Laboratory compound comes up often in conversation and rarely with the context attached. Here we lay out the basics in order, then work through the practical considerations.
Last reviewed on 2026-01-28. Where a claim depends on a specific study, the study is described rather than over-claimed.
A persistent misconception is that cardarine is a fat-burning drug or a safe alternative to anabolic steroids. No approved therapeutic product exists, and human safety data are limited. The tumor findings in rodents remain a central concern in scientific reviews. Products sold online may contain inaccurate labels, impurities, or different compounds entirely, which complicates any assessment of effects. Independent testing of such products has reported frequent mislabeling. For these reasons, discussions in the literature emphasize risks and unknowns rather than benefits.
Cardarine is not approved for human therapeutic use in any major jurisdiction. It appears on the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List as a PPARδ agonist within the hormone and metabolic modulators category. Sports organizations test for it because it has been detected in athlete samples and seized products. Regulatory actions against marketed research chemical versions have occurred in several countries, though enforcement varies. Availability through unregulated channels complicates oversight.
Analytical laboratories typically identify cardarine and its metabolites using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Urine is a common matrix in anti-doping testing, while blood and tissue may be used in research settings. Detection windows depend on the assay, the sample matrix, and the compound's metabolism. Because cardarine is extensively metabolized, laboratories often target specific metabolites to improve sensitivity and confirmation. Reference standards are required for reliable quantification. Method validation includes checks for selectivity, linearity, and carryover.
The compound is typically described as a laboratory compound rather than a therapeutic product. Published reports have explored its role in lipid disorders, insulin sensitivity, and exercise metabolism, yet no major drug regulator has approved it for medical use. Commercial samples sold under the cardarine name may vary in purity and identity. Analytical confirmation is therefore necessary when the material is discussed in scientific or regulatory contexts. Its classification as a prohibited substance in sport further shapes how it is studied and reported.
Cardarine is a common name for GW501516, a synthetic compound studied for its effects on lipid and glucose metabolism. It functions as an agonist at peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta, or PPARδ, a nuclear receptor that influences gene expression. The molecule is not a steroid, nor is it a selective androgen receptor modulator. It is also known in research and sports literature as GW-501516 and endurobol. Early laboratory work examined its metabolic activity in cell cultures and animal models.
Activation of PPARδ changes transcription of genes involved in fatty acid transport, mitochondrial function, and skeletal muscle fuel preference. In rodent studies, pharmacological PPARδ activation was associated with increased endurance and altered body composition. These findings generated interest in performance enhancement, but species differences and study designs limit direct extrapolation to humans. Small human trials were conducted in the 2000s and later discontinued. The extent to which cardarine produces similar metabolic or performance effects in people remains an open question.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Regulatory status | Not approved for human therapeutic use | No marketing authorization identified in major jurisdictions. |
| Anti-doping class | PPARδ agonist; hormone and metabolic modulators | Listed on the WADA Prohibited List. |
| Common test matrix | Urine | Also blood and tissue in research settings. |
| Typical analytical method | LC-MS/MS | Targets parent compound and metabolites. |
| Major safety signal | Tumor findings in rodents | Human relevance not established; limited human data. |
=== 2004 === 24 June Human Face Transplant, an Equinox Special, about Jacqui Saburido, after a drunk driver hit her car, work takes place at the University of Louisville School of Medicine; featured the work of John Barker in Kentucky, and his colleague Joe Banis; the French plastic surgeon Laurent Lantieri. Narrated by Lucy Briers, directed by Iain Scollay
EPRS1 acts, in human cells, as a proviral factor in mammarenaviruses infection, including LCMV, JUNV, and LASV, and its inhibition using halofuginon compound, a prolyl domain inhibitor, completely abolishes the viral infection by interrupting viral assembly and budding. A diet rich in proline was linked to an increased risk of depression in humans in a study from 2022 that was tested on a limited pre-clinical trial on humans and primarily in other organisms. Results were significant in the other organisms.
