Synthetic analog · 5 amino acids · 569.6 Da

Pentapeptide-18 studies and research data

PepBank has 3 pentapeptide-18 studies with results. 2 of them gave pentapeptide-18, with 3 results, grouped by what the studies measured. In each group, results from studies in people come first. Data as of 2026-10-30.

Searches 3 results and 7 papers. Newer studies from Europe PMC

Results in people

0% of 3 results

Results in animals

0% of 3 results

Results in lab cells

100% of 3 results

From computer models

0% of 3 results

The molecule

Pentapeptide-18 identity

Identifiers, parent molecule, targets and development stage, from curated data.

Pentapeptide-18, also called Leuphasyl, is a D-Ala2 analog of leucine enkephalin. Its sequence is Tyr-D-Ala-Gly-Phe-Leu with a free C-terminal carboxyl group. Retinol combination studies do not establish its isolated clinical effects.

Kind: Synthetic analog · 5 residues
Identifiers: ChEMBLCHEMBL4539258 (opens in a new tab)PubChem CID10099522 (opens in a new tab)UNIIPO4D55T1IG (opens in a new tab)CAS64963-01-5
Parent: Analog of Leucine enkephalinFDA SRS identifies this substance as (D-ALA2)LEUCINE-ENKEPHALIN. No parent-record or precursor range is assigned.
Development: UnknownLubrizolLubrizol lists Leuphasyl as a commercially available cosmetic peptide. No medicinal clinical phase was established. The ClinicalTrials.gov name search returned zero records. This does not exclude unregistered cosmetic studies or records under other names. Source (opens in a new tab)

Targets

No molecular target is recorded for this peptide.

Sequence and structure

Residues, differences from the parent, calculated properties and 3D structure. Source values and calculated values are shown separately.

Sequence

5 amino acids · 1 modification

H-

YGFL

Parent: Leucine enkephalin

No sequence is listed for the parent, so no alignment is shown.FDA SRS identifies this substance as (D-ALA2)LEUCINE-ENKEPHALIN. No parent-record or precursor range is assigned.

Properties

From identity sources

Formula: C₂₉H₃₉N₅O₇
Molecular weight: 569.6 g/mol
Monoisotopic mass: 569.2849 Da

PubChem CID 10099522(opens in a new tab)retrieved 2026-10-27
FDA SRS PO4D55T1IG(opens in a new tab)retrieved 2026-10-27

Calculated from the sequence

pKa set

Average mass: 569.66 Da; Sum of ExPASy residue masses + water · ExPASy Compute pI/Mw; FindMod
Monoisotopic mass: 569.2849 Da; Sum of ExPASy residue masses + water · ExPASy FindMod
Isoelectric point (pI): 6.09; pH of zero net charge, EMBOSS pKa set · EMBOSS iep, Epk.dat
Net charge at pH 7.4: −0.06; Henderson-Hasselbalch, EMBOSS pKa set · EMBOSS iep, Epk.dat
GRAVY (hydropathy): 1.340; Mean Kyte-Doolittle hydropathy · Kyte and Doolittle 1982; Positive: hydrophobic on average.
Extinction coefficient, 280 nm (Cys reduced): 1,490 M⁻¹ cm⁻¹; 5500 x Trp + 1490 x Tyr · Pace et al. 1995 (ExPASy ProtParam); No Trp: ExPASy reports more than 10 % error without Trp.
Instability index: 55.36; Dipeptide instability weights (DIWV) · Guruprasad et al. 1990; Above 40: classed as possibly unstable (ExPASy).
Aliphatic index: 98.0; Mole % A + 2.9 V + 3.9 (I + L) · Ikai 1980
Boman index: −2.10 kcal/mol; Mean solubility value (negated) · Boman 2003; 2.48 or below: lower protein-binding potential (Boman).
Hydrophobic moment (μH): Not calculated; The sequence is too short for this method.
pI with each pKa set: EMBOSS 6.09Bjellqvist (ExPASy) 5.52IPC peptide 5.91IPC protein 5.98

D-amino acids have the same mass and charge as L forms. Hydrophobicity scales were measured on L forms.
Defined and validated for proteins; use with care for short peptides.
Assumes an ideal alpha helix. Many short peptides are not helical.

