MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: Educational research guidelines only. Lyophilized peptides are investigational chemical compounds and are NOT approved for human consumption, diagnosis, or therapy. Consult a licensed physician before any research application.
Crystagen Dosage Chart, Schedule & Reconstitution Protocol
Quickstart Highlights
Crystagen is a synthetic Khavinson immune peptide bioregulator based on the tripeptide Glu-Asp-Pro (EDP, ~359 Da), conceptually an EDP fragment related to Cortagen and to the thymic complex Thymalin (PMID 12447482, PMID 8654498-class research). Instead of acting on a surface receptor, ultra-short peptides of this class are proposed to enter cells, bind specific DNA sequences, and tune the expression of genes controlling cytokine output and lymphocyte differentiation (PMID 27909961). The reported research protocol is about 100-250 mcg once daily for a 10-day cycle, repeated two to three times per year, given historically as a microgram intramuscular or subcutaneous injection, or as an oral lingual capsule. The subcutaneous reconstitution figures on this page are an educational measurement reference. Crystagen has no clinical trials of its own and is not approved by any major regulator, so it should be regarded as research and educational material only.
Reconstitute: Add 2 mL bacteriostatic water → 10 mg/mL concentration.
Typical dose: 100-250 mcg/day SC, 10-day cycles
Easy measuring: At 10 mg/mL, 1 unit = 0.01 mL = 0.1 mg (100 mcg) on a U-100 insulin syringe.
Storage: Lyophilized powder stored frozen at −20 °C; reconstituted solution refrigerated at 2-8 °C and used within ~3-4 weeks. Oral/lingual capsules stored at room temperature away from light and moisture.
Half-life: Intact tripeptide ~minutes in plasma (rapid peptidase cleavage); gene-expression effects are thought to persist for days, which is why it is dosed in short 10-day pulse cycles.
Route: Historically a microgram-range subcutaneous or intramuscular injection, or an oral 'lingual' (sublingual) capsule; the SC reconstitution figures here are an educational reference, not the only valid route.
Status: Not FDA- or EMA-approved and no registered clinical trials; sold only as a research peptide or, in some regions, an unproven oral bioregulator supplement.
About Crystagen
Crystagen is a synthetic immune peptide bioregulator from the Khavinson family of ultra-short peptides, built on the tripeptide sequence Glu-Asp-Pro (EDP, molecular weight ~359 Da) [1]. It is conceptually an EDP fragment related to the thymic regulator Thymalin and to Cortagen (Ala-Glu-Asp-Pro), and it is studied as a signaling molecule that interacts with DNA to modulate gene expression in immune tissue rather than acting through receptor-and-mass pharmacology [2].\n\nClinically and historically, cytogen-class bioregulators are given either as a small intramuscular or subcutaneous injection in the microgram range or as an oral "lingual" (sublingual) capsule. The subcutaneous reconstitution figures below are an educational measurement reference following this site's convention, not a claim that injection is the only valid route. This guide models the common 20 mg research vial reconstituted with 2.0 mL of bacteriostatic water (10 mg/mL) so that doses map onto a U-100 insulin syringe: 100 mcg ≈ 1 unit, 200 mcg ≈ 2 units, and 250 mcg ≈ 2.5 units. Because EDP is a micro-dosed signal peptide, the per-injection volume is intentionally tiny.\n\nA typical Crystagen dosage in the research literature is roughly 100-250 mcg once daily for a 10-day cycle, repeated two to three times per year. Frequency: Once daily for 10 consecutive days, then off. Crystagen is not approved by the FDA or EMA for any indication and is presented here for educational and research purposes only.
Quick Protocol Navigation
Reconstitution Instruction & Mixing Step-by-Step
Lyophilized powder must be reconstituted carefully. Agitating peptide chains can shear disulfide bonds and render the peptide biologically inert.
Draw 2.0 mL of bacteriostatic water into a sterile syringe.
Inject the water slowly down the inner glass wall of the 20 mg Crystagen vial; do not aim the stream directly at the powder, and never shake vigorously.
Gently swirl or roll the vial until the solution is completely clear; the result is a 10 mg/mL concentration, so 1 insulin-syringe unit equals 100 mcg.
Store the reconstituted vial refrigerated at 2-8 °C and draw the prescribed dose: 100 mcg ≈ 1 unit, 200 mcg ≈ 2 units, 250 mcg ≈ 2.5 units on a U-100 syringe; use within 3-4 weeks.
Educational note: cytogen-class bioregulators are also taken orally as 'lingual' capsules — these subcutaneous figures are a measurement reference only. For SC educational modeling, swab the site, inject slowly into subcutaneous tissue, and wait a few seconds before withdrawing the needle.
