Vilon (KE): Russian immune & longevity dipeptide supplement
A tiny two-amino-acid peptide derived from thymus tissue that supports immune function and extended lifespan in animal studies; sold as a supplement in Russia, not an approved drug elsewhere.
- Class
- Bioregulator dipeptide — synthetic thymic fragment
- Status
- Not approved by FDA, EMA, Health Canada, or equivalent major regulatory authority; sold in Russia as a dietary supplement / functional food
- Best-supported effect
- Extended mean and maximum lifespan and reduced spontaneous tumor incidence in aged rodent models (Khavinson group); T-cell-supportive and cytokine-modulatory effects in cell models
- Main caveat
- Essentially all supporting literature originates from one research program (Khavinson / St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology); no independent Western replication, no Western-standard human trials, and the proposed chromatin-interaction mechanism has not been reproduced outside the originating group
A researcher, an agent, or an algorithm wrote down the sequence and picked a target to hit.
An AI model like OpenFold3 or AlphaFold built a 3D structure and scored how well it fits the binding site.
A second contributor repeated the computation on their own hardware and the scores matched.
A chemistry service or a researcher ordered the sequence, it was manufactured, and mass spectrometry confirmed the right molecule was produced.
A binding or activity measurement confirmed that it actually does what the computer predicted — or didn't.
Snapshot
Class: Bioregulator dipeptide — synthetic thymic fragment
Evidence tier: Animal-only evidence
Status: Not approved by FDA, EMA, Health Canada, or equivalent major regulatory authority; sold in Russia as a dietary supplement / functional food
Best-supported effect: Extended mean and maximum lifespan and reduced spontaneous tumor incidence in aged rodent models (Khavinson group); T-cell-supportive and cytokine-modulatory effects in cell models
Main caveat: Essentially all supporting literature originates from one research program (Khavinson / St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology); no independent Western replication, no Western-standard human trials, and the proposed chromatin-interaction mechanism has not been reproduced outside the originating group
What this is
Vilon is a synthetic immunomodulatory dipeptide composed of L-lysine and L-glutamic acid (sequence: Lys-Glu; single-letter code: KE). It was isolated by Vladimir Khavinson and colleagues from Thymalin, a calf-thymus complex developed at the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology beginning in the 1970s. The Khavinson program treats Vilon as the minimal active fragment within the KE family — sharing its N-terminal Lys-Glu motif with the tetrapeptide Livagen (Lys-Glu-Asp-Ala) — and positions it as a thymic bioregulator supporting immune function and gene-expression remodeling in aging tissues. Vilon is not an approved drug in any major Western jurisdiction; it reaches users primarily as an oral capsule sold in Russia under the Peptides.ru / Khavinson Peptides brand or as a research-chemical lyophilized powder.
Evidence map
| Evidence layer | Grade | What it supports |
|---|---|---|
| Human | None identified | No Western-standard randomized controlled trials of Vilon as a standalone agent are identified. Russian clinical literature from the Khavinson program discusses Vilon in immunocorrection contexts, but these reports do not meet modern trial-methodology standards and are not indexed in major Western databases as standalone Vilon RCTs. |
| Animal | Moderate (single-program) | Rodent studies from the Khavinson group report extended mean and maximum lifespan and reduced spontaneous tumor incidence in aging mice treated with KE. In vitro and ex vivo work reports T-cell-supportive effects, reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine production, and chromatin/gene-expression remodeling in lymphocytes and aging tissues. Nearly all animal and cell-model evidence originates from the Khavinson research program; independent Western replication is limited. |
| In vitro | Weak (single-program) | Cell-model studies — often examining KE together with EW (Thymagen) as Thymalin components — report reduced IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in LPS-stimulated monocyte and COVID-19 cell models, and T-cell differentiation-supportive effects in lymphocyte preparations. Source attribution is concentrated in the Khavinson program. |
| Computational | None identified | No docking or structure-prediction data are identified. The Khavinson group's proposed DNA- and histone-binding mechanism is supported by molecular modeling and spectroscopic work from the originating program; this is referenced under Mechanism below. |
| Mechanism | Plausible / unconfirmed | An immunomodulatory and gene-expression-remodeling role is plausible given the in vitro cytokine and chromatin data, but the proposed direct DNA- and histone-binding mechanism has not been independently replicated outside the Khavinson program. |
Claim check
| Claim | Verdict | Evidence layer | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extends lifespan and reduces spontaneous tumor incidence in aged rodents | Supported (animal, single-program) | Animal | Low — all data from Khavinson group; no independent replication |
| Supports T-cell differentiation and modulates cytokine balance | Supported (in vitro / preclinical, single-program) | In vitro | Low — cell-model and ex vivo data; often studied in combination with EW, not as isolated agent |
| Binds directly to DNA and histone proteins to remodel chromatin | Weak | Computational / in vitro | Low — supported by molecular modeling and spectroscopic work from originating program only; not independently reproduced |
| Restores immune function in aging humans (immunosenescence) | Not established | Human | Low — no completed Western-standard RCT; source describes clinical use in Russian program without meeting modern trial standards |
| Anti-carcinogenic effects translate to humans | Not established | Human | Low — rodent tumor incidence data cannot be extrapolated to human oncology outcomes without human trial evidence |
Experimental exposure
This section reports exposure used in animal experiments and cell-model studies from the available literature. It does not establish human dosing.
