Peptides / Brain and mood

Synthetic fragment · 7 amino acids · 773.9 Da

PE 22-28

Not approvedBanned in sport

PE 22-28 is a seven-amino-acid peptide from the end of spadin that blocks the TREK-1 channel. It is not approved and is banned in sport as an unapproved substance, and it has been tested only in mice and lab studies, on mood and the brain. PepBank shows 13 results on PE 22-28 from animal and lab studies. No study in people has reported results yet. Data as of 2026-10-30.

Also known as PE22-28, Mini spadin, Mini-spadin, PE-22-28, GVSWGLR, Gly-Val-Ser-Trp-Gly-Leu-Arg and 3 more

7 amino acids, from first to lastGVSWGLR

Evidence level: Animal and lab studies onlyNo study in people has results. ClinicalTrials.gov lists no trial.

Results in people

0% of 13 results

Results in animals

69% of 13 results

Results in lab cells

31% of 13 results

From computer models

0% of 13 results

Overview

PE 22-28 at a glance

What it is	Synthetic fragment, 7 amino acids
Approval	Not approved for any use
In sport	Banned in sport (WADA S0)
Studies	3 studies with results. All of them gave PE 22-28, with 13 results. 9 in animals4 in lab cells
Clinical trials	None registered
Community use	Mood, motivation and low mood; Focus and mental clarity; Anxiety (one user, together with Selank); Part of a 'brain' or nootropic stack with Selank, Semax, epithalon or pinealon

The science

What is PE 22-28?

A synthetic 7-residue peptide (GVSWGLR), the C-terminal end of spadin, that blocks the TREK-1 potassium channel and shows antidepressant-like effects in mice. It is not an approved medicine.

Amino acids in one chain

PE 22-28 structure and chemistry

The key facts about the molecule. Long codes are in the closed section below.

Sequence, 7 amino acidsFrom the first amino acid to the last

G1VSWG5L+R

Darker means more water-repelling+ and − show charge in the body

Structure

PE 22-28 is a synthetic fragment of 7 amino acids, with no ring, no changed amino acids.

Formula

C₃₅H₅₅N₁₁O₉

Molecular weight

773.9 g/mol

CAS number

1801959-12-5

Target

Potassium channel subfamily K member 2 (TREK-1, K2P2.1) (gene KCNK2): inhibitor (channel blocker)Evidence: primary literature

Development

Research group of Jean Mazella, Marc Borsotto and Catherine Heurteaux at the CNRS institute IPMC (UMR 7275), Universite Cote d'Azur, Valbonne, France. No company, drug code or registered programme was found for PE 22-28. Highest phase: preclinical.

Identifiers

PubChem 165437303, UniProt Q99523

Full sequence, SMILES and InChIKey

Three-letter sequence
H-Gly-Val-Ser-Trp-Gly-Leu-Arg-OH

InChIKey
CMNBQRXBBJQIOA-YIHYGEMESA-N

SMILES
CC(C)C[C@@H](C(=O)N[C@@H](CCCN=C(N)N)C(=O)O)NC(=O)CNC(=O)[C@H](CC1=CNC2=CC=CC=C21)NC(=O)[C@H](CO)NC(=O)[C@H](C(C)C)NC(=O)CN

See charge, composition and 3D structure on the Scientific page

The evidence

What PE 22-28 studies show

Results grouped by what the studies measured. Each card shows where its results come from.

Animal and lab studies onlyNo study in people has results. ClinicalTrials.gov lists no trial.

