Peptide bioregulators: what the research shows

  • 13 compounds
  • Evidence level on each
  • Last reviewed Nov 5, 2026

What they are

“Bioregulators” is the name Russian researchers gave to very short peptides, 2 to 4 amino acids long, first designed from extracts of animal organs. Each is named for the organ it was meant to target: Cartalax for cartilage, Cardiogen for the heart, Bronchogen for the lungs, Pancragen for the pancreas. Epitalon and Pinealon belong to the same family. None is FDA-approved.

This page covers the Khavinson bioregulators sold under organ-themed names: Cartalax, Testagen, Vilon, Cardiogen, Prostamax, Bronchogen, Vesugen, Cortagen, Chonluten, Ovagen and Pancragen, plus Epitalon and Pinealon from the same family. Here is what each one is, what it has been studied in, and what the studies found.

The compounds

Cartalax

A three-amino-acid peptide (Ala-Glu-Asp), listed by its developers for cartilage and skin cells (Khavinson et al., 2021).

Studied inCell

Status: Not FDA-approved for any use.

In aging human skin cells in a dish, it lowered an enzyme that breaks down collagen and reduced cell death (Lin'kova et al., 2016); in aging stem-cell cultures it changed the activity of several aging-related genes (Ashapkin et al., 2020). We haven’t found a published study in people or animals.

Full summary in progress.

Testagen

A four-amino-acid peptide (Lys-Glu-Asp-Gly), designed from pituitary gland extracts and listed by its developers for the male reproductive system (Khavinson et al., 2021).

Studied inAnimal

Status: Not FDA-approved for any use.

Its published research is in chickens and hens whose pituitary gland had been removed: 40 days of it reduced the resulting thyroid changes (Kuznik et al., 2011). We haven’t found a study measuring testosterone after Testagen, or a published study in people.

Full summary in progress.

Vilon

A two-amino-acid peptide (Lys-Glu), listed by its developers for the immune system (Khavinson et al., 2021).

Studied inCellAnimal

Status: Not FDA-approved for any use.

In rats given a bladder carcinogen, tumors developed in 56% of those on Vilon and 75.5% of controls (Pliss et al., 2001). In aging stem-cell cultures it changed the activity of aging-related genes (Ashapkin et al., 2020). We haven’t found a published study in people.

Full summary in progress.

Cardiogen

A four-amino-acid peptide (Ala-Glu-Asp-Arg), listed by its developers for the heart and blood vessels (Khavinson et al., 2021).

Studied inAnimal

Status: Not FDA-approved for any use.

In old rats with transplanted sarcoma tumors, injections slowed tumor growth, apparently by damaging the tumors’ blood supply (Levdik et al., 2009). We haven’t found a published study of it in people, or of its effect on the heart.

Full summary in progress.

Prostamax

A four-amino-acid peptide (Lys-Glu-Asp-Pro) from the same research group.

Studied inCell

Status: Not FDA-approved for any use.

Its studies use white blood cells from people aged 75 to 88, where it loosened tightly packed DNA (chromatin) in the dish (Khavinson et al., 2004; Dzhokhadze et al., 2012). We haven’t found a study of it in people or animals, or of its effect on the prostate.

Full summary in progress.

Bronchogen

A four-amino-acid peptide (Ala-Glu-Asp-Leu), listed by its developers for the lungs (Khavinson et al., 2021).

Studied inCellAnimal

Status: Not FDA-approved for any use.

In rats with lung damage modeled on COPD, a month of it reversed many of the changes in the airway lining (Kuzubova et al., 2015). In human airway cells it switched on growth markers (Khavinson et al., 2012). We haven’t found a published study in people.

Full summary in progress.

Vesugen

A three-amino-acid peptide (Lys-Glu-Asp), listed by its developers for blood vessels (Khavinson et al., 2021).

Studied inCellHuman

Status: Not FDA-approved for any use.

In 41 men with erectile dysfunction from narrowed arteries, blood flow in the penile arteries improved after treatment, in a study without a comparison group (Kitachev et al., 2014). In 32 adults given it or Pinealon, the authors reported slower “biological aging” but also a drop in blood stem-cell markers (Meshchaninov et al., 2015).

Full summary in progress.

Cortagen

A short synthetic peptide from the same group, studied for the brain.

Studied inAnimal

Status: Not FDA-approved for any use.

In rats with reduced blood flow to the brain, it sped recovery of normal behavior and limited oxidative damage in brain tissue (Zarubina et al., 2011). We haven’t found a published study in people.

Full summary in progress.

