Skin & Aesthetics
PDRN (polydeoxyribonucleotide)
aka PDRN · pdrn · polydeoxyribonucleotide · polydeoxyribonucleotides · poly deoxyribonucleotide · polynucleotide · polynucleotides · PN · PN-HPT · salmon sperm · salmon sperm facial · salmon sperm injections · salmon dna · salmon DNA facial · salmon DNA skin booster · DNA facial · pdrn serum · pdrn cream · rejuran · rejuran healer · Placentex · Plinest · skin booster
Grade
Purified bits of salmon sperm DNA, not a peptide: a licensed wound-healing medicine in Italy and an injected 'skin booster' in clinics, but the anti-ageing evidence is small and the serums are barely tested.
- Class
- Purified DNA fragments (deoxyribonucleotide polymers) extracted mainly from salmon or trout sperm; not a peptide. Sold as a licensed medicine in Italy (Placentex), as injectable medical devices (polynucleotide skin boosters) and as a cosmetic serum ingredient
- Evidence
- Grade C · Early / limited human data
- Sport / WADA
- Not named on the WADA Prohibited List and not a performance-enhancing substance. Because PDRN is an approved medicine in Italy, the S0 'non-approved substances' catch-all would not apply.
- Last reviewed
- 2026-10
Grade C · Early / limited human data
Why this grade
The evidence splits three ways. As an injected wound-healing medicine it is genuinely tested: a 216-patient placebo-controlled trial in diabetic foot ulcers was positive, and Placentex is a prescription medicine in Italy. As an injectable skin booster for ageing skin, the thing people now buy it for, the evidence is a handful of small trials (a 2026 systematic review found seven randomised trials with 183 people in total across rejuvenation, scars and wounds), often industry-linked, and one key Rejuran wrinkle trial was retracted. As a topical serum it is barely tested, and some 'PDRN' serums are not even made from salmon. That uneven, mostly small human evidence for the cosmetic uses puts it at C.
What is it?
Why people buy it
People use it to make skin look younger, smoother and better hydrated. It comes as clinic injections called skin boosters, and as face serums.
What we actually know
- •It is not a peptide. It is small pieces of DNA, mostly taken from salmon or trout sperm.
- •In Italy it is a prescription medicine for healing wounds. A good study in people with diabetic foot ulcers found ulcers healed faster.
- •For ageing skin, there are only a few small studies. They often found modest improvements, but most were small or linked to the makers.
- •One well-known study of the Rejuran brand was withdrawn by the journal. Serums have hardly been tested at all.
What might happen
- •Injections might slightly improve skin texture or hydration. The proof is limited.
- •Common side effects after injections are redness, swelling, bruising and small bumps. These usually settle in a few days.
- •It comes from fish. People with a fish allergy are advised to be careful.
- •A serum may do little. It is unclear how much DNA gets into the skin.
- •Some serums sold as 'PDRN' use DNA from plants or bacteria, not salmon. These have even less testing.
- •In the UK, the injections are sold as medical devices, not licensed medicines. That means less proof of benefit is required.
Bottom line
A real wound-healing medicine in Italy. As a beauty treatment, it is promising but not proven.
Know someone taking this?
Send on WhatsAppIt is like spreading compost made from someone else's old DNA. For slow-healing wounds in a proper trial, the soil did recover faster. For a smooth, glowing face, the garden photos are mostly small and taken by people who sell compost.
How is it meant to work?
PDRN is thought to work in two ways. First, it activates the adenosine A2A receptor on cells, a signal linked in lab and animal studies to less inflammation, more new blood vessels and more collagen. Second, as it is broken down it supplies DNA building blocks (nucleosides and nucleotides) that damaged cells can reuse through the 'salvage pathway' rather than making them from scratch. Longer-chain polynucleotides used as skin boosters are also said to hold water and act as a scaffold in the skin. Most of this mechanism comes from lab and animal work.
What's it studied for?
Research contexts. Not proven uses, and not recommendations.
Does the human evidence stack up?
Mixed in quality depending on the use. For wound healing there is a solid placebo-controlled trial: 216 people with diabetic foot ulcers in Italy, with complete healing in 37.3% of the PDRN group versus 18.9% on placebo after 8 weeks (Squadrito et al., 2014). For the cosmetic uses that drive today's demand, the evidence is small. A 2026 systematic review found just seven randomised trials, with 183 participants in total, across skin rejuvenation, scar prevention and wound healing; results generally favoured PN or PDRN, the most consistent benefit was in wound healing, no serious treatment-related side effects were reported, and the authors said the evidence is limited by small samples and inconsistent methods. In a 27-person split-face trial, PN filler under the eyes was not significantly better than a hyaluronic acid filler on overall aesthetic scores. The best-known Rejuran wrinkle trial (72 patients) was retracted by its journal in 2016. Many other papers are open-label case series, surveys or expert opinion, some written by people paid by manufacturers. Topical 'PDRN serums' have almost no independent human trials.
What could go wrong?
- !Not a peptide, despite being sold alongside peptides and in 'peptide' skincare.
- !Cosmetic benefit rests on small, short, often industry-linked studies; a key Rejuran trial was retracted.
- !In the UK and EU, injectable skin boosters are regulated as medical devices, which do not need the efficacy evidence required for a licensed medicine.
- !Made from fish DNA: people with fish allergy are advised to be cautious, though a narrative review notes not everyone with fish allergy reacts.
- !Injection side effects reported include redness, swelling, discomfort, bumps and bruising, usually lasting days.
