P21
Also known as: P21 Peptide, CNTF Peptide Analog, Peptide 21
P21 is a synthetic peptide derived from CNTF (ciliary neurotrophic factor) that promotes hippocampal neurogenesis, enhances memory and spatial learning, and may reduce amyloid-beta pathology. It is used as a neurogenic and cognitive enhancer with potential anti-Alzheimer's applications.
Half-Life
Not well characterized; likely short, but neurogenic effects persist long after administration
Route
SubQ, Intranasal
Category
Cognitive Enhancement, Anti-Aging & Longevity
Studies
50 references
Key Benefits
- Promotes hippocampal neurogenesis
- Enhances spatial memory and learning
- Increases BDNF expression
- Reduces amyloid-beta plaque formation (animal models)
- Anti-tau pathology potential
- Cognitive enhancement without stimulant effects
- Potential therapeutic for Alzheimer's and cognitive aging
Mechanism of Action
P21 is a 5-amino acid active region of CNTF that avoids the JAK/STAT pathway (which causes weight loss and side effects in full CNTF) while retaining neurogenic activity. It activates CNTF receptor alpha (CNTFRα) to promote adult hippocampal neurogenesis. P21 also increases BDNF expression and has been shown in animal models to reduce amyloid-beta plaques and tau pathology. It promotes long-term potentiation and spatial memory formation in the hippocampus.
Dosing Protocols
Neurogenesis / Anti-Aging Cognitive
- Dose
- 100–500 mcg
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Timing
- Morning SC injection or intranasal
- Cycle
- 4–12 weeks
Neurogenesis takes weeks to manifest clinically; consistent daily dosing important for results
Memory Enhancement Protocol
- Dose
- 200–400 mcg
- Frequency
- 5x per week
- Timing
- Morning
- Cycle
- 8 weeks on, 4 weeks off
Combine with sleep optimization and mental challenges for maximal effect
Calculate your draw volume
Enter your vial size and BAC water to get exact injection volumes
Side Effects
- Generally well tolerated in animal studies
- Limited human clinical data
- Injection site reactions
- Potential mild fatigue at initiation
Contraindications
Insufficient human safety data — research peptide status. Use with caution alongside neuropsychiatric medications. Not for use in active cancer treatment.
Storage
Store lyophilized at -20°C. Reconstituted at 4°C, use within 30 days. Protect from light.
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Clinical Research
- 1.MDM4 HAPLOINSUFFICIENCY LEADS TO P53-MEDIATED BONE MARROW FAILURE
Sharma R, Bhoopalan SV, Meyer R, Han L, Beesetti S, Liu N et al. · Blood · 2026PubMed Verified
- 2.HIF1A transcriptionally activates CDKN1A to drive ferroptosis in skeletal muscle ischaemia-reperfusion injury
Zhou M, Wang K, Jin Y, Liu J, Xue Y, Wang Y et al. · Journal of orthopaedic translation · 2026PubMed Verified
- 3.3D, multi-omic imaging reveals molecular biomarkers of the pre-metastatic niche in lung cancer
Michel J, Forjaz A, Queiroga V, Casella K, Stivers K, Nguyen H et al. · bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026PubMed Verified
- 4.γ-Oryzanol Ameliorates Endothelial Replicative Senescence via Downregulation of SGLT2 Expression to Attenuate NADPH-Driven Oxidative Stress
Shiwakoti S, Sharma K, Gong DS, Ko JY, Lee IY, Kim HJ et al. · Biomolecules & therapeutics · 2026PubMed Verified
- 5.Triticum vulgare Extract Treatment in UVB-Exposed Human Dermal Fibroblasts Modulates Inflammation, Fibrosis and Oxidative Stress Markers
Sozio C, Caccavale S, Di Brizzi EV, Auriemma M, Nicoletti M, Argenziano G et al. · Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026PubMed Verified
