Vesugen
Anti-AgingKED — Synthetic Peptide
Overview
Vesugen is a synthetic tripeptide Lys-Glu-Asp (KED), developed as a vascular endothelial bioregulator by the Khavinson group at the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology. It is proposed to restore age-related decline in endothelial cell proliferative capacity through epigenetic mechanisms, specifically by binding the promoter region of the Ki-67 (MKI67) gene to upregulate endothelial cell division programs.
Note on nomenclature: Vesugen is the KED tripeptide (Lys-Glu-Asp). It should not be confused with Testagen, which is the KEDG tetrapeptide (Lys-Glu-Asp-Gly — an additional Gly residue). These are distinct compounds with different vendor designations. Some listings conflate the two.
Mechanism of Action
Vesugen (KED) is proposed to act as a short peptide DNA-binding bioregulator, a class of compounds theorized by Khavinson to penetrate cell membranes and interact directly with gene promoter sequences to modulate transcription. In vitro molecular docking and cell culture data show that KED:
- Binds the MKI67 gene promoter region with calculated interaction energies consistent with physiological modulation - Increases Ki-67 (proliferation marker) expression in senescent endothelial cells that have lost proliferative capacity - Mimics the endothelial cell renewal program active in young tissue
At the functional level, the human study (n=41) demonstrated measurable improvement in peripheral artery blood flow by Doppler ultrasound in elderly patients with atherosclerosis-related vascular disease. This improvement in objective vascular tone is mechanistically consistent with enhanced endothelial cell turnover and nitric oxide production capacity.
Research Dosing
Dosing based on Russian research protocols. Short-course bioregulator designed for vascular endothelial function. No approved indication outside Russia. Most human data from elderly patients with peripheral arterial disease.
Research data only. These dosing ranges are derived from published studies, primarily in animal models. This is not medical advice. No peptide discussed on this site is approved for human therapeutic use unless otherwise noted.
Published Studies
Epigenetic aspects of peptidergic regulation of vascular endothelial cell proliferation during aging
Khavinson VKh, Tarnovskaia SI, Linkova NS, et al. — Advances in Gerontology, 2014
In vitro and molecular docking study demonstrating that Vesugen (KED tripeptide) stimulates Ki-67 expression in aging endothelial cells via molecular interaction with the MKI67 gene promoter region. This epigenetic upregulation of the Ki-67 proliferation marker represents the proposed mechanism by which Vesugen restores vascular endothelial renewal capacity that declines with aging.
PMID: 25051766 →HumanEfficacy of peptide bioregulators for chronic arterial insufficiency in elderly patients
Kitachev KV, Sazonov AB, Kozlov KL, et al. — Advances in Gerontology, 2014
Uncontrolled human study of Vesugen in 41 elderly patients with peripheral arterial disease and atherosclerosis-related erectile dysfunction. Objective Doppler measurements demonstrated significantly improved penile artery blood flow after Vesugen monotherapy, with improvement correlated to baseline endothelial dysfunction severity.
PMID: 25051774 →