Vilon
| Category | Compounds |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Lys-Glu Dipeptide, KE Peptide |
| Last updated | 2026-04-14 |
| Reading time | 3 min read |
| Tags | khavinson-peptideimmunelongevityshort-peptideresearch |
Overview
Vilon is a dipeptide (Lys-Glu, KE) among the smallest of the Khavinson bioregulators. Khavinson's St. Petersburg group has published extensively on short peptides that are proposed to selectively regulate gene expression in target tissues; Vilon is assigned within that framework to immune system regulation and has been evaluated for longevity-associated endpoints in rodent studies.
Much of the primary literature on Vilon concerns lifespan studies in mice, immune cell function in aged animals, and chromatin-based readouts of "rejuvenation" effects similar to those described for Livagen and Epitalon. The combination of Vilon with other short peptides is a recurring theme in published Russian research and in longevity community discussion.
In research catalogs Vilon is grouped with other Khavinson peptides: Pinealon, Cortagen, Livagen, Vesugen, and Epitalon. Immune-directed thymic peptides Thymalin, Thymulin, and Thymosin Alpha-1 are commonly cross-referenced.
Structure / Chemistry
Vilon is the dipeptide Lys-Glu (KE). It is unmodified and among the simplest possible peptide structures. Chemically, it is supplied as the free acid and is easy to synthesize at commercial scale.
Mechanism of Action
Proposed mechanisms in the Khavinson framework include sequence-specific interactions with DNA and tissue-preferential activity on immune cell function and gene expression related to aging. Published animal studies describe effects on lymphocyte activity and on some biomarkers of biological age. Independent molecular validation of the proposed DNA-binding mechanism remains limited.
Research Summary
| Area | Finding | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lifespan | Mean lifespan effects in aged mice | Anisimov et al., Mech Ageing Dev 2003 |
| Immune | Effects on lymphocyte function in aging | Khavinson et al., Bull Exp Biol Med reports |
| Chromatin | Lymphocyte chromatin effects | Khavinson et al., Bull Exp Biol Med 2011 |
| Combination | Vilon + Epitalon longevity studies | Anisimov & Khavinson, Interdisc Top Gerontol 2010 |
| Biomarkers | Effects on age-related biomarkers | Russian research group reports |
Pharmacokinetics
English-language pharmacokinetic data on Vilon are limited. Research administration is typically subcutaneous or intranasal. Very short dipeptides are expected to have brief plasma half-lives but the Khavinson hypothesis holds that pharmacodynamic effects outlast plasma exposure through nuclear mechanisms.
Common Discussion Topics
- Interpretation of mouse lifespan studies from Khavinson's group.
- Plausibility of gene regulation by a dipeptide.
- Immune-modulating vs. general longevity effects.
- Stacking with Epitalon and other Khavinson peptides.
- Reproducibility in non-Russian research laboratories.
Related Compounds
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Related entries
- Cortagen— Cortagen is a Khavinson-class short peptide assigned in the bioregulator framework to cerebral cortex function and cognitive research.
- Epithalon— A synthetic tetrapeptide studied for telomerase activation, pineal gland regulation, and lifespan extension in animal models, based on decades of research by Vladimir Khavinson at the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology.
- Livagen— Livagen is a Khavinson-class short peptide assigned in the bioregulator framework to hepatic function and studied in aging and chromatin research.
- Pinealon— Pinealon is a Khavinson-class short peptide (Glu-Asp-Arg) associated with pineal and brain bioregulatory research in longevity models.
- Thymalin— A thymic-derived peptide complex studied extensively in Russian biogerontology for immune restoration and potential life-extension properties, closely associated with the Khavinson peptide bioregulation paradigm.