@pepdb/chem 0.2.0 · EMBOSS pKa set · ExPASy residue masses

Net charge by pH

pI 6.09 · Net charge at pH 7.4: −0.06

Point or use arrow keys

Henderson-Hasselbalch, EMBOSS pKa set. Calculated, not measured.

Show as table

pH	Net charge
0	1.00
1	1.00
2	0.98
3	0.80
4	0.28
5	0.04
6	0.00
7	−0.02
8	−0.21
9	−0.79
10	−1.40
11	−1.88
12	−1.99
13	−2.00
14	−2.00

Composition

Hydrophobic40% (2)A L
Aromatic40% (2)F Y
Special20% (1)G

5 residues. Each residue counts in one class; F and W count as aromatic.

A Ala1 · 20%

I Ile0 · 0%

L Leu1 · 20%

M Met0 · 0%

V Val0 · 0%

F Phe1 · 20%

W Trp0 · 0%

Y Tyr1 · 20%

H His0 · 0%

K Lys0 · 0%

R Arg0 · 0%

D Asp0 · 0%

E Glu0 · 0%

N Asn0 · 0%

Q Gln0 · 0%

S Ser0 · 0%

T Thr0 · 0%

C Cys0 · 0%

G Gly1 · 20%

P Pro0 · 0%

3D structure

No 3D structure

No experimental structure (PDB) and no UniProt entry for an AlphaFold model are listed for this peptide. Synthetic peptides often have neither. The sequence view above is the reference.

2D structure

Draws the structure in your browser with RDKit (about 2.3 MB, loaded once).

SMILES fromPubChem CID 10099522(opens in a new tab)

C[C@H](C(=O)NCC(=O)N[C@@H](CC1=CC=CC=C1)C(=O)N[C@@H](CC(C)C)C(=O)O)NC(=O)[C@H](CC2=CC=C(C=C2)O)N

Results by area

Pentapeptide-18 results by year and outcome

Counts are exact and come from studies that gave the peptide.

Studies by year

3 of 7 studies have results (43%), published 2024 to 2026. Top row: every study. Bottom row: studies with results about Pentapeptide-18, by class. The rows use different scales.

Studies
Human
Animal
Lab
Computer model
Natural levels, tool or combination only

Studies7 in all, 2006 to 2026

Studies with results3 in all, 2024 to 2026

Retracted studies are left out. A study with results in two classes counts in both.

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

What the studies measured

People first in each area, then animals, then lab cells. Counts are exact and come from studies that gave the peptide.

Pentapeptide-18 studies on cancer

2 results · people 0 · animals 0 · lab 2

2 results

In cells, Leuphasyl showed particularly pronounced toxicity in MDA-MB-231 cancer cells.Cell biochemistry and biophysics, 2026
In cells, Leuphasyl showed particularly pronounced toxicity in PC3 cancer cells.Cell biochemistry and biophysics, 2026

Pentapeptide-18 studies on side effects

1 result · people 0 · animals 0 · lab 1

1 result

In cells, Leuphasyl showed no toxicity at concentrations up to 1 mg/mL.Chemistry & biodiversity, 2026

Trials and papers

Pentapeptide-18 trials

Registered trials that test the peptide, with phase, status and dates. A dot marks trials with posted results.

StatusPhase

0 trials match. Highest phase first. Data from ClinicalTrials.gov.

No trial matches these filters.

Papers

Studies on this peptide. Some have results. The others have none yet.

Sort

Design

7 studies match. Retracted studies are left out.

Showing 5 of 7 studiesquery qry_687488c03e6bd80556ab54ef

Studies with results

3 studies

Not a test of Pentapeptide-18 alone · 2024

2 results

Retinol and Oligopeptide-Loaded Lipid Nanocarriers as Effective Raw Material in Anti-Acne and Anti-Aging Therapies.

Pawłowska et al. 2024Life (Basel, Switzerland)cited by 3

PMID 39459512PMC11508827DOI 10.3390/life14101212PUB-39459512

CC BY2 results where Pentapeptide-18 was a tool, carrier or part of a combination

Download PDF See results (2)

In vitro (cells) · 2026

2 results

Integrative In Silico and In Vitro Evaluation of Vialox and Leuphasyl Pentapeptides for Antiaging Applications.