| Context | System | Experimental exposure | Duration | Endpoint | Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rodent longevity experiments | Aging mice (Khavinson group) | KE administration; exact dose not individually extracted | Extended period in aging cohorts | Mean and maximum lifespan; spontaneous tumor incidence | Single research program; no independent replication; dose detail not individually extractable |
| Cell-model / in vitro work | LPS-stimulated monocyte and COVID-19 cell models; lymphocyte preparations | KE (and EW) as Thymalin components; concentrations not individually extracted | Short-term assay conditions | Cytokine levels (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α); T-cell differentiation markers | Often studied in combination with EW, not as isolated KE agent; assay conditions not individually extracted |
Preclinical safety signals
| Signal | System | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| No significant adverse effects reported | Rodent and cell-model work (Khavinson program) | Source describes Vilon as generally well-tolerated in published rodent and cell-model studies; no major toxicity signal is reported in the available literature |
| Rare individual hypersensitivity reactions | Injectable peptide preparations (general class concern) | Source notes rare hypersensitivity reactions are possible with injectable peptide preparations; no Vilon-specific hypersensitivity data are extracted |
| No Western-standard toxicology data | Human | No formal Western-standard toxicology, pharmacokinetics, or long-term safety studies in humans are present in the available literature |
| Long-term safety (repeated short courses) | Human | Khavinson-style use as short repeated courses; long-term safety of this pattern has not been assessed outside the originating program |
| Drug interaction data | Human | No drug interaction studies are described in the available literature |
Regulatory status
| Region / body | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| US (FDA) | Not approved | Not FDA-approved for any indication. Per available sources, Vilon is not recognized as a dietary supplement ingredient and is not on the FDA's list of peptides eligible for 503A compounding. Reaches US users via research-chemical suppliers or personally imported Russian-market product; legitimate clinical access pathways are described by source as essentially absent. |
| EU / EMA | Not approved | Per available sources, Vilon is not approved as a medicine by EMA, MHRA, Health Canada, or TGA. |
| Russia | Sold as dietary supplement / functional food | Per available sources, Vilon is sold under the Peptides.ru / Khavinson Peptides brand in Russia as a peptide bioregulator oral capsule, positioned as a dietary supplement / functional food — not as an approved prescription medicine. |
| WADA | Probable prohibition — per available sources | Per available sources, Vilon is not specifically named on the WADA Prohibited List, but parenteral use is described as reasonably falling under the S0 catch-all category for substances not approved by any governmental regulatory health authority for human therapeutic use. Status is per available sources; current WADA list not independently refreshed in this card. |
Mechanism
Vilon (Lys-Glu, KE) is described in the Khavinson bioregulator literature as acting through two partly overlapping mechanisms. At the immune-cell level, KE is reported to support T-cell maturation and modulate cytokine balance — reducing synthesis of pro-inflammatory cytokines including IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in LPS-stimulated monocyte and COVID-19 cell models, often studied alongside EW (Thymagen) as part of Thymalin. In lymphocytes and other aging tissues, KE is reported to induce chromatin remodeling and reactivate transcription of genes silenced with aging, an effect described by the Khavinson group as analogous to that of the related tetrapeptide Livagen (KEDA).