Interactive Crystagen Syringe Calculator
Currently visualizing the 20 mg vial reconstituted with 2 mL bacteriostatic water. Adjust the target dose to dynamically render syringe units.
Reconstitution Calculation: 20mg dry powder in 2mL water yields 10.00 mg/mL. To evaluate a 250mcg dose, pull to 2.5 units (3 syringe ticks).
U-100 Syringe Representation
Educational reference visual. Assumes standard U-100 insulin syringe where 1.0 mL volume = 100 units.
Titration & Dose Escalation Schedules
| Phase | Dose per injection | Units (per injection) |
|---|---|---|
| Initiation (days 1-3, tolerance check) | 100 mcg | 1 units (0.01 mL) |
| Standard maintenance (days 4-10) | 200 mcg | 2 units (0.02 mL) |
| Upper research range (optional) | 250 mcg | 3 units (0.03 mL) |
Administration guidelines: Refer to guidelines | 2 mL Reconstitution
Research Supplies Quantity Planner
Scientific mathematical planning of syringes, bacteriostatic water and dry vials needed for extended research blocks using the 20 mg vial.
Peptide Vials (Crystagen, 20 mg each):
- check8-week course (~2 monthly 10-day cycles): 2 vials — reconstitute one fresh 20 mg vial per cycle.
- check12-week course (~3 cycles): 3 vials.
- check16-week course (~4 cycles): 4 vials.
- checkNote: a reconstituted 20 mg vial technically holds ~100 doses at 200 mcg, but the solution should be used within 3-4 weeks, so a fresh vial per spaced cycle is typical.
Insulin Syringes (U-100):
- check8-week course: ~20 syringes (one per daily injection across two 10-day cycles); a 30-count box allows spares.
- check12-week course: ~30 syringes.
- check16-week course: ~40 syringes.
- checkUse 0.3 mL / 31 G U-100 syringes for accurate measurement of the small 1-2.5 unit doses.
Bacteriostatic Water (30 mL bottles): Use 2 mL per vial for reconstitution.
- checkOne 30 mL bottle reconstitutes up to 15 vials, so a single bottle covers any course length.
- check8-week, 12-week, and 16-week courses: 1 bottle each.
- checkDiscard opened bacteriostatic water after ~28 days per label, even if volume remains.
Alcohol Swabs: clean the vial septum and injection site before each use.
- checkTwo swabs per injection (vial top + skin).
- check8-week course: ~40 swabs.
- check12-week course: ~60 swabs.
- check16-week course: ~80 swabs; a 100-count box covers any course.
Mechanism of Action (MOA)
Crystagen is the synthetic tripeptide Glu-Asp-Pro (EDP, ~359 Da), one of the "cytogen" short peptides that emerged from Russian research on tissue-derived bioregulators. It belongs to the Khavinson class of di-, tri-, and tetrapeptides developed at the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology, and its EDP core is closely related to Cortagen (Ala-Glu-Asp-Pro) and to fragments of the thymic complex Thymalin [1][7].\n\nThe proposed mechanism is epigenetic rather than receptor-driven. According to the Khavinson model, ultra-short peptides are small enough to cross the cytoplasmic and nuclear membranes, reach the chromatin, and bind specific DNA sequences (and/or histone proteins), thereby altering the transcription of target genes. Molecular-docking studies of 19 short peptides demonstrated sequence-specific DNA binding sites and showed that a single short peptide can influence the expression of multiple genes [2]. In immune tissue this is hypothesized to modulate genes that govern cytokine production and lymphocyte differentiation: structurally related Khavinson peptides activated interleukin-2 mRNA synthesis in mouse splenocytes in vitro without any external inducer [3], and a panel of Khavinson peptides suppressed LPS-induced TNF and IL-6 expression while reducing monocyte adhesion in the THP-1 monocyte/macrophage line [4].\n\nDownstream, these gene-level effects are framed as support for thymic epithelial cells and normalization of T-cell, B-cell, and NK-cell populations and cytokine balance, paralleling the immune-restorative actions documented for the parent thymic preparation Thymalin in clinical settings [5][6].\n\nPharmacokinetics: the intact tripeptide has a very short plasma half-life, on the order of minutes, because serum and tissue peptidases cleave it rapidly and it is ultimately broken down to free amino acids. The biological response, however, is thought to persist for days to weeks through the gene-expression changes it triggers, which is the rationale for short 10-day pulse cycles repeated a few times per year rather than continuous daily dosing [2][7]. The original clinical route for cytogen-type bioregulators is a microgram-range intramuscular or subcutaneous injection; an oral "lingual" (sublingual) form is also marketed, although oral bioavailability of a hydrophilic tripeptide is inherently low and mucosal or peptide-transporter uptake is proposed but not well quantified. The subcutaneous reconstitution scheme on this page is an educational measurement convention used across this site, not a clinically validated delivery method.\n\nRegulatory status: Crystagen is not approved by the FDA, EMA, or any major regulator, has no registered human clinical trials of its own, and the evidence base is preclinical or extrapolated from related peptides and from Thymalin. It is presented here strictly for educational and research purposes [7].
