle.

Rotate the spot each time, never the same one twice in a row.

90°More fat under the skin

Rule of thumb: where there is more fat under the skin, insert straight at 90 degrees. In lean people with little fat, 45 degrees, so the needle stays in the fat layer. Simplified diagram.

  1. Clean the spot with an alcohol swab and let it dry

  2. Pinch up a small fold of skin

  3. Insert the needle: at 90 degrees where there is more fat under the skin, at 45 degrees in lean people with little fat

  4. Inject slowly, wait a moment, then withdraw

  5. Put the needle straight into the sharps container

Rotate the site each time so the tissue does not get irritated. Never the same spot twice in a row.

What the research shows

The Khavinson program has published numerous works on tissue-specific bioregulators over decades (overview: Khavinson, 2002), including effects on organ function and, in animal models, on lifespan. But the read must stay honest: the data come mostly from one research line, large independent studies are missing.

Study results

What the trials measured

Interactive: switch tabs, tap points, show or hide arms. Arms are named relative to each other, no dosing advice.

Immunogram back in the normal range2

Share of patients, older people with weakened immunity, Crystagen taken by mouth

Normalised immunogram2 according to a review by the same research group
Standard care only 56%
Standard plus Crystagen 82%

Values from a review by the group that developed Crystagen. The original paper (2006) is not in PubMed and the review does not give the number of participants. What was tested was taking it by mouth, not injection under the skin.

Thymus gland of frosted glass on a white base, two stacked petri dishes beside it on a bright lab bench
The data mostly come from one research group, large independent studies are missing. Symbolic image.

Research status

Where the research stands

From cell cultures and animal experiments to reports on older people: what has been published on Crystagen. There is no registered trial. As of 26 Oct 2026. 6

  1. Preclinical Cell cultures, rats and mice
  2. Phase 1 no registered trial
  3. Phase 2 no registered trial
  4. Phase 3 no registered trial
  5. Approval not yet
Not approved and no registered human trial. The reports come almost entirely from the circle of the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology.6

So far there is no registered trial in humans. 6

Side effects

  • Well tolerated in the available reports, mainly local reactions.
  • Solid, independent human safety data are limited.

Storage

Before mixing the powder is robust, normal room temperature (around 20 to 25 degrees) is fine, ideally kept in the dark. After mixing, keep in the fridge (2 to 8 degrees), do not freeze. It stays good there for at least 4 to 6 months with barely any loss of potency, in practice considerably longer. Swirl or shake to mix, both are fine.

Shelf life

How long it keeps

Undissolved (powder) Room temperature, around 20 to 25 degrees, dark

Robust, no fridge needed. Keeps for several months without trouble.

Dissolved (mixed) Fridge, 2 to 8 degrees, do not freeze

At least 4 to 6 months with barely any loss of potency. The bacteriostatic water brings a preservative.

  • Keep it dark
  • Dissolved: 2 to 8 degrees
  • Note the mixing date on the vial
Nine vials with white powder and blue caps in the door shelf of a bright fridge
Powder dark at room temperature, once dissolved into the fridge (2 to 8 degrees), stable there for at least 4 to 6 months. Symbolic image.

Related

Related compounds

Same groups or a different path: all in the TPD lexicon.

Crystagen
Thymalin Thymus extract in which EDP was detected Vilon Dipeptide Lys-Glu, also in Thymalin Thymogen Dipeptide Glu-Trp from the thymus Cortagen Khavinson cytogen for the brain cortex Epitalon Tetrapeptide of the pineal gland Vesugen Cytogen for the vessels Livagen Cytogen for the liver Thymosin Alpha-1 Different thymus peptide, studied as a medicine Thymulin Thymus hormone with zinc

FAQ

Common questions about Crystagen

Short answers, each backed by the sources below.

Is Crystagen approved or studied in humans?

It is not approved and as of 26 October 2026 the registry ClinicalTrials.gov lists no trial with Crystagen. A review by the developing research group reports on use in older people, but the original paper cannot be found in PubMed.62

What is Crystagen?

The tripeptide Glu-Asp-Pro, EDP for short, from the Khavinson programme of tissue-specific bioregulators. An analysis of the thymus extract Thymalin found it, along with the dipeptide Lys-Glu (Vilon), as one of the active components.21

What is known about effects in humans?