At the molecular level, the Khavinson group proposes that the KE dipeptide binds directly to DNA regulatory regions and to histone proteins, altering chromatin conformation and gene accessibility in a tissue-specific manner. This model is supported by molecular modeling and spectroscopic work from the originating program. The primary target is described as chromatin / DNA–histone complexes in aging tissues; target confidence is inferred (from program-internal modeling only) and has not been independently replicated by non-affiliated laboratories.
Vilon is also described by source as modulating enkephalin-degrading enzyme activity and affecting proliferation and apoptosis balance in lymphoid tissue, consistent with a neuroendocrine-immune regulatory role within the Khavinson framework.
Chemistry
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Sequence | Lys-Glu (L-Lysine–L-Glutamic acid) |
| Single-letter code | KE |
| Length | 2 amino acids |
| Topology | Linear |
| Modifications | None described in source |
| Molecular weight | not individually extracted |
| Formula | not individually extracted |
| CAS | Not present in source |
| Salt form | Not specified in source |
| Source sequence note | Sequence is consistently reported as Lys-Glu / KE across the available literature. No discrepancy detected. |
| Sequence confidence | Verified (within this available literature) |
Open questions
- Independent replication: Essentially all longevity, anti-tumor, and chromatin-interaction evidence for Vilon originates from the Khavinson research program and closely affiliated Russian laboratories. Independent Western replication of the core rodent lifespan and tumor-incidence findings has not been demonstrated; this is the primary limitation of the current evidence base.
- Human translation: No completed Western-standard randomized controlled trial of Vilon as a standalone agent exists in the available literature. Whether animal-model lifespan and immunomodulatory effects translate to measurable human endpoints is unknown.
- Mechanism confirmation: The proposed mechanism of direct DNA- and histone-binding by a dipeptide rests on molecular modeling and spectroscopic work from the originating program. Independent structural or biochemical confirmation of this binding claim has not been demonstrated outside the Khavinson group.
- KE as isolated agent vs Thymalin component: Much of the available cell-model evidence studies KE in combination with EW (Thymagen) as part of the Thymalin complex. Whether the effects attributed to Vilon as a standalone dipeptide are equivalent to its role within Thymalin is not independently established.
- Pharmacokinetics: No pharmacokinetic characterization of Vilon in humans is present in the available literature. Bioavailability, tissue distribution, and metabolic fate for both oral and injectable routes are unknown.
- Long-term safety: Chronic exposure data from Western-standard studies are absent. The safety profile of the Khavinson-described short-course repeated use pattern over years has not been assessed outside the originating program.
- Route equivalence: Research both oral capsule use (Russian market) and injectable research-chemical use. No comparative pharmacokinetic or efficacy data comparing these routes are present in available literature.
Research directions for this peptide, selected from the current sources — hypotheses you can explore and model. None of it is proven yet; tap any one to see the full thinking.
Does this two-amino-acid peptide naturally accumulate in the aging thymus simply because thymic cells ramp up the protein that lets it in as the thymus deteriorates?
If aging itself opens the door for this peptide right where it is needed most, it could be a self-targeting treatment for age-related immune decline that avoids affecting healthy young tissues. That would make it far safer for long-term use in older people.
▸full evidence table2 metrics
| metric | value | tool |
|---|---|---|
| ipTM | 0.875817060470581 | openfold3-mlx |
| ranking score | 0.9223388433456421 | openfold3-mlx |
▸structural qualityopenfold3
| metric | value | note |
|---|---|---|
| gpde | 0.398 | global PDE — lower = better |
| disorder | 0.093 | fraction disordered |
| chain pair ipTM (A, B) | 0.876 | interface quality |
▸3-letter notation
▸recipeopenfold3-mlx 0.3.1
| parameter | value |
|---|---|
| model | openfold3-mlx 0.3.1 |
| weights | — |
| hardware | — |
| mlx version | — |
| python | — |
| random seed | — |
| msa strategy | — |
| diffusion samples | 1 |
| runtime | 79s |
| predicted by | mlx@peptide |
| predicted at | 2026-05-03 |
▸citationbibtex
@peptide{pep10940,
sequence = {KE},
target = {immune},
author = {peptidemodel},
year = {2026},
status = {computed}
}