=== Brand names === CPA is marketed under brand names including Androcur, Androcur Depot, Androcur-100, Androstat, Asoteron, Cyprone, Cyproplex, Cyprostat, Cysaxal, Imvel, and Siterone. When CPA is formulated in combination with ethinylestradiol, it is also known as co-cyprindiol, and brand names for this formulation include Andro-Diane, Bella HEXAL 35, Chloe, Cypretil, Cypretyl, Cyproderm, Diane, Diane Mite, Diane-35, Dianette, Dixi 35, Drina, Elleacnelle, Estelle, Estelle-35, Ginette, Linface, Minerva, Vreya, and Zyrona. CPA is also marketed in combination with estradiol valerate as Climen, Climene, Elamax, and Femilar.
=== Angiofibromas === Sirolimus has been used as a topical treatment of angiofibromas with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). Facial angiofibromas occur in 80% of patients with TSC, and the condition is very disfiguring. A retrospective review of English-language medical publications reporting on topical sirolimus treatment of facial angiofibromas found sixteen separate studies with positive patient outcomes after using the drug. The reports involved a total of 84 patients, and improvement was observed in 94% of subjects, especially if treatment began during the early stages of the disease. Sirolimus treatment was applied in several different formulations (ointment, gel, solution, and cream), ranging from 0.003 to 1% concentrations. Reported adverse effects included one case of perioral dermatitis, one case of cephalea, and four cases of irritation. In April 2022, sirolimus was approved by the FDA for treating angiofibromas.
Chemical modification of wood. Wood and Fiber Sci., 26(2):270-280. Langrish, T.A.G. and Walker, J.C.F. (1993). Transport Processes in Wood. In: Walker, J.C.F. Primary Wood Processing. Chapman and Hall, London. pp121–152. Panshin, A.J. and de Zeeuw, C. (1970). Textbook of Wood Technology. Volume 1, Third Edition. McGraw-Hill, New York, 705 p. Pordage, L.J. and Langrish, T.A.G. (1999). Simulation of the effect of air velocity in the drying of hardwood timber. Drying Technology - An International Journal, 17(1&2):237-256. Rasmussen, E.F. (1988). Forest Products Laboratory, U.S. Department of Agriculture. (ed.). Dry Kiln Operators Manual. Hardwood Research Council. Rowell, R.M. (1983). Chemical modification of wood. Forest Product Abstract, 6(12):363-382. Rowell, R.M. (1991). Chemical Modification of Wood. In: Hon, D.N.-S and Shiraishi, N. (eds), Wood and Cellulosic Chemistry. pp. 703–756. Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York. Siau, J.F. (1984). Transport processes in wood. Springer-Verlag, New York. 245p. Sjostrom, E. (1993). Wood Chemistry: Fundamentals and Applications. Academic Press Limited, London. 293p. Skaar, C. (1988). Wood Water Relations. Springer-Verlag, New York. 283p. Stamm, A. J. (1964). Wood and Cellulose Science. Ronald Press, New York. 509p. Standard Australia (2000). Timber - Classification into Strength Groups. Australian/New Zealand Standard (AS/NZS) 2878. Sydney. 36p. Standard Australia (2001). Timber - Assessment of Drying Quality. Australian/New Zealand Standard (AS/NZS) 4787. Sydney. 24p. Strumillo, C. and Kudra, T. (1986).
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Examples of antagonists, or more appropriately named receptor channel blockers, of the NMDA receptor are APV, amantadine, dextromethorphan (DXM), ketamine, magnesium, tiletamine, phencyclidine (PCP), riluzole, memantine, methoxetamine (MXE), methoxphenidine (MXP) and kynurenic acid. While dizocilpine is generally considered to be the prototypical NMDA receptor blocker and is the most common agent used in research, animal studies have demonstrated some amount of neurotoxicity, which may or may not also occur in humans. These compounds are commonly referred to as NMDA receptor antagonists.