Brain and nerves

4 results · 4 animal

In mice with stroke, mini-spadin prevented the later loss of dopamine-producing nerve cells in the substantia nigra. Neuropharmacology, 2019

Top results

In mice with stroke, mini-spadin prevented the later loss of dopamine-producing nerve cells in the substantia nigra. (Neuropharmacology, 2019)
In mice with stroke, mini-spadin improved movement problems caused by the stroke. (Neuropharmacology, 2019)
In mice with stroke, new nerve cell growth contributed to the benefits of mini-spadin. (Neuropharmacology, 2019)

Mood, stress and behavior

3 results · 3 animal

In mice, PE 22‑28 given for 4 days shortened the time to start eating in a feeding test used to study depression. Frontiers in pharmacology, 2017

Top results

In mice, PE 22‑28 given for 4 days shortened the time to start eating in a feeding test used to study depression. (Frontiers in pharmacology, 2017)
In mice with stroke, mini-spadin prevented depression-like behavior in the forced swim test. (Neuropharmacology, 2019)
In mice with stroke, mini-spadin prevented depression-like behavior in the novelty suppressed feeding test. (Neuropharmacology, 2019)

Memory and thinking

1 result · 1 animal

In mice with stroke, mini-spadin improved thinking and memory problems caused by the stroke. Neuropharmacology, 2019

Top results

In mice with stroke, mini-spadin improved thinking and memory problems caused by the stroke. (Neuropharmacology, 2019)

Weight and appetite

1 result · 1 animal

In mice with stroke, mini-spadin prevented the loss of body weight. Neuropharmacology, 2019

Top results

In mice with stroke, mini-spadin prevented the loss of body weight. (Neuropharmacology, 2019)

Blood sugar

1 result · 1 lab

In cells, Mini-Spadin made insulin-producing beta-cells multiply. Pharmacological research, 2021

Top results

In cells, Mini-Spadin made insulin-producing beta-cells multiply. (Pharmacological research, 2021)

All 3 PE 22-28 studies by area Open the Scientific page

Key PE 22-28 studies

Studies in people come first, then studies in animals and in the lab.

Animals
Shortened Spadin Analogs Display Better TREK-1 Inhibition, <i>In Vivo</i> Stability and Antidepressant Activity
Djillani et al. 2017 · Frontiers in pharmacology · cited by 31
2 results
Animals
First evidence of protective effects on stroke recovery and post-stroke depression induced by sortilin-derived peptides
Pietri et al. 2019 · Neuropharmacology · cited by 13
10 results
Lab cells
Sortilin-derived peptides promote pancreatic beta-cell survival through CREB signaling pathway
Daziano et al. 2021 · Pharmacological research · cited by 11
1 result

All 3 PE 22-28 studies

PE 22-28 clinical trials

ClinicalTrials.gov lists no trial of PE 22-28. A trial under another name may exist.

Status and safety

Is PE 22-28 approved?

FDA

United States

Not approved

No approved medicine contains it.

EMA

European Union

Not approved

No approved medicine contains it.

WADA

Sport

Banned

On the 2026 Prohibited List, section S0.

No. Not approved for any use. Preclinical research only. No clinical trial phase found. The FDA, the EMA and the other sources we use show no approval (as of 13 Oct 2026). Banned in sport (WADA S0).

Laws and labels change, so check the regulator for the current status.

PE 22-28 side effects and safety

PepBank has no safety result from studies of PE 22-28 yet. That does not mean PE 22-28 is safe.

Doses studied (1 shown)

The doses that these studies used. They are not recommendations.

Dose as reported	Class	Species	Route	Duration	Design	Source
0.03 μg/kg once a day, or 3 μg/kg once a day	Animal	mouse	intraperitoneal	7 days post-ischemia (0.03 μg/kg); 4 days/week until sacrifice (3 μg/kg)	Study in live animals	Pietri 2019

From the community

How people use it

What people report online. It comes from forums and guides, not from studies.

Community-reported. Not tested in trials.

Sources report that people use PE 22-28 (mini-spadin) for mood, focus and anxiety, mostly as a nasal spray of about 200 to 400 mcg once a day or as a small subcutaneous injection. The wikis and guides say it has never been tested in humans, and the amounts come from community practice, not from studies.

