Cartalax

updated

Cartalax is the synthetic three-amino-acid peptide Ala-Glu-Asp (AED), though products sold under the name may instead be cartilage-derived peptide mixtures. It is sold for cartilage and joint repair. AED changed selected aging-related markers in cultured human skin fibroblasts and embryo-derived bone-marrow cells, and a 29-person patent example by the applicant claimed less knee pain and better movement with no significant X-ray change, but left out the group results and statistics needed to judge it. Graded C for a defined molecule with direct cell research; no independent trial has tested the knee claim.

synthetic Ala-Glu-Asp tripeptide

  • Sequence AED
  • PubChem CID 87815447
  • Published human-cell studies did not use cartilage cells
  • Human knee claim comes from a patent example
  • No independently published controlled clinical trial in the cited records

What is Cartalax?

Cartalax is Ala-Glu-Asp, abbreviated AED. It is different from AEDG Epithalon, EDR Pinealon, KED peptides, and complex cartilage extracts.

source: PubChem · Cartalax identity, NIH PubChem CID 87815447.

source: Cell study · aging-related genes, Ashapkin V et al. Molecular Biology Reports, 2020.

Does Cartalax improve knee osteoarthritis?

A 29-person applicant-written patent example reported pain reduction and improved movement. It omitted clear group results, blinding, attrition, baseline balance and adequate statistics, and no independent controlled trial has confirmed the result.

Why is the patent example weak evidence?

It omits the information needed to judge bias and effect size: clear group allocation, blinding, attrition, baseline balance, group results, and adequate statistics. It also reports no significant radiographic change.

source: WO2007139433 · applicant-written human example, World Intellectual Property Organization, WO2007139433.

source: WO2007139433 · applicant-written human example

source: Cited records · no independent trial, PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Russian-language records.

What do the laboratory studies show?

AED altered selected gene-expression and protein markers in human embryo-derived mesenchymal stem cells and aging human skin fibroblasts. Neither paper studied cartilage cells, drug delivery to a human joint, or cartilage rebuilding after oral or injected AED.

source: Cell study · aging-related genes

source: Human skin cells · not cartilage, Khavinson VK et al. Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, 2016.

What is known about safety?

The patent example and cell studies do not provide an adequate human safety profile. Pharmacokinetics, immune effects, repeated exposure, pregnancy, interactions, and product quality remain unknown.

Short sequence length does not make a product automatically safe. Route, formulation, impurities, sterility, endotoxin, and degradation still matter.

source: WO2007139433 · applicant-written human example

source: Cited records · no independent trial

Is Cartalax approved?

FDA and ClinicalTrials.gov records contain no approved Cartalax drug, prescribing label, or registered human intervention trial. A patent grants intellectual-property rights; it does not approve a medicine.

source: WO2007139433 · applicant-written human example

source: Cited records · no independent trial

Studies and sources

PubChem · Cartalax identity

Government chemical database

NIH PubChem CID 87815447.

The database record defines alanyl-glutamyl-aspartic acid, the tripeptide abbreviated AED. Database identity does not authenticate a retail vial or establish a treatment effect.

Study design
Curated chemical identity record
Read the original source
Cell study · aging-related genes

In-vitro study

Ashapkin V et al. Molecular Biology Reports, 2020.

AED, KED, and KE were applied to cultured human embryo bone-marrow mesenchymal stem cells. The peptides changed expression of selected genes including IGF1 and NF-kappa-B. No participant received a peptide, and the experiment did not isolate AED across every comparison.

Participants / model
Cultured human embryo bone-marrow mesenchymal stem cells
Treatment
Nanomolar AED, KED, or KE
Study design
Cell-culture gene-expression study
Read the original source
Human skin cells · not cartilage

In-vitro study

Khavinson VK et al. Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, 2016.

KE, KED, AED, and AEDG were applied to aging human skin-fibroblast cultures. All four altered selected proliferation, aging, and extracellular-matrix protein markers; AED and AEDG also reduced a caspase-3 apoptosis marker. The experiment did not study cartilage cells, joints, pain, function, imaging, or treated people.

Participants / model
Aging cultured human skin fibroblasts
Treatment
In-vitro KE, KED, AED, or AEDG exposure
Study design
Cell-culture immunofluorescence study
Read the original source
WO2007139433 · applicant-written human example

Patent example

World Intellectual Property Organization, WO2007139433.

Example 5 describes 29 people with knee osteoarthritis and says 12 controls received saline. It reports symptom claims but does not provide adequate allocation, blinding, attrition, baseline, group-level results, statistical analysis, or a significant radiographic change. The patent is applicant-written rather than an independent peer-reviewed trial.

Participants / model
29 people described as having knee osteoarthritis
Treatment
Cartalax or saline according to the patent example
Study design
Poorly reported applicant-written example

The patent supplies no independent peer review or analyzable group-level results.

Read the original source

Why is Cartalax in C tier?

C tier rests on a defined molecule and direct cell research. The only cited human knee claim comes from a poorly reported patent example, with no independent controlled trial to validate osteoarthritis treatment.

how tiers are graded: methodology · every cited source · about reptides.

Research reference, not medical advice. Entries distinguish product labels, study doses and reported protocols. Check the linked source for the product, route and population.