Clinical Trial Efficacy Highlights
- starNo human clinical trials have been registered for Crystagen itself; the available evidence is preclinical or is extrapolated from closely related Khavinson peptides and from the thymic complex Thymalin, so all efficacy statements below describe the peptide family rather than proven Crystagen outcomes [7].
- starKazakova, Khavinson and colleagues (2002, Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine) showed that the synthetic short peptides Vilon (Lys-Glu), Epithalon (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly) and Cortagen (Ala-Glu-Asp-Pro) — the latter an N-terminally extended version of Crystagen's EDP core — activated interleukin-2 mRNA synthesis in CBA-mouse splenocytes in vitro without any specific inducer, supporting direct immune-gene regulation by this peptide class [3].
- starAvolio, Martinotti, Khavinson and colleagues (2022, International Journal of Molecular Sciences) tested five Khavinson peptides on the human THP-1 monocyte/macrophage line and found that they inhibited LPS-stimulated TNF and pro-inflammatory IL-6 expression and reduced monocyte adhesion to activated endothelium, consistent with an anti-inflammatory, immune-modulating mechanism for the bioregulator class to which Crystagen belongs [4].
- starKhavinson, Lin'kova and Tarnovskaya (2016, Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine) used molecular docking to build DNA-peptide complexes for 19 short peptides, providing the structural rationale for how an EDP-type tripeptide could bind specific promoter sequences and regulate the expression of multiple genes [2].
- starKuznik, Khavinson and colleagues (2021, Advances in Gerontology) reported that Thymalin — the thymic peptide complex from which cytogen-type peptides derive — given intramuscularly at 10 mg/day for 10 days roughly halved hospital mortality (19.4% vs 40.9%) in older patients with severe COVID-19 and increased T-, B-, and NK-cell counts about 2-3.4 fold, illustrating the clinical immune-restorative potential of thymic peptide bioregulators [5].
- starKhavinson and Morozov (2003, Neuroendocrinology Letters) followed 266 elderly subjects for 6-8 years and observed a 2.0-2.1-fold reduction in mortality in those treated with the thymic preparation Thymalin, with a larger effect when combined with the pineal peptide Epithalamin, underscoring the geroprotective and immune framing applied to this peptide family [6].
Side Effects & Tolerability Profile
Clinical subjects transiently report mild side effects. Slowly escalating the titration dose represents the single most effective intervention to limit side effects.
- warningDirect human safety data for Crystagen are very limited; most safety information is extrapolated from small Russian studies of related cytogen and Thymalin preparations, and long-term outcomes are unknown [7].
- warningInjection-site reactions (transient redness, swelling, soreness, or bruising) are the most likely adverse effects with subcutaneous or intramuscular administration.
- warningSelf-reconstitution and self-injection carry sterility and contamination risks; non-sterile technique can cause local or systemic infection and abscess formation.
- warningHypersensitivity or allergic reactions to the peptide or to diluent components (for example benzyl alcohol preservative in bacteriostatic water) are possible; discontinue if rash, itching, or swelling occurs.
- warningBecause the proposed action is immune modulation, theoretical risks include unwanted immune activation; caution is warranted in autoimmune disease, active malignancy, organ transplant, or with immunosuppressant therapy, where effects are unstudied.
- warningDrug-interaction data are essentially absent; combining Crystagen with other immunomodulators, vaccines, or biologics has not been evaluated.
- warningIt should not be used in pregnancy or lactation or in children, as reproductive and developmental safety have not been established.
- warningRegulatory/research status: Crystagen is NOT approved by the FDA or EMA, has no registered clinical trials, cannot be sold as a treatment, and is offered only as a research peptide or, in some markets, an unproven oral bioregulator supplement; purity and content of grey-market vials are not guaranteed.
Subcutaneous Injection Technique
Most research peptides require subcutaneous injection into fatty tissue. Never inject directly into a blood vessel or deep muscle tissue unless clinically detailed.