- 6.Association of IL7 rs16906115 Polymorphism with Immune-Related Adverse Events in Patients with Advanced Lung Cancer Undergoing Immunotherapy
González-Hernández A, Paz-López G, Martínez-Gálvez B, Paniagua FV, Barragán I, Pérez-Ruiz E et al. · Journal of clinical medicine · 2026PubMed Verified
- 7.A Novel Pyrazole Pyrimidine Derivative MBP346 Induces Cell Death via ROS-Mediated Mitochondrial Damage in Human Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Hu C, Xu P, Hu J, Fang B, Meng J, Tang Y · Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026PubMed Verified
- 8.Intracellular Delivery of a p21-Derived Cell Cycle Inhibitory Peptide Using Elastin-like Polypeptides Suppresses Glioblastoma Cell Proliferation
Quinn T, Shaheen Y, Raucher D · Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026PubMed Verified
- 9.FOXM1 Signaling Network Transcriptionally Upregulates Expression of Proteins Involved in Mitotic Progression to Induce High Proliferation and Chromosomal Instability in Androgen Receptor-Low Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Rida P, Andreae R, Bikhazi N, Jackson B, Wang I, Jinna N · International journal of molecular sciences · 2026PubMed Verified
- 10.Genetic Determinants of Radiosensitivity: Evidence of Radioresistance-Associated SNP Enrichment in Occupational Workers Chronically Exposed to Low-Dose Radiation
Botbayev D, Sharipov K, Belkozhayev A, Alzhanuly B, Yerkinbek U, Sharipov D et al. · Genes · 2026PubMed Verified
- 11.VPS35 Deficiency Markedly Reduces the Proliferation of HEK293 Cells
Lee S, Park S, Bang H, Kim SU, Park YH, Wee G et al. · Genes · 2026PubMed Verified
- 12.Suppressing the Aberrant Transcriptional Functionality of EWS::FLI1 Oncoprotein by Designer polyQ Fusions with Its Homologous Peptides
Duan HT, Zhang XL, Jiang LL, Hu HY · Biomedicines · 2026PubMed Verified
- 13.Epicatechin Gallate Ameliorates UVB-Induced Photoaging by Inhibiting p38α-Mediated Autophagy and Oxidative Stress
Yang D, Sun R, Cui Y, Li Y, Hou H, Otsuki K et al. · Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026PubMed Verified
- 14.A Developmental Study of MeCP2 with Core and Linker Histones Indicates a Dynamic Change During Adolescent Brain Development in a Region- and Strain-Specific Manner in Mice
Kadar Shahib A, Ziaee SM, Nejati-Koshki K, Davie JR, Rastegar M · Biomolecules · 2026PubMed Verified
- 15.Induction of Cellular Senescence by Pesticide Exposure in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVECs): Impacts on Telomerase Length, Cellular Morphology, and mtDNA Variation
Mazzone A, Konstantinidou F, Lamanna D, Rocca YD, Gatta V, Marconi GD et al. · Journal of cellular physiology · 2026PubMed Verified
- 16.Dissecting the Impact of α-MSH-MC1R-cAMP Signaling on UVA-Induced Stress in Fibroblasts - Implications for Regulation of Cutaneous Photoaging
Böhm M, Stegemann A, Wolnicka-Głubisz A, Olajossy B, Schäfer N, Niland S et al. · Aging and disease · 2026PubMed Verified
- 17.Senescence-Driven Inflammation and Immune Dynamics in the Progression of Radiation Cystitis
Mota S, Goodyke A, Ward EP, Mahyoob R, Lee YC, Bartolone SN et al. · Cells · 2026PubMed Verified
- 18.TRKB-based signature identifies high-risk squamous cell carcinoma cases and TRKB blockade reprograms tumor and stromal cells toward suppressive phenotypes
Bartolocci V, Capone A, Monetta R, Di Meo E, Arcano S, Valente C et al. · Journal of biomedical science · 2026PubMed Verified
- 19.Sodium pentaborate pentahydrate ameliorates inflammaging-like phenotypes by modulating redox status in a D-galactose-induced accelerated aging rat model
