← Back to Methodology
RQS Scoring Log

PE-22-28

Nootropics & Neuroprotection· Animal / In Vitro· Scored June 2026· View compound profile →
27 /100
Weak Evidence
7 dimensions · 100 points total · Methodology by PeptideClear
Dimension Breakdown
DimensionScoring NotesScore
Study Design
Well-executed preclinical work: patch-clamp electrophysiology on human TREK-1 channels plus validated rodent behavioral models (forced swim, novelty-suppressed feeding) with appropriate controls. Methodology is sound for what it is, but the entire base is animal and in vitro.
 12 / 25
Sample Size
Small rodent cohorts and cell-line assays. No human sample of any size.
 3 / 20
Replication
Findings come almost entirely from the single originating laboratory. Minimal independent replication exists.
 2 / 20
Journal Impact Factor
Published in venues such as Frontiers in Pharmacology, with the parent spadin work in PLoS Biology. Mixed mid-tier.
 5 / 15
Funding Independence
Academic (French public research / CNRS), but concentrated in the one group that also holds the intellectual-property interest in the spadin / TREK-1 antidepressant line. Single-group concentration is the main constraint.
 3 / 10
Population Diversity
No human populations; rodent models only.
 0 / 5
Researcher h-Index
The originating group is credible in the TREK-1 niche but does not carry a top-tier citation profile in broader neuroscience.
 2 / 5
Sources: PubMed — Djillani et al. 2017, Front Pharmacol (PMID 28955242); parent spadin characterization by Mazella and colleagues. Key journals: Frontiers in Pharmacology, PLoS Biology. Funding: academic (CNRS / French public research), concentrated in the originating group.

Note: PE-22-28 is a seven-amino-acid analog (sequence GVSWGLR) derived from spadin, engineered as a selective TREK-1 potassium-channel blocker with rapid antidepressant-like effects in rodents. The preclinical signal is genuinely interesting, but the evidence has not left the originating lab or entered human testing, and the CAS registry status has been ambiguous. This is an early-stage research compound; the Weak score reflects how far it is from clinical validation, not the quality of the bench work.

Scored by the PeptideClear editorial team using publicly available literature. Sources: PubMed (study design, sample size, replication) · ScimagoJR (journal impact factor) · Google Scholar (researcher h-Index) · Primary papers (funding disclosure). Scores are reviewed as new research is published.