AC-SDKP is short for N-acetyl-Ser-Asp-Lys-Pro, a natural tetrapeptide also known as goralatide. What makes it interesting is that the body both produces and breaks it down, and the balance between those two processes is exactly what made the peptide a subject of fibrosis research.

What AC-SDKP is, briefly

AC-SDKP is an endogenous tetrapeptide. It is generated from the protein thymosin-β4 and degraded by the enzyme ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme), specifically its N-terminal domain. The detailed biochemistry lives in the AC-SDKP monograph; here is the gist.

Where the interest came from

A key 1995 paper showed that AC-SDKP is a natural and specific substrate of angiotensin-converting enzyme (J. Biol. Chem., 1995). That explained something important: tissue levels of the peptide depend on ACE activity, so when ACE is inhibited, AC-SDKP accumulates. The molecule thus sits at the intersection of two big themes: blood-pressure regulation and fibrosis control.

A 2014 review summed up the accumulated data and described AC-SDKP as a valuable endogenous antifibrotic peptide, while also marking the line between what is established and what is still hypothesis (Front. Pharmacol., 2014).

Why this matters for a researcher

Fibrosis is the excess accumulation of connective tissue, and the central pro-fibrotic signal here is TGF-β. AC-SDKP is interesting precisely as a natural counterweight to that process in lab models. Because it is an endogenous molecule with a known synthesis and degradation pathway, it is convenient for studying how tissue balances scarring against repair.

Research status

Longeva material is research use only. It is not a medicine or a supplement. AC-SDKP has no approved indications; the data above concern experimental and preclinical work, not a ready treatment, and are not a basis for self-administration.

See also: research results for Ac-SDKP and its antifibrotic mechanism.

Lots come with a certificate of analysis from an independent third-party laboratory; a COA (certificate of analysis) by lot number is in the open archive. For specifications and presentation, see the AC-SDKP catalogue page.