Chonluten

A three-amino-acid peptide its developers derived from airway lining cells.

Studied inCell

Status: Not FDA-approved for any use.

In human immune cells in a dish, it lowered the inflammatory signal TNF after a bacterial trigger (Avolio et al., 2022). We haven’t found a published study in people or animals.

Full summary in progress.

Ovagen

A three-amino-acid peptide (Glu-Asp-Leu), listed by its developers for the kidneys and liver (Khavinson et al., 2021).

Studied inCell

Status: Not FDA-approved for any use.

In rat kidney tissue and aging kidney cells grown in the lab, it increased cell growth and lowered aging markers (Chalisova et al., 2015; Khavinson et al., 2014). We haven’t found a published study in people or live animals.

Full summary in progress.

Pancragen

A four-amino-acid peptide (Lys-Glu-Asp-Trp) aimed at the pancreas (Khavinson et al., 2012).

Studied inCellAnimalHuman

Status: Not FDA-approved for any use.

In older people with type 2 diabetes, it lowered fasting blood sugar and insulin resistance, while untreated patients didn’t change (Korkushko et al., 2011). In 9 old rhesus monkeys it lowered blood sugar about as well as the diabetes drug glimepiride (Goncharova et al., 2015).

Full summary in progress.

Epitalon

A four-amino-acid peptide based on an extract of the pineal gland.

Studied inCellAnimalHuman

Status: Not approved for any use. Since October 28, 2026, a temporary HHS policy lets licensed U.S. pharmacies compound it with a prescription while the FDA decides (Reuters); that isn’t FDA approval.

Most research comes from one group in St. Petersburg, Russia. A 2025 study in human cell lines reported longer telomeres (Al-Dulaimi et al., 2025). In people, the FDA found three small studies and no safety data (FDA, 2026).

Read the Epitalon summary →

Pinealon

A three-amino-acid peptide (Glu-Asp-Arg) studied mostly by Russian labs.

Studied inAnimalHuman

Status: Not approved for any use.

In rats, giving it to pregnant mothers on a high-methionine diet improved their pups’ learning (Arutjunyan et al., 2012). In people we found only small Russian studies, such as one of 32 adults aged 41 to 83 that reported changes in “biological age” markers (Meshchaninov et al., 2015).

Read the Pinealon summary →

Before you compare them

  • One group did nearly all the research. Almost every study we found comes from Vladimir Khavinson’s group in St. Petersburg or researchers working with it. Results matter more once independent labs repeat them.
  • “Organ-specific” is a lab finding. It comes mostly from cell cultures: Pancragen, Bronchogen and Vesugen each switched on growth markers in their matching cell type (Khavinson et al., 2012).
  • Human data are thin. Only Vesugen, Pancragen and Pinealon have published studies in people, all small and without placebo groups.
  • None is FDA-approved for any use.

New to reading studies? Our guide to how to read a peptide study explains what cell, animal and human evidence can and can’t tell you.

Questions

Do peptide bioregulators work?

In people, the evidence is a few small Russian studies without placebo groups. Pancragen lowered fasting blood sugar in older people with type 2 diabetes compared with untreated patients (Korkushko et al., 2011), and Vesugen improved penile blood flow in 41 men, with no comparison group (Kitachev et al., 2014). The rest have been studied only in cells or animals.

Does Testagen increase testosterone?

We haven’t found a study measuring testosterone after Testagen, in people or animals. Its published research is in birds whose pituitary gland had been removed, where it reduced thyroid changes (Kuznik et al., 2011).

What’s the difference between bioregulators and other peptides?

Mostly size. Bioregulators are 2 to 4 amino acids long; most peptides on this site are much longer. Their developers say they enter cells and bind DNA to change which genes are active, based on lab and computer-modeling work (Khavinson et al., 2021).

Can bioregulators be taken by mouth?

We haven’t found a study measuring how much of any of them reaches the blood when swallowed. The developers’ review argues that two- and three-amino-acid peptides can be carried into cells by the same transporters that move protein fragments (Khavinson et al., 2022).

Are bioregulators safe?

Too few people have taken them in published studies to know. In one study of 32 adults given Vesugen or Pinealon, the authors reported a drop in blood stem-cell markers, which they read as reduced blood-cell production (Meshchaninov et al., 2015).

