Quick answer: Cartalax is a market name for the tripeptide Ala-Glu-Asp (AED, about 333 Da) studied by Khavinson and colleagues. Published work is mostly in kidney, skin fibroblast and stem cell cultures and from one network of laboratories, so it is early evidence. V8 does not sell Cartalax; this page is research background only.
A three-residue peptide with a brand-style name
Cartalax is the name used in the research-peptide market for a tripeptide made of alanine, glutamate and aspartate, written Ala-Glu-Asp or AED. It comes from a line of work by Vladimir Khavinson and colleagues at the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology, who studied short peptides that they call peptide bioregulators. The name hints at cartilage, but the research papers on the synthetic tripeptide mostly refer to it as AED, and in some Russian-language papers as T-31.
This guide explains what the published work reports, where the evidence is limited, and what to verify on a certificate. It is background for laboratory research use only. V8 Peptides does not sell Cartalax, and nothing here describes an effect or use in people or animals. If you are reading on a related theme, the GHK-Cu explainer covers another short peptide with a literature of its own.
What the molecule is
AED has three amino acids, two of which (glutamate and aspartate) carry acidic side chains. Its formula is C12H19N3O8 and its mass is about 333 daltons, which is tiny next to the 1,000 to 4,000 dalton peptides most buyers see. A molecule this small has few features that distinguish it analytically: there is no long chain to give a rich fragmentation pattern, and the two acidic residues make it very polar. That affects how it behaves on a standard reversed-phase HPLC column, where very polar compounds elute early and can sit close to the solvent front.
Naming also needs care. A certificate that only says "Cartalax" does not say what is in the vial. The sequence, Ala-Glu-Asp, and a measured mass near 333 are what identify it. The related four-residue peptide Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly (AEDG, studied under the name epitalon) is a different compound with a different mass.
Side-by-side comparison
| Item | What is reported | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sequence | Ala-Glu-Asp (AED), about 333 Da | Compound definition |
| Also called | Cartalax (market name), T-31 (some papers) | Chalisova 2015 |
| Kidney cell culture | Aging markers p16, p21, p53 lower; SIRT6 higher | Khavinson 2014 |
| Skin fibroblasts | MMP-9 lower; Ki-67 and CD98hc higher | Lin'kova 2016 |
| Mesenchymal stem cells | Changes in IGF1, FOXO1, TERT, TNKS2, NF-kB expression | Ashapkin 2020 |
| Proposed mechanism | Interaction with DNA promoter sites, shown by modeling | Khavinson 2013, 2014 |
| Independent replication | Limited; mostly one network of laboratories | See text |
What the cell-culture papers report
The published work on AED is mainly in cultured cells and tissue explants. In 2014, Khavinson and colleagues reported that AED and a second tripeptide, Glu-Asp-Leu, raised proliferation in young and aged kidney cell cultures, lowered expression of the aging markers p16, p21 and p53, and raised expression of the sirtuin SIRT6. In 2015, Chalisova and colleagues reported that AED also supported cell renewal markers in rat kidney tissue explants, though less strongly than a polypeptide complex used in the same study.
In 2016, Lin'kova and colleagues studied skin fibroblasts that were aged in culture. They reported that AED, along with related peptides, lowered the matrix-remodeling enzyme MMP-9 and raised the proliferation marker Ki-67 and the amino acid transporter subunit CD98hc, as judged by immunofluorescence. In 2020, Ashapkin and colleagues examined human mesenchymal stem cell cultures and reported that AED and two other short peptides changed expression of genes including IGF1, FOXO1, TERT, TNKS2 and NF-kB, with IGF1 expression rising several-fold in their culture model.
These are all in vitro results. They describe changes in marker expression under specific conditions and cannot be read as effects in a whole organism.
The proposed mechanism
The group behind most of these papers proposes that short peptides can enter cells and nuclei and interact with DNA. A 2013 molecular-modeling paper built three-dimensional models of how short peptides could fit into promoter regions, and the 2014 kidney paper reported that AED forms energetically favorable complexes with DNA sequences rich in alternating A and T bases in the minor groove. A later review by Khavinson and colleagues in 2020 frames this as peptide regulation of gene expression and cell differentiation.
A careful reader will separate the layers here. Modeling shows a possible interaction on a computer. Gene-expression assays show that expression changed. Neither is direct proof of binding at a specific promoter in living cells, and a mechanism that depends on a three-residue peptide crossing membranes and reaching DNA is an unusual claim that independent laboratories would need to test.