Akhan et al. 2026Chemistry & biodiversity

PMID 42116636PMC13380999DOI 10.1002/cbdv.202502546PUB-42116636

Rights unknown1 result where Pentapeptide-18 was given (plus 1 on tools or combinations, listed separately)

Source link See results (2)

In vitro (cells) · 2026

5 results

In Vitro and In Silico Assessment of Anticancer Activity of Venom-Derived and Biomimetic Neurotransmitter Inhibitor Pentapeptides.

Akhan et al. 2026Cell biochemistry and biophysics

PMID 42412310DOI 10.1007/s12013-026-02095-zPUB-42412310

Full text at the publisher2 results where Pentapeptide-18 was given (plus 3 on tools or combinations, listed separately)

Publisher page See results (5)

More studies

2 studies

PubMed tag: none · 2006

Tumor-cell-targeted methionine-enkephalin analogues containing unnatural amino acids: design, synthesis, and in vitro antitumor activity.

Horvat et al. 2006Journal of medicinal chemistrycited by 30

PMID 16722632DOI 10.1021/jm051026+PUB-16722632

Full text at the publisher

Publisher page

PubMed tag: none · 2024

Solid Lipid Nanoparticles Incorporated with Retinol and Pentapeptide-18-Optimization, Characterization, and Cosmetic Application.

Pawłowska et al. 2024International journal of molecular sciencescited by 6

PMID 39337562PMC11432460DOI 10.3390/ijms251810078PUB-39337562

CC BY

Download PDF

No result for Pentapeptide-18 (2 studies on this page)

These studies name Pentapeptide-18 but give no result for it (for example, the results concern another peptide in the study).

Indexing hint: In vitro study · 2020

D-tyrosine adds an anti-melanogenic effect to cosmetic peptides.

Park et al. 2020Scientific reportscited by 28

PMID 31937863PMC6959337DOI 10.1038/s41598-019-57159-3PUB-31937863

CC BY

Download PDF

PubMed tag: none · 2026

Pentapeptide-18 as an anti-aging candidate: Spectroscopic characterization and molecular interaction analysis.

Akhan et al. 2026Computational biology and chemistry

PMID 41722287DOI 10.1016/j.compbiolchem.2026.108952PUB-41722287

Full text at the publisher

Publisher page

Newer studies

PepBank reads each paper before it shows the results. This search looks in Europe PMC for newer papers that PepBank has not read yet.

Pentapeptide-18 studies: 3 papers with results

Page 1 of 1

In Vitro and In Silico Assessment of Anticancer Activity of Venom-Derived and Biomimetic Neurotransmitter Inhibitor Pentapeptides.
Akhan D · Cell biochemistry and biophysics · 2026
In vitro (cells) · 5 results
Integrative In Silico and In Vitro Evaluation of Vialox and Leuphasyl Pentapeptides for Antiaging Applications.
Akhan D · Chemistry & biodiversity · 2026
In vitro (cells) · 2 results
Retinol and Oligopeptide-Loaded Lipid Nanocarriers as Effective Raw Material in Anti-Acne and Anti-Aging Therapies.
Pawłowska M · Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024
Not a test of Pentapeptide-18 alone · 2 results

Status and safety

Regulatory and safety

Approval and sport status, and the safety outcomes reported in study results. Laws and labels change, so check the regulator for the current status.

Regulatory status by jurisdiction, with date and source
Jurisdiction	Body	Status	As of	Source
US	FDA	FDA SRS establishes substance identity, not approval. No FDA medicinal approval was established in the source search. This is a cosmetic ingredient.	27 Oct 2026	precision.fda.gov (opens in a new tab)
EU	EMA	No EMA medicinal authorisation was established in the source search. Cosmetic ingredient listings do not establish medicinal approval.	27 Oct 2026	Not recorded
Sport	WADA	Status unknown The 2026 List does not name pentapeptide-18 or Leuphasyl.	2026 List	wada-ama.org (opens in a new tab)
European Union	Note	INCI: PENTAPEPTIDE-18. CosIng reference 85801. Secondary ingredient dictionaries report this entry. The official page did not return the ingredient detail during this check. An inventory entry is not a medicinal approval.	27 Oct 2026	specialchem.com (opens in a new tab)

Safety outcomes

1 safety result for Pentapeptide-18.

No safety results from studies in people

The safety results below come from animal or lab studies. They do not show what happens in people.

