HPLC · CoA
What Is Cartalax?
Explainer · 7 min read · Updated 30 September 2026
Cartalax is a synthetic tripeptide, Ala-Glu-Asp (AED in single-letter code), with a molecular weight of about 333 g/mol, belonging to the peptide bioregulator family and associated in the literature with cartilage. Bioregulators are very short peptides first identified in extracts of single animal organs. Laboratories use Cartalax in chondrocyte and fibroblast cultures to study whether a peptide of only three residues can shift gene activity and markers of cellular ageing.
What Is Cartalax Made Of?
Cartalax is made of three residues: alanine at the amino end, glutamic acid in the middle and aspartic acid at the carboxyl end. Two of the three side chains carry carboxylic acid groups, so the peptide is strongly acidic, with a net charge of about minus two at neutral pH, and highly water-soluble. There is no cysteine, no aromatic ring and no secondary structure to preserve, so few peptides are easier to handle in solution.
The molecular weight follows directly from the residues: alanine (89.1), glutamic acid (147.1) and aspartic acid (133.1) sum to 369.3, minus two water molecules released in forming the two peptide bonds, giving roughly 333.3 g/mol. At that size, 20 mg holds about 60 micromoles of peptide, a large molar quantity compared with larger research peptides.
What Are Bioregulator Peptides?
Bioregulator peptides are di-, tri- and tetrapeptides identified in, or modelled on, extracts from single animal organs, each linked in the literature to the tissue its parent extract came from. The field grew out of 1970s and 1980s work on extracts of the thymus, pineal gland, cartilage and other organs. Those extracts turned out to contain very short peptides, and the sequences believed to carry the activity were later identified and synthesised.
| Bioregulator | Sequence | Length | Tissue association |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cartalax | Ala-Glu-Asp | 3 | Cartilage and connective tissue |
| Epitalon | Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly | 4 | Pineal gland |
| Vilon | Lys-Glu | 2 | Thymus |
| Thymogen | Glu-Trp | 2 | Thymus |
| Pinealon | Glu-Asp-Arg | 3 | Brain tissue |
| Vesugen | Lys-Glu-Asp | 3 | Blood vessel walls |
| Cardiogen | Ala-Glu-Asp-Arg | 4 | Heart muscle |
The shared hypothesis is that peptides this small can enter cells and reach the nucleus instead of binding a surface receptor. Molecular modelling and cell studies have proposed that they interact with DNA and with histone proteins, changing how accessible certain genes are. A 2021 systematic review in Molecules weighed the evidence for that model of gene regulation.
What Does Cartalax Do in Research?
In research, Cartalax is used to examine whether the AED sequence changes markers of cellular ageing and differentiation in cartilage and connective tissue cells. A 2023 paper in Advances in Gerontology compared the AED sequence with a polypeptide complex extracted from cartilage in ageing chondrocyte cultures, measuring the senescence markers p16, p21, p53 and Sirt1. Other work from the same field examined expression of collagen and matrix-related genes in fibroblasts. The published record is narrow and comes largely from one research school, so independent replication is limited. Cartalax is therefore an exploratory tool: suited to asking whether a tripeptide alters gene activity in a tissue model, not a compound with an established mechanism.
How Does Cartalax Compare With BPC-157?
Cartalax and BPC-157 are both linked to connective tissue research, but they differ in length, origin, proposed mechanism and the size of their literature.
| Feature | Cartalax | BPC-157 |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 3 amino acids | 15 amino acids |
| Sequence | Ala-Glu-Asp | Gly-Glu-Pro-Pro-Pro-Gly-Lys-Pro-Ala-Asp-Asp-Ala-Gly-Leu-Val |
| Molecular weight | About 333 g/mol | About 1419 g/mol |
| Origin | Synthetic copy of a sequence found in cartilage extracts | Partial sequence of a protein isolated from gastric juice |
| Proposed action | Enters the nucleus and influences gene accessibility | Surface and intracellular signalling: VEGFR2, nitric oxide, FAK and paxillin |
| Main models | Chondrocyte and fibroblast cultures, ageing markers | Tendon, ligament, gut and vascular injury in rodents |
| Size of literature | Small, mostly one research school | Large, many independent rodent studies |
In practical terms, BPC-157 research peptide vials suit tissue injury models with a broad literature for comparison, while Cartalax tripeptide in a 20mg vial suits gene activity and ageing marker work in cartilage cells. A study asking whether the two act through overlapping pathways would run them as separate arms.
What Is the Difference Between Sigumir and Cartalax?
Sigumir is a polypeptide complex extracted from animal cartilage, whereas Cartalax is the single defined tripeptide later singled out from that type of source. An extract is a mixture of many peptides whose exact composition varies between batches. Cartalax is one molecule made by chemical synthesis, so its identity and purity can be verified by HPLC and mass spectrometry. The 2023 Advances in Gerontology study compared exactly these two kinds of material in chondrocyte cultures. We supply only the synthetic tripeptide.
How Is Cartalax Related to Epitalon?
Cartalax and Epitalon share the same Ala-Glu-Asp core, and Epitalon simply adds a glycine at the carboxyl end. Epitalon, the four residue pineal bioregulator, is associated with the pineal gland rather than cartilage in the bioregulator literature, and it has a larger body of work on telomerase and cellular ageing. Pairing the two in one study offers a clean structural control: the same core sequence with and without the terminal glycine.
What Is the Half-Life of Cartalax?
No plasma half-life has been published for Cartalax, and very short peptides of this kind are generally cleaved quickly in blood by peptidases. That rapid breakdown is one reason the nuclear-entry model remains debated. In the laboratory, the more useful figure is stability in the vial. Stored dry at -20 °C and shielded from light, the powder keeps well. Once dissolved in bacteriostatic water, the solution needs fridge storage (2 to 8 °C) and is finished within the 28-day in-use convention for preserved multi-draw vials.
How Is Cartalax Reconstituted?
Bacteriostatic water is the diluent for Cartalax, and the acidic tripeptide goes into solution within seconds. With 20 mg in the vial, 2 mL of bacteriostatic water for peptide vials gives 10 mg per mL, and 4 mL gives 5 mg per mL, where a 10-unit draw on a U-100 syringe contains 500 micrograms. Swirl rather than shake, then mark the diluent volume and mixing date on the vial label.
When Is Cartalax the Right Choice for a Study?
We recommend Cartalax for cell culture work on gene activity and ageing markers in cartilage or fibroblast models, with Epitalon alongside as a structural control. BPC-157 is the better choice when the question is tissue injury and a larger literature is needed for comparison. Cartalax lots are released only once HPLC shows 98% or higher purity and mass spectrometry confirms identity, and each batch certificate matches the lot number on its label. The bioregulators we stock sit together in our longevity and cognitive peptide range, with published studies listed in the Cartalax research library. For another short neuropeptide with an unusual history, read what DSIP is.
Questions about what is Cartalax
Sources
- Peptide regulation of gene expression: a systematic review. Molecules. 2021.
Written by the Macropus Peptides technical team for in-vitro laboratory research reference. Not medical advice; products are not for human or veterinary use and are sold to buyers aged 18 and over.