- !Topical serums: little evidence that DNA penetrates intact skin in useful amounts, and 'PDRN' on a label may mean plant- or bacteria-derived DNA rather than salmon.
- !Device status covers the product, not the injection procedure, which carries its own risks depending on who does it.
Is it legal in the UK?
We found no UK marketing authorisation for any PDRN or polynucleotide medicine; Placentex is licensed in Italy, not the UK. Injectable polynucleotide skin boosters used in UK aesthetic clinics (for example Plinest) are sold as CE-marked Class III medical devices, a route that checks safety and performance claims but is not the same as a medicine licence. Topical PDRN serums are sold as cosmetics under the UK Cosmetics Regulation and may only make appearance claims. It is not a controlled drug.
Key trials
- NCT00638872· Phase 4· Completed
Diabetic Foot Ulcers and Use of PDRN (Polydeoxyribonucleotide - Placentex Mastelli) as a Treatment for Wound Healing
University of Messina-sponsored Placentex trial in diabetic foot ulcers, 215 enrolled, completed 2011.
- NCT05149118· Phase 4· Completed
Effect of PDRN in Post-operative Scars
Small registered trial (22 enrolled) of PDRN for scar quality after surgery.
Sources
- 01The effect of PDRN, an adenosine receptor A2A agonist, on the healing of chronic diabetic foot ulcers: results of a clinical trial — Squadrito F, Bitto A, Altavilla D, et al., Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (2014)
216-patient double-blind placebo-controlled trial: complete healing 37.3% vs 18.9% at 8 weeks. The strongest human evidence for PDRN, and it is for ulcers, not faces.
- 02Polynucleotides and Polydeoxyribonucleotides for Skin Rejuvenation, Postoperative Scar Prevention, and Wound Healing: A Systematic Review of Randomized Clinical Trials — Alhussain AM, Albusayys STM, Alfhadi MA, et al., Cureus (2026)
Seven RCTs, 183 participants in total; benefits most consistent in wound healing; evidence limited by small, heterogeneous studies.
- 03Comparison of the effects of polynucleotide and hyaluronic acid fillers on periocular rejuvenation: a randomized, double-blind, split-face trial — Lee YJ, Kim HT, Lee YJ, et al., Journal of Dermatological Treatment (2022)
27 people; no significant difference from HA filler on global aesthetic scores; some skin measurements favoured PN.
- 04A phase III, randomized, double-blind, matched-pairs, active-controlled clinical trial and preclinical animal study to compare the durability, efficacy and safety between polynucleotide filler and hyaluronic acid filler in the correction of crow's feet (RETRACTED) — Pak CS, Lee J, Lee H, et al., Journal of Korean Medical Science (2014)
The 72-patient Rejuran crow's-feet trial. Retracted in 2016 (J Korean Med Sci 2016;31(2):330).
- 05A Real-Life Assessment of Injectable Polynucleotides High Purification Technology in Aesthetic Medicine for Skin Rejuvenation — Eliana L, et al., Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology (2026)
Observational, uncontrolled data on 66 patients. Describes Plinest as a CE-marked Class III injectable device.
- 06Polynucleotides and polydeoxyribonucleotides in dermatology: a narrative review — Arora G, Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery (2026)
PN vs PDRN by molecular weight; salmon and trout sources; local side effects; caution in fish allergy.
- 07Applications of Marine Organism-Derived Polydeoxyribonucleotide: Its Potential in Biomedical Engineering — Kim TH, Heo SY, Oh GW, et al., Marine Drugs (2021)
Source (salmon trout or chum salmon sperm), molecular weight range and proposed A2A and salvage-pathway actions.
- 08Polydeoxyribonucleotides (PDRNs) From Skin to Musculoskeletal Tissue Regeneration via Adenosine A(2A) Receptor Involvement — Veronesi F, Dallari D, Sabbioni G, et al., Journal of Cellular Physiology (2017)
Review of 29 studies, mostly lab and animal; mechanism via adenosine A2A receptor.
- 09Expert Perspectives: Evidence-Based Applications of Polynucleotides (PNs) in Aesthetic Medicine and Dermatology — Rho NK, Chilukuri S, Chan G, et al., Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology (2026)
Rejuran expert opinion. Authors are PharmaResearch advisory-board members or employees; states the evidence base remains limited.
- 10Topical medium-length PDRN enhances dermal extracellular matrix repair in photodamaged skin via PI3K-Akt/TGF-beta-regulated pathways — Ye R, Wang Q, Du L, et al., PLoS One (2026)
Lab and skin-model work plus a 28-day split-face eye-cream study vs retinol. One of very few topical human studies; includes a company-affiliated author.
- 11Real-World Cases Using Phyto Polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN) Serum — Wu Y, Guenin S, Fung E, et al., Journal of Drugs in Dermatology (2026)
Eight case reports. The 'PDRN' in this serum comes from the bacterium Lactobacillus sakei, not salmon.
- 12Placentex: scheda tecnica (Italian product information), Torrinomedica (reproduces the AIFA-authorised product information)
Placentex (Mastelli) is an Italian prescription medicine containing PDRN; contraindicated in hypersensitivity to the active substance.
- 13PharmaResearch wins regulatory nod for upgraded Rejuran HB skin booster, Korea Biomedical Review (2021)
Rejuran is a polynucleotide-based medical device approved by South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.
Related
Before you trust a vial
Peptides are freeze-dried for a reason. If you have seen PDRN (polydeoxyribonucleotide) sold pre-mixed in a ready-to-use pen or syringe, here is why that is a red flag for potency, sterility and dosing.
Storage & stability →Stay posted
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