Vesugen
Also known as: KED, KED peptide, Lys-Glu-Asp
Evidence: Preclinical
Overview
Khavinson-series synthetic tripeptide KED (Lys-Glu-Asp), sold as a vascular bioregulator; studied in endothelial cell cultures and a mouse Alzheimer model, with uncontrolled Russian human reports.
Vesugen is the tripeptide KED (Lys-Glu-Asp) from the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology. Cell work covers vascular endothelial cell proliferation during aging (Khavinson 2014) and molecular markers relevant to atherosclerosis and restenosis (Kozlov 2016). In a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease it was among tripeptides with reported neuroprotective effects (Khavinson 2021). Human data are uncontrolled Russian reports: 41 older patients with chronic lower-limb arterial insufficiency (Kitachev 2014), a polymorbid cohort with organic brain syndrome (Meshchaninov 2015) and truck drivers with neurotic disorders, given with Pinealon (Bashkireva 2012). No randomized trial has been published.
Benefits
Vascular endothelial cell proliferation in aging cultures (in vitro), markers in atherosclerosis and restenosis models (preclinical), neuroprotection in a mouse Alzheimer model (rodent), chronic lower-limb arterial insufficiency in older adults (human, uncontrolled, n=41)
Dosing reference
- Research dose
- 200 to 1000 mcg daily: vendor/community range; not compared with the doses in the uncontrolled human reports
- Range
- 200 to 1000 mcg, 1x daily
Sold as oral capsules and as lyophilized powder for injection. Community protocols run 10 to 20 day courses two or three times a year; no study compared schedules. Doses in the uncontrolled Russian human reports have not been compared with this range.
Mechanism
Proposed, from the developing group. The peptide is reported to act epigenetically on vascular endothelial cell proliferation in aging cultures (Khavinson 2014) and to change molecular markers in models of atherosclerosis and restenosis (Kozlov 2016). Other work describes effects on neurogenesis genes relevant to Alzheimer's disease (Khavinson 2021) and on cells of the neuroimmunoendocrine system (Chalisova 2012). Gene regulation by direct DNA binding is the group's hypothesis and has not been tested independently. The old claims about nitric oxide and vessel tone had no source.
Evidence
Preclinical: animal or in vitro data only
- In 41 older patients with chronic lower-limb arterial insufficiency, an uncontrolled study reported benefit from vascular peptide bioregulators (Kitachev et al., 2014)
- Given with Pinealon to patients with chronic polymorbidity and organic brain syndrome, the peptides showed prooxidant activity and lowered CD34+ cell counts (Meshchaninov et al., 2015)
- Given with Pinealon to professional truck drivers with neurotic disorders (Bashkireva et al., 2012)
- Reported neuroprotective effects in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (Khavinson et al., 2021)
- Studied for epigenetic effects on vascular endothelial cell proliferation in aging cultures (Khavinson et al., 2014)
- Human-trial status: no randomized trial; the human reports are uncontrolled Russian-language studies, and nearly all work comes from the developing group
References
- The efficacy of peptide bioregulators of vessels in lower limbs chronic arterial insufficiency treatment in old and elderly people (in Russian). Kitachev KV, Sazonov AB, Kozlov KL, Petrov KIu, et al., Advances in Gerontology (Uspekhi Gerontologii), 2014
- EFFECT OF SYNTHETIC PEPTIDES ON AGING OF PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC POLYMORBIDITY AND ORGANIC BRAIN SYNDROME OF THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM IN REMISSION (in Russian). Meshchaninov VN, Tkachenko EL, Zharkov SV, Gavrilov IV, et al., Advances in Gerontology (Uspekhi Gerontologii), 2015
- The peptide correction of neurotic disorders among professional truck-drivers (in Russian). Bashkireva AS, Artamonova VG, Advances in Gerontology (Uspekhi Gerontologii), 2012
- Neuroprotective Effects of Tripeptides-Epigenetic Regulators in Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease. Khavinson V, Ilina A, Kraskovskaya N, Linkova N, et al., Pharmaceuticals, 2021
- Peptide KED: Molecular-Genetic Aspects of Neurogenesis Regulation in Alzheimer's Disease. Khavinson VK, Lin'kova NS, Umnov RS, Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, 2021
- Molecular aspects of vasoprotective peptide KED activity during atherosclerosis and restenosis (in Russian). Kozlov KL, Bolotov II, Linkova NS, Drobintseva AO, et al., Advances in Gerontology (Uspekhi Gerontologii), 2016
- Epigenetic aspects of peptidergic regulation of vascular endothelial cell proliferation during aging (in Russian). Khavinson VKh, Tarnovskaia SI, Lin'kova NS, Guton EO, et al., Advances in Gerontology (Uspekhi Gerontologii), 2014
- Effect of tripeptide Lys-Glu-Asp on physiological activity of neuroimmunoendocrine system cells. Chalisova NI, Lopatina NG, Kamishev NG, Linkova NS, et al., Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, 2012
Side effects
No controlled safety study has been published. Given with Pinealon in an uncontrolled study, the peptides showed prooxidant activity and a fall in CD34+ cells (Meshchaninov 2015). Commonly reported (anecdotal): injection-site irritation with injectable forms.
Storage
- Storage
- Room temperature
- Lyophilized
- 24+ months
Pharmacology
- Half-life
- No published pharmacokinetic data in any species
- Bioavailability
- Not measured in any species
- Molecular weight
- 390.39 Da
- Sequence
- Lys-Glu-Asp