HDAP2, plain answers

HDAP2 is a high-density aromatic peptide — Biotin-dArg-Phe-Phe-dArg-amide — designed by a CUNY research team to support mitochondrial membrane integrity under cellular stress. It is a mitochondria-targeted research peptide.

Biotin-dArg-Phe-Phe-dArg-amide: an N-terminal biotin tag, D-arginines flanking two phenylalanines, and a C-terminal amide cap. Published in MacNeil et al., Neuroscience 598:187–199 (2026).

It is mitochondria-targeted: the cationic D-arginine wings drive cell entry, the aromatic Phe-Phe core sits in mitochondrial membranes, and the whole molecule holds membrane integrity under stress. In the optic-nerve-crush model it prevented mitochondrial loss inside injured axons — prevention, not rescue.

Daily systemic HDAP2 in mice after optic nerve crush: it crossed the blood-retinal barrier, reached retinal ganglion cells, improved RGC survival across all retinal regions, and kept mitochondrial density in injured nerves at nearly threefold the untreated level — close to uninjured controls. Read the paper free at PMC13080697.

MacNeil, Arain, Mentor, Garcia-Marin and Birk (York College / CUNY Graduate Center). Therapeutic applications are patented by The Research Foundation, CUNY. Panacea Bio Chem investigates the peptide and claims no invention.

Because it is exactly the class of molecule Panacea's platforms exist for: a small, delicate, terminally amidated aromatic peptide whose value lives or dies with its formulation, preservation and delivery.