Cartalax: what it is, what the studies show and where it stands
Cartalax is the name used for the synthetic tripeptide Ala-Glu-Asp (AED), a Khavinson short peptide bioregulator that the research papers also code as T-31. It is studied in cartilage, skin and kidney cells.
At a glance
US Not approved
Canada Not authorized
Group Healing and recovery
Sources 15
Checked 10 Oct 2026What is Cartalax?
Cartalax is the name used for the synthetic tripeptide Ala-Glu-Asp (AED), a Khavinson short peptide bioregulator that the research papers also code as T-31. It is studied in cartilage, skin and kidney cells. [2]
Other names: AED, AED peptide, Ala-Glu-Asp, T-31.
How it has been given to people: no human use on record.
Looking for doses? Cartalax dosage chart and vial math
Is Cartalax approved in the US and Canada?
United States: Not FDA approved. No Cartalax product or label was found in Drugs@FDA. [11]
Canada: No Cartalax product, current or cancelled, is in Health Canada's Drug Product Database. Injectable peptides are regulated as prescription drugs in Canada. [12]
Both were checked on 10 Oct 2026 against the regulators' own product databases.
Which approved products contain Cartalax?
No approved medicine containing Cartalax was found in the US or Canada. Anything sold under this name is not a regulated product, so there is no label to check a dose against.
What human studies of Cartalax exist?
The 10 findings listed here: 10 from animal or lab work.
In rats with kidney failure caused by cisplatin, AED lowered protein loss in the urine. Two other peptides in the same study did more. [5]
In old rats, AED reduced protein in the urine. [8]
In rats with bone loss after removal of the ovaries, T-31 protected bone density, but a cartilage extract tested beside it worked significantly better. [9]
In aging cultures of human skin fibroblasts, the AED peptide raised production of sirtuin-1, sirtuin-6 and collagen I. [1]
In aging cultures of human stem cells, AED and two related peptides raised IGF1 gene expression several fold. [2]
The cartilage claim rests on cell culture: in aging human stem cells, AED switched on genes and proteins of cartilage formation. [3]
In aging cartilage cells in culture, AED brought markers of the senescent secretory state back toward normal. [4]
In aging kidney cell cultures, the peptide (coded T-31) switched on cell renewal markers. [6]
In kidney cell culture, AED raised cell proliferation and lowered markers of cell aging. [7]
In aging skin fibroblast cultures, AED reduced a marker of programmed cell death. [10]
What are the side effects of Cartalax?
No side effect data from human studies was found for Cartalax. That is a gap in the research, not a sign that it is safe.
How does Cartalax compare with others in its group?
These are the peptides filed under healing and recovery. The last column says whether a randomized human trial is on record for each.
| Peptide | US | Canada | Half-life | Randomized human trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BPC-157 | Not approved | Not authorized | Not found | No |
| TB-500 | Not approved | Not authorized | Not found | Yes |
| KPV | Not approved | Not authorized | Not found | No |
| ARA-290 | Not approved | Not authorized | About 20 minutes after injection under the skin and about 2 minutes after intravenous injection, as given in a 2016 review written by the trial group (full text). | Yes |
| MGF | Not approved | Not authorized | Not found | No |
| Cartalax | Not approved | Not authorized | Not found | No |
What could not be found
These were searched for and did not turn up. They are listed so a missing number is not mistaken for a hidden one.
- No published human study of Cartalax or the AED peptide, by any route or at any dose. PubMed searches for cartalax, AED peptide, Ala-Glu-Asp and T-31 returned cell culture and rat papers only.
- No PubMed record uses the name Cartalax. The papers call the peptide AED, Ala-Glu-Asp or T-31, so the link between the trade name and the sequence could not be confirmed from a primary source.
- No study in an animal model of osteoarthritis or joint injury. The 2023 cartilage papers are cell culture work and say such studies are still to come [3].
- No human half-life or other pharmacokinetic figure.
- No human safety data.
- No trial registered on ClinicalTrials.gov: a search for cartalax as the intervention returned no studies.
- No approved label in the US or Canadian sources searched, so no official dose, contraindications or storage instructions.
- Not named on the WADA Prohibited List (page checked 2026-10-11, [15]). The list has an open class, S0, for substances with no current approval by any governmental health authority; whether it applies to this compound was not determined here.
Cartalax questions
Is Cartalax approved in the US?
Not FDA approved. No Cartalax product or label was found in Drugs@FDA.
Is Cartalax authorized in Canada?
No Cartalax product, current or cancelled, is in Health Canada's Drug Product Database. Injectable peptides are regulated as prescription drugs in Canada.
Has Cartalax been tested in a randomized human trial?
No randomized human trial was found. What exists is listed under the studies heading on this page.
Sources
Each one was opened on 10 Oct 2026 and matched to the line it supports.
- Fridman NV et al. Comparison of the Effects of KE and AED Peptides on Functional Activity of Human Skin Fibroblasts during Their Replicative Aging. Bull Exp Biol Med 2020. PubMed 33231794.
- Ashapkin V et al. Gene expression in human mesenchymal stem cell aging cultures: modulation by short peptides. Mol Biol Rep 2020. PubMed 32399807.
- Myakisheva SN et al. [The influence of peptides on the chondrogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells during replicative aging.]. Adv Gerontol 2023. PubMed 37782646.
- Myakisheva SN et al. [Peptides prevent the forming of secretory phenotype of chondrocytes associated with the aging.]. Adv Gerontol 2023. PubMed 37356100.
- Zamorskii II et al. Peptides Restore Functional State of the Kidneys During Cisplatin-Induced Acute Renal Failure. Bull Exp Biol Med 2015. PubMed 26515176.
- Khavinson VKh et al. Peptides regulate expression of signaling molecules in kidney cell cultures during in vitro aging. Bull Exp Biol Med 2014. PubMed 24958378.
- Khavinson VKh et al. [Tripeptides slow down aging process in renal cell culture]. Adv Gerontol 2014. PubMed 25946838.
- Zamorskii II et al. [The influence of peptides on the morphofunctional state of old rats kidneys.]. Adv Gerontol 2018. PubMed 30607912.
- Povorozniuk VV et al. [Effect of peptide regulators on the structural and functional status of bone tissue in ageing rats]. Adv Gerontol 2007. PubMed 18306703.
- Lin'kova NS et al. Peptide Regulation of Skin Fibroblast Functions during Their Aging In Vitro. Bull Exp Biol Med 2016. PubMed 27259496.
- US Food and Drug Administration Drugs@FDA and drug label searches via openFDA for cartalax (no match) 2026. api.fda.gov.
- Health Canada Health Canada Drug Product Database, active ingredient searches: cartalax and ala-glu-asp (0 records) 2026. health-products.canada.ca.
- US Food and Drug Administration Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety Risks 2026. fda.gov.
- Health Canada Think twice before injecting peptides bought online: unauthorized products can seriously harm you 2026. recalls-rappels.canada.ca.
- World Anti-Doping Agency The Prohibited List 2026. wada-ama.org.
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Cartalax dosage20 mg vialHealing and recoveryStatus in Canada
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