ARA-290
ARA-290 (cibinetide) is a small, non-erythropoietic peptide engineered from the tertiary structure of erythropoietin that selectively activates the 'innate repair receptor' to produce anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective effects without stimulating red blood cell production, and it has been studied in several small human clinical trials, primarily for neuropathic pain and small-fiber neuropathy.
This page is a research-orientation summary, not a dosing guide. For anything beyond general background, read the primary literature or talk to a qualified clinician — specifics like amount, frequency, or administration aren't something we publish here.
What it does & how it works
ARA-290 binds a heteromeric receptor complex composed of the erythropoietin receptor subunit and the beta-common (CD131) receptor subunit — referred to as the 'innate repair receptor' — activating anti-inflammatory and tissue-protective intracellular signaling while avoiding the classical homodimeric erythropoietin receptor responsible for red blood cell production. Reported downstream effects include modulation of TRPV1 channel activity relevant to pain signaling, suppression of spinal microglial activation, and reduction of inflammatory cytokine signaling in nerve and other tissues.
Typical results seen in research
In animal models, ARA-290 has reduced neuropathic pain behavior and suppressed spinal microglial responses, and has shown tissue-protective effects including reduced doxorubicin-induced genotoxicity/oxidative stress and attenuated brain injury in a cerebral ischemic stroke model. In small randomized or pilot human trials, ARA-290 improved corneal nerve fiber density and neuropathic symptoms in patients with sarcoidosis-associated small-fiber neuropathy and improved metabolic control and neuropathic symptoms in a trial involving patients with type 2 diabetes; these were early-phase studies with modest sample sizes, not large confirmatory trials, so effects should be described as promising but preliminary in humans.
How it’s commonly used
In the clinical trials conducted to date, ARA-290 has been administered via subcutaneous injection over defined, relatively short treatment periods; it has been studied specifically for neuropathic pain and small-fiber neuropathy contexts rather than for acute wound or musculoskeletal healing.
- Molecular Medicine · 2013 ARA 290 improves symptoms in patients with sarcoidosis-associated small nerve fiber loss and increases corneal nerve fiber density
- Molecular Medicine · 2012 Safety and efficacy of ARA 290 in sarcoidosis patients with symptoms of small fiber neuropathy: a randomized, double-blind pilot study
- Molecular Medicine · 2015 ARA 290, a nonerythropoietic peptide engineered from erythropoietin, improves metabolic control and neuropathic symptoms in patients with type 2 diabetes
- Molecular Pain · 2014 ARA 290, a peptide derived from the tertiary structure of erythropoietin, produces long-term relief of neuropathic pain coupled with suppression of the spinal microglia response
- Peptides · 2016 ARA 290 relieves pathophysiological pain by targeting TRPV1 channel: Integration between immune system and nociception
Curated from published literature for research orientation. Not an exhaustive review, and not a substitute for reading primary sources.