Bayraktaroglu SB, Tasli PN, Can B, Özkan F, Temizkan İ, Bayraktar E et al. · Journal of trace elements in medicine and biology : organ of the Society for Minerals and Trace Elements (GMS) · 2026PubMed Verified
- 20.Heterobifunctional proteomimetic polymers for targeted degradation of MYC and KRAS
Wang MM, Truica MI, Gattis BS, Oktawiec J, Sagar V, Basu AA et al. · Nature communications · 2026PubMed Verified
- 21.Luteolin mitigates radiation-induced hematopoietic and immune system long-term damage in mice
Wang Y, Gao Y, Feng G, Zhang J, Fan S · International journal of radiation biology · 2026PubMed Verified
- 22.Top-Down Exfoliation of Ultrathin Chiral 2D Nanosheets for High-Resolution Gas Chromatography
Liu H, He J, Wu Z, Wang J, Zhang Y, Sun M et al. · Analytical chemistry · 2026PubMed Verified
- 23.Isoliquiritigenin combined with gemcitabine inhibited lung cancer by suppressing JAK2/STAT3 signaling via lncRNA-p21/miRNA-4534 axis
Xu C, Gong C, Wang C, Xie M, Wu M, Ge D et al. · Journal of natural medicines · 2026PubMed Verified
- 24.Comment on "Reciprocity between p63 and p21 via TNFα/NF-κB signaling in p63-positive salivary duct adenocarcinoma cell"
Li G, Wang L, Yang Y, Sun Y · European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2026PubMed Verified
- 25.PAK4 in metabolic diseases: regulation by nutrient signals and therapeutic implications
Bang IH, Park BH, Bae EJ · Experimental & molecular medicine · 2026ReviewPubMed Verified
- 26.Effect of p53 gene mutation with loss of function on the expression of genes and proteins involved in cell proliferation
Kim GH, Kim MM · Mutation research · 2026PubMed Verified
- 27.Multifunctional Lanthanide Molecular Ferroelectrics [R/S-H(2)MPPA][Ln(btfa)(4)](2) Constructed by Hydrogen Bond Linking Functional Blocks
Chen CP, Guo XL, Gao Y, Lu P, Liu DC, Liang FP · Inorganic chemistry · 2026PubMed Verified
- 28.CCT3-mediated regulation of XPO1/RB1 axis stability promotes cellular senescence and tumor progression in clear cell renal carcinoma
Cao Y, Xu C, Liu Y, Shi B, Li X, Li J et al. · iScience · 2026PubMed Verified
- 29.Combating colorectal lung metastases via systemic therapy and thermal ablation: RAS mutation impact
Fan H, Xu T, Zeng Y, Hu J, Ding R, Li X et al. · International journal of surgery (London, England) · 2026PubMed Verified
- 30.Fisetin-Mediated Topical Modulation of Senescent Cells in Skin Improves Wound Healing Dynamics in Diabetic Mice
Numani A, Carrasco-Jeldres M, Hernandez-Rovira B, Purushothaman KR, Melin MM, Kirkland JL et al. · Advances in wound care · 2026PubMed Verified
- 31.Maternal immune activation impairs neurodevelopment in offspring via ASK1/MAPK-mediated apoptotic disruption during early development
Wang S, Zhao K, Li Z, Shi P, Deng Y, Liu Q et al. · Neuroscience · 2026PubMed Verified
- 32."BAP1 Loss Induces Senescence and Enhances the Response to Radiation Therapy and Senolytics"
Elsayed AM, Mosbeh A, Eltasawi EG, Hanpude P, Uddin MN, Cebulla CM et al. · bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026PubMed Verified
- 33.From basic biology to engineered therapies: the keratinocyte stem cell playbook
Uddin A, Rahmani M, Sajini A · Frontiers in medical technology · 2026ReviewPubMed Verified
- 34.Neobavaisoflavone, a functional metabolite derived from valnemulin, ameliorates DSS-induced ulcerative colitis through activation of the AMPK signaling pathway
Yang X, Chen H, Wu T, Ji ZY, Wang ZW, Liu ZL et al. · Biochemical pharmacology · 2026PubMed Verified
- 35.Phosphorylation level of the p21 PIP-box modulates interaction with PCNA in living cells
Melle C, Hoffmann B, Wiesenburg A, Biskup C · Biochemical and biophysical research communications · 2026PubMed Verified
