Vilon

Peptide bioregulators are built on a specific claim: that very short peptides extracted from — or synthesised to match — a particular organ can travel to that same organ and restore its normal function as it ages. Vilon is a dipeptide of lysine and glutamic acid, derived from the thymus preparation Thymalin. It appears more often than most of the class in the group's animal longevity work, where repeated courses were reported to extend median lifespan in mice and rats. The proposed route is direct interaction with DNA to switch tissue-specific genes back on. That mechanism has been demonstrated to the satisfaction of the group that proposed it and essentially nobody else.

The dipeptide Lys-Glu, identified as an active fragment of the thymic peptide preparation Thymalin. Reported to restore T-cell subset ratios, influence interleukin-2 production, and extend median lifespan and reduce tumour incidence in rodent studies from the originating institute. Molecular modelling work from the same group proposes direct binding to specific DNA sequences. The class hypothesis holds that di-, tri- and tetrapeptides penetrate cell and nuclear membranes and bind directly to specific promoter sequences in double-stranded DNA, modulating tissue-specific transcription — a mechanism supported by molecular modelling and gel-shift work from the originating institute but not independently corroborated. Products are marketed in two chemically distinct forms: "Cytomax" preparations, which are peptide fractions extracted from the corresponding animal organ, and "Cytogen" preparations, which are defined synthetic short peptides. Published clinical evaluation is limited to small Russian studies, generally without blinding, placebo control or independent statistical review.