1. Site Selection
Common locations include the abdomen (2 inches from navel), outer upper arms, or thighs.
2. Sanitization
Thoroughly clean the selected site, stopper and vial top using 70% isopropyl alcohol prep swabs.
3. Angle & Push
Pinch the skin and insert the needle at a 45 to 90-degree angle. Depress plunger smoothly.
4. Site Rotation
Rotate injection sites continuously to avoid lipodystrophy or tissue scarring.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the typical Crystagen dosage?expand_more
In the research and historical bioregulator literature, the typical Crystagen dosage is roughly 100-250 mcg once daily as a microgram-range subcutaneous or intramuscular injection, given in a 10-day cycle and repeated two to three times per year. Modeled on a 20 mg vial reconstituted with 2.0 mL of bacteriostatic water (10 mg/mL), 100 mcg is about 1 unit, 200 mcg about 2 units, and 250 mcg about 2.5 units on a U-100 syringe. An oral 'lingual' capsule form is also marketed. These figures are educational only; Crystagen is not an approved drug.
Is Crystagen FDA approved?expand_more
No. Crystagen is not approved by the FDA, the EMA, or any other major regulator, and it has no registered human clinical trials of its own. The related thymic complex Thymalin is registered as a medicine in Russia, but that approval does not extend to the synthetic Glu-Asp-Pro peptide. In the United States and most Western markets Crystagen is sold only as a research chemical or, in some regions, as an unproven oral bioregulator supplement, and it should be treated as educational/research material rather than a therapy.
How do you reconstitute Crystagen?expand_more
For the educational subcutaneous model on this page, draw 2.0 mL of bacteriostatic water and inject it slowly down the inner wall of a 20 mg Crystagen vial, avoiding direct contact with the powder and any vigorous shaking. Swirl gently until the solution is clear. This yields 10 mg/mL, so each U-100 insulin-syringe unit equals 100 mcg. Refrigerate the reconstituted vial at 2-8 °C and use it within 3-4 weeks. Crystagen reconstitution mirrors other lyophilized peptides, but remember the real clinical route may be oral lingual rather than injection.
What is the half-life of Crystagen?expand_more
The intact Glu-Asp-Pro tripeptide has a very short plasma half-life, on the order of minutes, because serum and tissue peptidases cleave it quickly and it is broken down to free amino acids. The Khavinson bioregulator model holds that the downstream gene-expression effects persist far longer, for days to weeks, which is why the peptide is dosed in short 10-day pulse cycles a few times per year rather than continuously. The short circulating half-life is a key reason this class is micro-dosed.
Can Crystagen be stacked with other peptide bioregulators?expand_more
In the Khavinson framework, tissue-specific bioregulators are often described as being used in combination because each is thought to target a different organ system, and Thymalin has been studied alongside the pineal peptide Epithalamin. However, there are no controlled human studies of Crystagen in any stack, drug-interaction data are essentially absent, and combining immune-modulating peptides could have additive or unpredictable effects. Any stacking is experimental, not clinically validated, and outside the scope of medical advice.
Related Guides & Tools
Step-by-step references for reconstituting, measuring, and storing Crystagen, plus the universal dosing calculator.
Academic References & Study Citations
Khavinson VKh. Peptides and Ageing. Neuroendocrinology Letters. 2002;23 Suppl 3:11-144. View Scientific Paper →
Khavinson VKh, Lin'kova NS, Tarnovskaya SI. Short Peptides Regulate Gene Expression. Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine. 2016;162(2):288-292. View Scientific Paper →
Kazakova TB, Barabanova SV, Khavinson VKh, Glushikhina MS, Parkhomenko EP, Malinin VV, Korneva EA. In vitro effect of short peptides on expression of interleukin-2 gene in splenocytes. Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine. 2002;133(6):614-616. View Scientific Paper →
Avolio F, Martinotti S, Khavinson VKh, et al. Peptides Regulating Proliferative Activity and Inflammatory Pathways in the Monocyte/Macrophage THP-1 Cell Line. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2022;23(7):3607. View Scientific Paper →
Kuznik BI, Khavinson VKh, Shapovalov KG, et al. Peptide Drug Thymalin Regulates Immune Status in Severe COVID-19 Older Patients. Advances in Gerontology. 2021;11(4):368-376. View Scientific Paper →
Khavinson VKh, Morozov VG. Peptides of pineal gland and thymus prolong human life. Neuroendocrinology Letters. 2003;24(3-4):233-240. View Scientific Paper →
Anisimov VN, Khavinson VKh. Peptide bioregulation of aging: results and prospects. Biogerontology. 2010;11(2):139-149. View Scientific Paper →