=== Emotional responses === Every emotional response has a behavioral, an autonomic, and a hormonal component. The hormonal component includes the release of adrenaline, an adrenomedullary response to stress controlled by the sympathetic nervous system. The major emotion studied in relation to adrenaline is fear. In an experiment, subjects who were injected with adrenaline expressed more negative and fewer positive facial expressions to fear films compared to a control group. These subjects also reported a more intense fear from the films and greater mean intensity of negative memories than control subjects. The findings from this study demonstrate that there are learned associations between negative feelings and levels of adrenaline. Overall, the greater amount of adrenaline is positively correlated with an aroused state of negative emotions. These findings can be an effect in part that adrenaline elicits physiological sympathetic responses, including an increased heart rate and knee shaking, which can be attributed to the feeling of fear regardless of the actual level of fear elicited from the video. Although studies have found a definite relation between adrenaline and fear, other emotions have not had such results. In the same study, subjects did not express a greater amusement to an amusement film nor greater anger to an anger film. Similar findings were also supported in a study that involved rodent subjects that either were able or unable to produce adrenaline.
== Limitations == A potential challenge of aquasome-based drug delivery could be toxicity due to burst release of drugs if poorly absorbed on the carbohydrate coat. Aquasomes can also be expensive to formulate, particularly due to their step-by-step synthesis. Careful attention is needed during aquasome production to tune the thickness of each layer, and leaching and aggregation may occur during prolonged storage of aquasomes. A physiological challenge aquasomes present is that upon their entry into the bloodstream, they may be taken up nonspecifically, leading to opsonization and phagocytic clearance by the immune system. To prevent this, aquasome surfaces can be coated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) to block opsonin binding through steric hindrance; however, the effect of PEGylation on aquasome drug release has not been sufficiently explored to enable clinical applications. Polymer degradation in different physiological environments can change the stability and drug loading of aquasomes over time, as their surface properties directly impact drug release. Aquasomes may also be challenging to scale up and prepare as it is difficult to ensure consistent formulation quality. More research is needed to demonstrate both the efficiency and safety of aquasomes in clinical use.
== Physiology and industrial uses == Rhizopus oryzae is involved in steroid transformations and it produces 4-desmethyl steroids which has been useful in the fermentation industry. The carbon sources does influence the ratio of polar and neutral lipids. The mycelium found in R. oryzae contains lipids and the highest lipid content occurs when grown on fructose. The highest unsaturated fatty acid content is observed at 30 °C and lowest at 15 °C. Proteolytic properties have been observed well under the conditions of pH 7 at 35 °C. Pyridozine and thiamine prefer proteinase production. R. oryzae can degrade aflatoxin A1 to isomeric hydroxy compounds and aflatoxin G1 to fluorescent metabolite aflatoxin A1. There are various factors that influence the production of dextro-lactic acids, fumaric acid, and metabolism of R. oryzae. For examples, in 40 °C there is more favorable growth for glucose consumption, however this influenced production of d-lactic acid production negatively. Glucose concentration of 15% is needed for optimal production of d-lactic acid. Fumaric acid production was suppressed in media containing more than 6 grams of NH4NO3 per liter and is favorable to d-lactic acid production. Rhizopus oryzae is considered GRAS by the FDA and thus recognized as safe to use industrially as it can consume a range of carbon sources. During fermentation. R. oryzae produce amylase, lipase, and protease activity to increase nutrient's ability to use many compounds as an energy and carbon source.
=== Longnose skate === The longnose skate, Raja rhina, is considered a larger skate species; reaching a maximum size range of 145 cm total length. Although their egg cases are smaller than that of the big skate, their cases are also considered large; ranging 93–102 mm in length. Egg cases contain a single embryo. Longnose skate egg cases found in the field are brown in color. The external side is covered with a fibrous material, which is thicker on the top side and thinner on the bottom side of the case. The case is smooth underneath the fibrous material.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
No. Cardarine has not received approval for human therapeutic use in major jurisdictions. It remains an investigational compound.
It is classified as a PPARδ agonist on the WADA Prohibited List. Anti-doping laboratories can detect it and its metabolites in urine. Its use is banned in competition and usually out of competition.
Rodent studies reported increased tumor incidence at multiple sites. The human relevance remains uncertain, but the findings contributed to discontinuation of development. No long-term human cancer data are available.
Cardarine is a common name for GW501516, a synthetic PPARδ agonist. It is not a steroid or a selective androgen receptor modulator. It was developed and studied as a research compound for metabolic pathways.