How strong is the evidence?
Honestly, it is early and narrow. Most of the papers come from one network of laboratories, in cell types such as kidney, skin fibroblast and mesenchymal stem cells, and several are published in regional journals or in Russian. The 2020 stem cell paper adds co-authors from another institution, which is a point in its favor, but the wider field has not produced the large set of independent replications that would settle the questions.
None of that makes the work uninteresting. It means a study design should regard the reports as hypotheses to test, use proper controls, and state which model and which readout is being used.
What a certificate should show
For a tripeptide the identity check matters most. Look for the sequence Ala-Glu-Asp, a measured mass close to 333.3 and the lot and date. For background on reading these documents, see understanding HPLC purity, HPLC vs. mass spectrometry and how to read a COA.
Because the molecule is so polar and so small, ask how HPLC purity was measured. The method should be described, and a purity number from a gradient where the peak elutes at the solvent front is less informative than one from a method tuned for polar peptides. Counter-ion and water content also make up a larger share of a small peptide's net weight than of a large one, which can matter when a lab weighs material for an experiment.
For cell work, an endotoxin result and sterility statement matter as much as purity. More buyer-side guidance is in choosing a peptide supplier and red flags when buying research peptides.
Handling and record keeping
Keep lyophilized peptide cold, dry and protected from light, and write the opening date on the vial. Short, hydrophilic peptides can absorb water from the air quickly once the vial is open, so plan aliquots in advance. See how long reconstituted peptides last for general handling and vial appearance: what is normal for what to check by eye.
In the notebook, record the compound name, sequence, lot, supplier, certificate date and storage conditions, so a later reader can tie any result to a defined reagent.
Frequently asked questions
What is Cartalax?
A market name for the tripeptide Ala-Glu-Asp (AED), studied by Khavinson and colleagues as one of their short peptide bioregulators.
Is Cartalax the same as epitalon?
No. Epitalon is the four-residue peptide Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly (AEDG). Cartalax is the three-residue AED, and the two have different masses.
How big is the molecule?
About 333 daltons, which is very small. That limits how much an analytical method can show about it.
What kind of studies exist?
Mostly cell cultures and tissue explants, such as kidney cells, skin fibroblasts and mesenchymal stem cells, plus molecular modeling.
Does the research show effects in people?
This guide does not make that claim. The work it covers is laboratory research, and it is not evidence of any effect in people or animals.
Why does HPLC need special care for a tripeptide?
Short acidic peptides are very polar and can elute near the solvent front, so the method used matters when reading a purity figure.
How can I check I have AED and not another peptide?
Read the sequence and the measured mass on the certificate. A mass near 333 matches AED, while AEDG is larger.
Does V8 sell Cartalax?
No. This page is research background and is not a product listing.
Does this article describe a use in people?
No. It summarizes published laboratory, genetic and cell-culture research and analytical practice. Nothing here is a recommendation for use in people or animals.
What should I record for each vial of any research peptide?
The exact compound name, sequence, lot identifier, certificate date, supplier, storage conditions and the date the vial was opened.
References
- Khavinson VKh, Tarnovskaia SI, Lin'kova NS, et al. [Tripeptides slow down aging process in renal cell culture]. Adv Gerontol. 2014;27(4):651-656.
- Chalisova NI, Lin'kova NS, Nichik TE, Ryzhak AP, Dudkov AV, Ryzhak GA. Peptide regulation of cells renewal processes in kidney tissue cultures from young and old animals. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2015;159(1):124-127.
- Lin'kova NS, Drobintseva AO, Orlova OA, et al. Peptide regulation of skin fibroblast functions during their aging in vitro. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2016;161(1):175-178.
- Khavinson VKh, Tarnovskaya SI, Linkova NS, Pronyaeva VE, Shataeva LK, Yakutseni PP. Short cell-penetrating peptides: a model of interactions with gene promoter sites. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2013;154(3):403-410.
- Ashapkin V, Khavinson V, Shilovsky G, Linkova N, Vanuyshin B. Gene expression in human mesenchymal stem cell aging cultures: modulation by short peptides. Mol Biol Rep. 2020;47(6):4323-4329.
- Khavinson V, Linkova N, Diatlova A, Trofimova S. Peptide regulation of cell differentiation. Stem Cell Rev Rep. 2020;16(1):118-125.