- 36.Salvia plebeia R. Br. extract delays cellular senescence and promotes healthy aging via Atg7-dependent autophagy, with rosmarinic acid as a major bioactive constituent
He YN, Li SY, Xu P, Zhou XY, Zeng J, Qin DL et al. · The Journal of nutritional biochemistry · 2026PubMed Verified
- 37.Wogonin ameliorates osteoarthritis by targeting the STAT3/PIM1 axis to attenuate chondrocyte senescence
Yuan M, Zhou X, Xu W, Liu J, Han T, Huang Y et al. · Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology · 2026PubMed Verified
- 38.Turning pancreatic cancer from cold to hot: the promise of a p53-expressing oncolytic adenovirus (OBP-702)
Kuroda S, Tazawa H, Hashimoto M, Kanaya N, Kakiuchi Y, Kagawa S et al. · International journal of clinical oncology · 2026ReviewPubMed Verified
- 39.Molecular features in gangliogliomas: a systematic review
Pereira BJA, Oba-Shinjo SM, de Azevedo IKH, Casal YR, Tzu WH, de Almeida AN et al. · Child's nervous system : ChNS : official journal of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery · 2026Meta-AnalysisPubMed Verified
- 40.The matricellular protein CCN5 (WISP2) inhibits cellular senescence in cardiac myoblasts and fibroblasts
Jo Y, Lee M, Kim SB, Kwak TH, Jeong D, Jang SP et al. · Scientific reports · 2026PubMed Verified
- 41.Quantitative analysis of H-Ras localization using confocal microscopy
Sundaresan AP, Brown ME, Distefano MD · Methods in enzymology · 2026PubMed Verified
- 42.KRAS(G12V)/HLA-A*02:01-targeted chimeric antigen receptor T cells exhibit potent preclinical activity against solid tumors
Shao H, Xu F, Xu J, Zhou L, Wu Y, He L et al. · Science advances · 2026PubMed Verified
- 43.Periplogenin Suppresses Hepatocarcinogenesis by Inducing Cellular Senescence via the Activating FOXO1/P53 Signaling Pathway
Wang P, Zhu J, Li W, He Z, Dai X, Shi Y et al. · Phytotherapy research : PTR · 2026PubMed Verified
- 44.Expression of Concern for: p21-Activated Kinase 4 and Ischemic Acute Kidney Injury in Mice and Humans
Journal of the American Society of Nephrology : JASN · 2026PubMed Verified
- 45.KRAS, NRAS and BRAF Mutational Landscape in Serbian Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer Patients
Despotović J, Nikolić N, Babic T, Ugrin M, Rom AĐ, Damjanović A et al. · Cancer control : journal of the Moffitt Cancer Center · 2026PubMed Verified
- 46.LincRNA-p21: A Double-Edged Sword in Ethanol-Induced Liver Damage and Its Nanoparticle Solution
Wang S, Nie ZC, Liu Y, Zhang ZY, Feng YM, Wang C et al. · International journal of nanomedicine · 2026PubMed Verified
- 47.Senescent endothelial cells: key commanders of the cellular communication network within atherosclerotic plaques
Xie F, Xi C, Bao G, Yang B, Zheng X, Fu B et al. · Frontiers in immunology · 2026ReviewPubMed Verified
- 48.Disrupted immune senescence in early pregnancy is associated with recurrent pregnancy loss
Parvanov D, Ganeva R, Ruseva M, Handzhiyska M, Jelezarsky L, Safir J et al. · Frontiers in immunology · 2026PubMed Verified
- 49.NR4A1 mediates chemotherapy‑induced senescence via the PI3K/AKT pathway in gastric cancer cells
Zhang T, Wang Y, Zhang J, Ye X, Shen Y, Zhang Z · Oncology reports · 2026PubMed Verified
- 50.Propionic and acetic acids potentially compromise junctional epithelial barrier function and contribute to periodontitis progression
Oikawa T, Miura T, Wang T, Yaegashi T, Ishikawa T, Sasaki D · Journal of oral biosciences · 2026PubMed Verified
Medical disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Many compounds listed are research chemicals not approved for human use. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting any protocol.
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