Lab evidence· 1

In HaCaT cells, Leuphasyl showed no cytotoxicity at concentrations up to 1 mg/mL.
In vitro (cells)human

Doses studied · 1

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

up to 1 mg/mLLab
Species
human
Route
Not reported
Duration
Not reported
Design
In vitro (cells)

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

Data

Data and API

Data version, change history and code for this peptide.

Data version 30856030 Oct 2026

Peptide

Peptide id: PEP-000162
Peptide version: 2
Peptide hash: 15242d837503141a…
Data version: 308560

Latest changes

27 Oct 2026UpdatedData version 287306
27 Oct 2026CreatedData version 256757

For developers

curl -s https://pepbank.io/v1/briefs/pentapeptide-18

Evidence summary for Pentapeptide-18: counts by class, key results with sources, notices, data version.

Peptide as JSON Evidence summary as JSON

Outcome group	Human	Animal	Lab	Computer model	Total
Tumor growthCancer	No results	No results	Lab: 2 results from 1 study: 2 increase. Strongest design: In vitro (cells)	No results	2
Adverse eventsSkin and wound	No results	No results	Lab: 1 result from 1 study: 1 no significant change. Strongest design: In vitro (cells)	No results	1

Outcome group	Human	Animal	Lab	Computer model	Total
Tumor growthCancer	No results	No results	Lab: 2 results from 1 study: 2 increase. Strongest design: In vitro (cells)	No results	2
Adverse eventsSkin and wound	No results	No results	Lab: 1 result from 1 study: 1 no significant change. Strongest design: In vitro (cells)	No results	1

Pentapeptide-18 studies and research data

Pentapeptide-18 identity

Targets

Sequence and structure

Sequence

Parent: Leucine enkephalin

Properties

Net charge by pH

Composition

3D structure

2D structure

Pentapeptide-18 results by year and outcome

What the studies measured

Pentapeptide-18 studies on cancer

Pentapeptide-18 studies on side effects

Pentapeptide-18 trials

Papers

Studies with results

Retinol and Oligopeptide-Loaded Lipid Nanocarriers as Effective Raw Material in Anti-Acne and Anti-Aging Therapies.

Integrative In Silico and In Vitro Evaluation of Vialox and Leuphasyl Pentapeptides for Antiaging Applications.

In Vitro and In Silico Assessment of Anticancer Activity of Venom-Derived and Biomimetic Neurotransmitter Inhibitor Pentapeptides.

More studies

Tumor-cell-targeted methionine-enkephalin analogues containing unnatural amino acids: design, synthesis, and in vitro antitumor activity.

Solid Lipid Nanoparticles Incorporated with Retinol and Pentapeptide-18-Optimization, Characterization, and Cosmetic Application.

D-tyrosine adds an anti-melanogenic effect to cosmetic peptides.

Pentapeptide-18 as an anti-aging candidate: Spectroscopic characterization and molecular interaction analysis.

Newer studies

Pentapeptide-18 studies: 3 papers with results

Regulatory and safety

Lab evidence· 1

Doses studied · 1

Data and API

Peptide

Latest changes

For developers

Related peptides

Pentapeptide-18 results by year and outcome

Pentapeptide-18 studies on cancer

Pentapeptide-18 studies on side effects

Pentapeptide-18 trials

Papers

Studies with results

Retinol and Oligopeptide-Loaded Lipid Nanocarriers as Effective Raw Material in Anti-Acne and Anti-Aging Therapies.

Integrative In Silico and In Vitro Evaluation of Vialox and Leuphasyl Pentapeptides for Antiaging Applications.

In Vitro and In Silico Assessment of Anticancer Activity of Venom-Derived and Biomimetic Neurotransmitter Inhibitor Pentapeptides.

More studies

Tumor-cell-targeted methionine-enkephalin analogues containing unnatural amino acids: design, synthesis, and in vitro antitumor activity.

Solid Lipid Nanoparticles Incorporated with Retinol and Pentapeptide-18-Optimization, Characterization, and Cosmetic Application.

D-tyrosine adds an anti-melanogenic effect to cosmetic peptides.

Pentapeptide-18 as an anti-aging candidate: Spectroscopic characterization and molecular interaction analysis.

Pentapeptide-18 studies: 3 papers with results

Regulatory and safety

Lab evidence· 1

Doses studied · 1

Data and API

Peptide

Latest changes

For developers