Bioregulator peptides are very short synthetic peptides, usually two to four amino acids long, developed in St. Petersburg by Vladimir Khavinson’s group from the 1980s onward. Each was designed around a peptide fraction from a specific tissue, which is why most carry tissue-style names such as Cardiogen, Cortagen or Livagen. This guide explains what they are, lists the sequences behind the names, summarises how they have been studied and flags the evidence gaps. Every compound mentioned is supplied for in-vitro laboratory research only.
What makes a peptide a “bioregulator”
The term comes from the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology. Researchers there first worked with peptide extracts from animal tissues, then identified short sequences they believed carried the activity of those extracts and made them synthetically. The synthetic versions are the compounds now sold as bioregulators: defined di-, tri- and tetrapeptides rather than mixtures.
Two features set them apart from most research peptides. They are tiny, with molecular masses of roughly 300 to 600 daltons, and they are rich in charged residues such as lysine (K), glutamic acid (E), aspartic acid (D) and arginine (R). Many share a common core: the motif ED or AED appears in a large share of the family.
The main bioregulators and their sequences
Sequences use one-letter amino acid codes. Molecular masses are those reported by Khavinson’s group in their 2014 review; the tissue column is the tissue each peptide was originally associated with in that programme, not a demonstrated effect.
| Name | Sequence | Mass (Da) | Associated tissue in the original programme |
|---|---|---|---|
| Epitalon (Epithalon) | AEDG | — | Pineal gland |
| Pinealon | EDR | — | Brain |
| Vilon | KE | — | Thymus |
| Thymogen | EW | — | Thymus |
| Cortagen | AEDP | 430 | Brain cortex |
| Bronchogen | AEDL | 446 | Bronchi |
| Cardiogen | AEDR | 490 | Heart muscle |
| Livagen | KEDA | 462 | Liver |
| Pancragen | KEDW | 576 | Pancreas |
| Testagen | KEDG | 448 | Testes |
| Vesugen | KED | 391 | Blood vessels |
| Crystagen | EDP | 358 | Immune system |
| Ovagen | EDL | 375 | Liver |
| Chonluten | EDG | 319 | Respiratory system |
Two more names appear in supplier catalogues, including ours: Prostamax, usually listed as KEDP, and Cartalax, usually listed as AED. Both sequences appear in published transport studies of short peptides, but neither name is in the 2014 table above, so check the sequence on the certificate of analysis rather than relying on the name. The same applies to Vesilute, whose sequence we have not confirmed in a primary source.
How bioregulators have been studied
Most of the literature comes from the group that developed the compounds. Their central hypothesis is that these short peptides enter the cell nucleus and bind specific DNA sequences, influencing gene expression. A 2016 molecular-modelling study from the group proposed binding sites for several peptides; for example, it modelled KE and EDP binding the same four-base sequence, and AEDL and EDL binding another.
Later work has looked at how such small peptides might get into cells at all. A 2023 study in Biomolecules used molecular docking to assess 26 ultrashort peptides, including KEDP, AEDR, AEDL and KEDG, as possible ligands for the PEPT and LAT transporter families. A 2025 cell study tested KED, EDR and AEDG in fetal mesenchymal stem cells and reported effects on neuronal differentiation markers and senescence markers in culture.
What the evidence does and doesn’t show
- Concentrated authorship. Most published studies involve the developers or their collaborators. Independent replication is limited.
- Modelling and cell culture dominate. Much of the mechanistic support comes from computer simulation and in-vitro experiments, which show what is possible rather than what happens in a whole organism.
- The tissue names describe origin, not proof. A name like Cardiogen reflects the tissue the original extract came from. It is not evidence of a tissue-specific effect.
- No Health Canada authorization. None of these compounds is an authorized drug in Canada. They are research reagents only.
For context on how bioregulators fit beside other longevity compounds, see anti-aging peptides: what the research actually shows, and the dedicated guides to Epitalon and Pinealon.
Verifying a bioregulator you receive
Because bioregulators are so short, several of them have similar masses, and a few share most of their sequence. That makes identity testing more important, not less. A useful certificate of analysis should state the sequence, report a mass-spectrometry result that matches the expected molecular weight, and give HPLC purity for the batch number on your vial. Our guide to reading a peptide COA walks through each field, and how research peptides are made explains where synthesis impurities come from.
Bioregulators in our catalogue are listed under Anti-Aging & Cellular.
Frequently asked questions
Are bioregulator peptides the same as Epitalon?
Epitalon (AEDG) is one bioregulator, and the best known. The family includes more than a dozen other short peptides with different sequences.
Why are bioregulator names tissue names?
Each synthetic peptide was modelled on a peptide fraction extracted from a particular tissue, and the name records that origin. It does not mean the compound has been shown to act only on that tissue.
Who developed bioregulator peptides?
Vladimir Khavinson and colleagues at the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology, beginning with tissue extracts and later moving to synthetic short peptides.
Are bioregulators approved for use in Canada?
No. They are not authorized drugs in Canada and are sold here for laboratory research only, not for human or veterinary use.
References
- Khavinson VKh, Lin’kova NS, Tarnovskaya SI. Short peptides regulate gene expression. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2016. PubMed 27909961
- Khavinson VKh. Peptides, genome, aging. 2014 review. PDF
- Feasibility of transport of 26 biologically active ultrashort peptides via LAT and PEPT family transporters. Biomolecules. 2023;13(3):552. MDPI
- The influence of short peptides on cell senescence and neuronal differentiation. Curr Issues Mol Biol. 2025. PMC12468822
For laboratory research use only. Not for human or veterinary use, ingestion or administration. Nothing on this page is medical advice or a claim that any compound diagnoses, treats, cures or prevents any condition.
