PDRN, or polydeoxyribonucleotide, is a biological compound made from fragments of salmon DNA. It’s used in both medical and aesthetic treatments to speed up tissue repair, reduce inflammation, and rejuvenate skin. Extracted from the sperm cells of salmon trout or chum salmon, PDRN consists of small DNA fragments with molecular weights ranging from 50 to 1,500 kDa. These fragments don’t alter your own DNA. Instead, they act as raw building blocks and cellular signals that help your body heal and regenerate tissue faster than it otherwise would.
How PDRN Works in the Body
PDRN’s main job is activating a specific receptor on your cells called the adenosine A2A receptor. When PDRN binds to this receptor, it triggers a cascade of effects: inflammation drops, blood vessel growth increases, and cells begin dividing and repairing tissue more quickly. This receptor activation also raises levels of a signaling molecule called cAMP inside cells, which switches on growth and repair pathways.
One of those downstream pathways involves a signaling system that controls how cells grow, specialize, and survive. When activated, it promotes collagen production, new tissue formation, and wound closure. This dual action, reducing inflammation while simultaneously boosting repair, is what makes PDRN useful across such different medical fields.
Skin Rejuvenation and Aesthetics
PDRN has become one of the more popular injectable skin treatments in Asia and is gaining traction globally, often sold under brand names like Rejuran. In aesthetic settings, it’s injected in small amounts just beneath the skin’s surface to stimulate collagen production, improve elasticity, boost hydration, and reduce fine lines and wrinkles.
Clinical trials back up these claims to varying degrees. A randomized controlled trial found significant improvements in skin elasticity and wrinkle depth after PDRN treatment. Other studies have shown measurable gains in skin firmness, texture, and collagen synthesis. When compared head-to-head with other injectable fillers, PDRN-based products showed a greater effect on reducing wrinkle depth and improving skin texture, though both types improved elasticity and hydration.
A typical aesthetic treatment plan starts with one to three sessions spaced three to four weeks apart, followed by additional sessions at four- to six-week intervals. Most people see optimal results after three to four sessions. After that initial course, maintenance treatments every two to three months can extend the effects.
Wound Healing and Diabetic Ulcers
PDRN’s most impressive clinical evidence comes from wound healing, particularly for diabetic foot ulcers, which are notoriously slow to close. In a clinical trial published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, PDRN roughly doubled healing rates compared to a placebo. Complete wound closure occurred in 37.3% of PDRN-treated patients versus 18.9% in the placebo group. The median time to full healing was 30 days with PDRN compared to 49 days with placebo. After eight weeks, the PDRN group had 82.2% of their ulcer area covered with new skin, compared to just 49.3% in the placebo group.
These results are particularly meaningful because diabetic foot ulcers carry serious risks, including infection and amputation, and standard treatments often fall short. PDRN’s ability to promote blood vessel growth and reduce the chronic inflammation that stalls healing in diabetic tissue makes it well suited for this use.
Joint and Tendon Treatments
PDRN injections are also being used for musculoskeletal problems, including tendon injuries, tennis elbow, plantar fasciitis, and rotator cuff disease. The evidence here is earlier-stage but consistently positive across multiple small studies.
For chronic plantar fasciitis, a randomized trial of 20 patients found that PDRN injections produced better pain and function scores than placebo at both 4 and 12 weeks. A separate comparative study found that after six months, PDRN performed similarly to corticosteroid injections for plantar fasciitis pain, suggesting it could serve as an alternative without the tissue-thinning risks that come with repeated steroid use.
In patients with chronic rotator cuff disease, pain scores dropped within a week of treatment and remained improved at one and three months, with shoulder function continuing to improve over that period. For tennis elbow, a randomized trial of 69 patients found that combining a brace with PDRN injections produced significantly better outcomes than a brace alone at 6 and 12 weeks. Case reports have documented rapid pain relief for other conditions too, with one patient’s knee bursitis pain dropping from 7 out of 10 to zero within two weeks of a single injection.
PDRN vs. Polynucleotides
You’ll often see PDRN mentioned alongside “PN” or polynucleotides, and the two are closely related but not identical. Both are derived from DNA, but PDRN specifically refers to deoxyribonucleotide chains (DNA-based), while polynucleotides can include both DNA and RNA-based fragments. In practice, both work through similar mechanisms and are used for overlapping purposes. Lower-dose formulations tend to be used for cosmetic and aesthetic applications, while higher-dose protocols are reserved for regenerative therapies and wound repair.
How PDRN Is Administered
PDRN comes in several forms depending on the intended use. For skin rejuvenation, it’s delivered through microinjections into the dermis, often using a series of small injections across the treatment area. Medical formulations typically come in 3 mL vials containing 5.625 mg of PDRN, administered through intramuscular injection, direct injection around a wound, or even embedded in wound dressings. Eye drop formulations exist as well. Topical gels combining PDRN with hyaluronic acid are available for less invasive applications.
Side effects from PDRN injections are generally mild. Because the DNA fragments are purified and stripped of proteins during processing, allergic reactions are uncommon. The most typical reactions are temporary redness, swelling, or bruising at injection sites, which resolve within a few days. Clinical trials across wound healing and aesthetic applications have consistently described PDRN as well-tolerated.