Sources

  1. Lin'kova NS, et al. Peptide regulation of skin fibroblast functions during their aging in vitro. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2016;161(1):175-8. PubMed 27259496
  2. Ashapkin V, et al. Gene expression in human mesenchymal stem cell aging cultures: modulation by short peptides. Mol Biol Rep. 2020;47(6):4323-9. PubMed 32399807
  3. Khavinson VK, et al. Peptide regulation of gene expression: a systematic review. Molecules. 2021;26(22):7053. PubMed 34834147
  4. Kuznik BI, et al. Effects of peptides Lys-Glu-Asp-Gly and Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly on hormonal activity and structure of the thyroid gland in hypophysectomized young chickens and old hens. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2011;150(4):495-9. PubMed 22268052
  5. Pliss GB, et al. Inhibitory effect of peptide vilon on the development of induced rat urinary bladder tumors in rats. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2001;131(6):558-60. PubMed 11586406
  6. Levdik NV, et al. Tumor-modifying effect of cardiogen peptide on M-1 sarcoma in senescent rats. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2009;148(3):433-6. PubMed 20396706
  7. Khavinson VKh, et al. Effects of short peptides on lymphocyte chromatin in senile subjects. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2004;137(1):78-81. PubMed 15085253
  8. Dzhokhadze TA, et al. Deheterochromatinization of the chromatin in old age induced by oligopeptide bioregulator (Lys-Glu-Asp-Pro) [in Russian]. Georgian Med News. 2012;(212):76-82. PubMed 23221144
  9. Kuzubova NA, et al. Modulating effect of peptide therapy on the morphofunctional state of bronchial epithelium in rats with obstructive lung pathology. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2015;159(5):685-8. PubMed 26468022
  10. Khavinson VKh, et al. Peptides tissue-specifically stimulate cell differentiation during their aging. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2012;153(1):148-51. PubMed 22808515
  11. Kitachev KV, et al. The efficacy of peptide bioregulators of vessels in lower limbs chronic arterial insufficiency treatment in old and elderly people [in Russian]. Adv Gerontol. 2014;27(1):156-9. PubMed 25051774
  12. Meshchaninov VN, et al. Effect of synthetic peptides on aging of patients with chronic polymorbidity and organic brain syndrome of the central nervous system in remission [in Russian]. Adv Gerontol. 2015;28(1):62-7. PubMed 26390612
  13. Zarubina IV, et al. Cortexin and cortagen as correcting agents in functional and metabolic disorders in the brain in chronic ischemia [in Russian]. Eksp Klin Farmakol. 2011;74(2):8-15. PubMed 21476278
  14. Avolio F, et al. Peptides regulating proliferative activity and inflammatory pathways in the monocyte/macrophage THP-1 cell line. Int J Mol Sci. 2022;23(7):3607. PubMed 35408963
  15. Chalisova NI, et al. Peptide regulation of cells renewal processes in kidney tissue cultures from young and old animals. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2015;159(1):124-7. PubMed 26033601
  16. Khavinson VKh, et al. Tripeptides slow down aging process in renal cell culture. Adv Gerontol. 2014;27(4):651-6. PubMed 25946838
  17. Korkushko OV, et al. Prospects of using pancragen for correction of metabolic disorders in elderly people. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2011;151(4):454-6. PubMed 22448364
  18. Goncharova ND, et al. Correction of impaired glucose tolerance using tetrapeptide (Pancragen) in old female rhesus monkeys [in Russian]. Adv Gerontol. 2015;28(3):579-85. PubMed 28509500
  19. Al-Dulaimi S, et al. Epitalon increases telomere length in human cell lines. Biogerontology. 2025;26(5):178. PubMed 40908429
  20. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA Evaluation of Epitalon-Related Bulk Drug Substances (Epitalon (Free Base) and Epitalon Acetate). Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee briefing document, July 23-24, 2026 (memo dated May 12, 2026). FDA document
  21. Reuters. U.S. health department to allow temporary sale of some unapproved peptides. October 28, 2026. Article
  22. Arutjunyan A, et al. Pinealon protects the rat offspring from prenatal hyperhomocysteinemia. Int J Clin Exp Med. 2012;5(2):179-85. PubMed 22567179
  23. Meshchaninov VN, et al. [Effect of synthetic peptides on aging of patients with chronic polymorbidity and organic brain syndrome of the central nervous system in remission]. Adv Gerontol. 2015;28(1):62-7. PubMed 26390612
  24. Khavinson V, et al. Transport of biologically active ultrashort peptides using POT and LAT carriers. Int J Mol Sci. 2022;23(14):7733. PubMed 35887081

Last reviewed Nov 5, 2026 by Reed Calder. Nothing here is medical advice; see our medical disclaimer. Found a mistake? Email editors@peptideresearchstudy.com.

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