Only what the group's review reports: older people with weakened immunity received Crystagen by mouth on top of standard care. The immunogram normalised in 82 percent, in 56 percent without Crystagen. Mainly T cells rose and the effect on B cells was weaker. Fatigue eased in all. The number of participants is not given there.2

What do cell and animal experiments show?

In irradiated rats the division of the thymus into cortex and medulla was preserved under Crystagen. EDP prompted mouse scavenger cells to produce the messengers IL-1, IL-6 and TNF-alpha and promoted the division of human thymic epithelial cells. In the ageing spleen Crystagen activated B cells without stimulating cell renewal.23

Does Crystagen have anything to do with the skin?

In one paper the tripeptide Glu-Asp-Pro promoted cell division in skin cultures from young rats but not from old rats. Otherwise Crystagen is not classed for the skin, the programme lists it as a peptide for the immune system.4

How is such a short peptide supposed to enter the cell?

That is unresolved. A computer analysis by the same group suggests transporters such as LAT1 and the peptide transporters of the POT family. For Crystagen it calculated a binding to LAT1 slightly stronger than that of the transporter's natural partners. This has not been measured.5

Which side effects are known?

There are no solid data because Crystagen has never been tested in a registered human trial. The entry mainly lists local reactions at the injection site, independent safety data are missing.6

Glossary

Terms explained briefly

Dotted words in the text open these explanations directly.

B cells
White blood cells that make antibodies.
Bioregulator
Term from the Khavinson programme for peptides meant to act specifically on one tissue. The evidence comes mainly from tissue cultures and animal experiments.
Cytogen
Synthetic short peptide of two to four amino acids, designed from the composition of a tissue extract.
Immunogram
Blood test that counts how many immune cells of which type are present.
Khavinson programme
Decades of research by Vladimir Khavinson's group in St. Petersburg on peptide extracts and short peptides for single tissues.
Lyophilisate
Freeze-dried powder. Without water a peptide keeps much longer.
Subcutaneous
Into the fat layer just under the skin.
T cells
White blood cells that mature in the thymus and recognise pathogens specifically. CD4 cells steer the immune response, CD8 cells kill infected cells.
Thymalin
Peptide extract from calf thymus, the first peptide drug of the Khavinson programme. It contains the short peptides Lys-Glu and Glu-Asp-Pro among others.
Thymus
Gland behind the breastbone where T cells mature. It shrinks with age.
Tripeptide
A chain of exactly three amino acids. For Crystagen glutamic acid, aspartic acid and proline.

Evidence

Sources

Show all 7 sourcesHide sources 2 Studies1 Trial registry4 Database checked 26 Oct 2026

Studies

  1. Tripeptides including Glu-Asp-Pro in rat skin cultures

    Voicekhovskaya et al., Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, 2012

    DOI 10.1007/s10517-012-1527-9 PMID 22803085
    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via doi.org, Crossref, PubMed
  2. Transport of short peptides into the cell, computer analysis

    Khavinson et al., International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2022

    DOI 10.3390/ijms23147733 PMID 35887081
    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via doi.org, Crossref, PubMed, PMC (Volltext)

Trial registry

  1. Search on ClinicalTrials.gov (no trial with Crystagen)

    ClinicalTrials.gov, U.S. National Library of Medicine

    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via ClinicalTrials.gov API v2

Database

  1. Review: peptides and ageing, the Khavinson programme (PubMed record)

    Khavinson, Neuro Endocrinology Letters, 2002 (ohne DOI)

    PMID 12374906
    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via PubMed
  2. Review of Thymalin and its short peptides, including Crystagen (full text at PubMed Central)

    Khavinson et al., Biology Bulletin Reviews, 2021, DOI 10.1134/S2079086421040046 (nicht in PubMed)

    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via PubMed Central, doi.org, Crossref, PMC ID Converter
  3. Short peptides and the ageing spleen (PubMed record)

    Chervyakova et al., Advances in Gerontology, 2014 (russisch, ohne DOI)

    PMID 28976144
    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via PubMed
  4. Structure of Glu-Asp-Pro (EDP) in PubChem

    PubChem, U.S. National Library of Medicine (CID 145455337)

    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via PubChem

In the shop

Crystagen in the catalog

Sizes, prices and shipping times are on the product page.

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