Reported routines and cautions

What people use it for

Mood, motivation and low moodS1
Focus and mental clarityS1
Anxiety (one user, together with Selank)S2
Part of a 'brain' or nootropic stack with Selank, Semax, epithalon or pinealonS1S2

Reported regimens

Regimens that community sources report for PE 22-28. Community-reported, not tested in trials.
Context	Route	Amount	How often	How long	Agreement	Sources
Mood and focus (the use people name most)	intranasal spraySources call this the main community route. S3 says the choice is an inference and that no published study used the nose route.	200 to 400 mcg per dose	once daily in the morning (S1); 1 to 2 times daily (S3)	4 to 8 weeks (S1)	sources differ: S1 gives 200 to 400 mcg once daily and S3 gives 100 to 500 mcg once or twice daily. Both sites are affiliate sites (they carry seller rankings) and describe community practice second hand, so they may copy each other. S1 lists Reddit, a dosing site and two blogs as its sources. No first-hand forum post with an intranasal amount was found.	S1S3
Mood and focus, subcutaneous alternative	subcutaneous injectionS3 calls it an alternative route that is less common than the nose route.	100 to 200 mcg per dose	once daily	4 to 8 weeks (S1)	2 sources broadly agree (100 to 200 mcg once daily; S3 allows up to 300 mcg). Both are affiliate sites that report community practice second hand and may copy each other.	S1S3
One user, subcutaneous, taken with other peptides	subcutaneous injectionThe user writes 'SQ'.	250 to 750 mcg per dose	a few times a week	Not stated	single source (one forum member)	S2

Reported side effects

lethargy or too much sedation, reported mostly above 500 to 600 mcgS1

Reported benefits (claims, not shown in trials)

mood elevation, described as better motivation and emotional outlookS1
better focus and mental clarity, mainly at lower dosesS1
less anxiety (one user, who also takes Selank)S2
no felt difference after months on a stack that includes PE 22-28 (one user)S2

Cautions

Sources state that PE 22-28 has never been tested in humans. The side-effect profile in humans is unknown.S1S4S5
The amounts and the nose route come from community practice. No published study gave PE 22-28 through the nose or under the skin.S1S3S5
One dosing guide lists seizure history and heart-rhythm disorders as concerns, because TREK-1 is present in the brain and heart tissue and this compound blocks it.S3
One dosing guide says some seller listings wrongly call the product 'PACAP(22-28)'.S3
Sources warn that treating depression with an unproven compound is risky.S1

Status notes

FDA: not approved and not named in the FDA 503A or 503B compounding category lists (checked 2026-10-13).S6
WADA: not named in the 2026 List. Class S0 (non-approved substances) applies by its wording. This is a reading, not a WADA statement.S7
No clinical trial of PE 22-28 or spadin is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (checked 2026-10-13). Published work is in cells and mice.S8 S9

Community sources

S1PE-22-28 Community Protocols & Anecdotal Reportspeptideprotocolwiki.comcarries seller links, not linked
S2PE-22-28 (forum thread, 10 posts, Nov 2025 to Jan 2026)glp1forum.comcarries seller links, not linked
S3PE-22-28 Dosage Guide: TREK-1 Protocolspeptidewiki.cocarries seller links, not linked
S4PE-22-28 Side Effects and Safety Profilepeptideprotocolwiki.comcarries seller links, not linked
S5PE-22-28 (sci-wiki compound page)scientificsean.wikicarries seller links, not linked
S6FDA: Bulk drug substances nominated for use in compounding under section 503A (updated May 14, 2026) (opens in a new tab)fda.gov
S7WADA 2026 Prohibited List (opens in a new tab)wada-ama.org
S8ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 query for 'PE 22-28' (0 studies) (opens in a new tab)clinicaltrials.gov
S9Djillani et al. 2017, Shortened spadin analogs display better TREK-1 inhibition (Front Pharmacol) (opens in a new tab)pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Gaps

Only one first-hand source with an amount was found (a forum thread on glp1forum.com, one user). That forum runs paid banners, so it is marked affiliate and not linked. Searches on Elite Fitness, Longecity, Meso-Rx and ThinkSteroids found no PE 22-28 thread through Exa. Reddit cannot be fetched. The nose-route amounts (R1) rest on two affiliate sites that repeat community practice second hand. The wiki S1 lists Reddit, a dosing site and two blogs as its own sources, which were not checked. S1 states that mouse work used 0.1 mg/kg; the 2017 paper reports 3.0 ug/kg, so that wiki line was not used. A ResearchSafe forum thread (researchsafe.org/forum/1635) tells of 'a couple of micrograms' by nose for a week. The site says some of its accounts are AI personas, the amount is only 'a couple of micrograms', and the replies repeat each other. The exclusion was right. A 'titration' plan (100 mcg rising to 150 to 200 mcg over 8 to 16 weeks) and cycling plans (4 weeks on, 4 off) appear on S1 and seller-linked pages, but no non-seller source was found for them, so they are not written as regimens. No source gave a verified purity or test result for the products people buy.

Questions and more

Ask a question about PE 22-28

The answer links to every study it uses.

What does the evidence say about PE 22-28?Is PE 22-28 tested in people?Compare with Cerebrolysin Compare with Semax

Sources

Database: PepBank data for PE 22-28 (data version 308560)
Regulator: FDA status record
Regulator: EMA status record
Regulator: WADA status record
Community: community sources (forums and guides), as summarized in the PepBank community file

AI wrote and checked these results. AI can make mistakes, so check important results against the source.

PepBank is a research reference. Talk to a doctor before you use any peptide.

Ask your AI about PE 22-28

Curo is a peptide shop. PepBank and Curo have the same owner. See the Curo catalog (opens in a new tab).

PE 22-28

Not approvedBanned in sport

Also known as PE22-28, Mini spadin, Mini-spadin, PE-22-28, GVSWGLR, Gly-Val-Ser-Trp-Gly-Leu-Arg and 3 more

What it is

Synthetic fragment, 7 amino acids

Approval

Not approved for any use

In sport

Banned in sport (WADA S0)

Studies

3 studies with results. All of them gave PE 22-28, with 13 results.
9 in animals4 in lab cells

Clinical trials

None registered

Community use

Mood, motivation and low mood; Focus and mental clarity; Anxiety (one user, together with Selank); Part of a 'brain' or nootropic stack with Selank, Semax, epithalon or pinealon

Dose as reported

Class

Species

Route

Duration

Design

Source

0.03 μg/kg once a day, or 3 μg/kg once a day

Animal

mouse

intraperitoneal

7 days post-ischemia (0.03 μg/kg); 4 days/week until sacrifice (3 μg/kg)

Study in live animals

Pietri 2019

Context

Route

Amount

How often

How long

Agreement

Sources

Mood and focus (the use people name most)

intranasal spraySources call this the main community route. S3 says the choice is an inference and that no published study used the nose route.

200 to 400 mcg per dose

once daily in the morning (S1); 1 to 2 times daily (S3)

4 to 8 weeks (S1)

sources differ: S1 gives 200 to 400 mcg once daily and S3 gives 100 to 500 mcg once or twice daily. Both sites are affiliate sites (they carry seller rankings) and describe community practice second hand, so they may copy each other. S1 lists Reddit, a dosing site and two blogs as its sources. No first-hand forum post with an intranasal amount was found.

S1S3

Mood and focus, subcutaneous alternative

subcutaneous injectionS3 calls it an alternative route that is less common than the nose route.

100 to 200 mcg per dose

once daily

4 to 8 weeks (S1)

2 sources broadly agree (100 to 200 mcg once daily; S3 allows up to 300 mcg). Both are affiliate sites that report community practice second hand and may copy each other.

S1S3

One user, subcutaneous, taken with other peptides

subcutaneous injectionThe user writes 'SQ'.

250 to 750 mcg per dose

a few times a week

Not stated

single source (one forum member)

PE 22-28

PE 22-28 at a glance

What is PE 22-28?

PE 22-28 structure and chemistry