Peptide Bioregulators
Peptide bioregulators are very short peptides — typically two to four amino acids — each associated in the published literature with a specific tissue or organ system. They come out of the research programme led by Vladimir Khavinson at the St Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology, and are also referred to as Khavinson peptides, short peptides, or Russian peptides.
AminoCore Research supplies 17 compounds from this family for laboratory research. This page explains what distinguishes them, what mechanism the literature proposes, and how the catalog is organised by physiological system.
What Makes a Bioregulator Different
The defining characteristic is length. At two to four residues, these peptides are far shorter than signalling peptides such as BPC-157 (15 residues) or TB-500 (43 residues). That difference is not incidental — it underlies the mechanism proposed for them.
Where a receptor-agonist peptide binds a cell-surface receptor and triggers a signalling cascade, the bioregulator literature proposes something else: direct regulation of gene expression. A systematic review of the peptide-regulation literature describes short peptides interacting with DNA and chromatin and modulating transcription in a tissue-associated manner (Khavinson et al., Molecules 2021, PMID 34834147). A companion paper sets out the same argument specifically for gene expression (Khavinson et al., Bull Exp Biol Med 2016, PMID 27909961), and later work extends it to cell differentiation (Khavinson et al., Stem Cell Rev Rep 2020, PMID 31808038).
Cytomax and cytogen
Two terms recur in this literature and are frequently confused. Cytomax preparations are peptide complexes extracted from animal tissue. Cytogens are chemically synthesised short peptides with a defined sequence. Everything in the catalog below is a synthesised short peptide, supplied as lyophilised powder with a stated sequence and a third-party certificate of analysis.
What the evidence base actually is
Being accurate about this matters more than being enthusiastic. The published work on these compounds is predominantly preclinical — cell culture and rodent models — and a substantial share appears in Russian-language journals and their translations. Independent replication outside the originating group exists but is limited; one example is work on vascular peptide effects on microvascular density in aged rat brain cortex (Sokolova et al., Bull Exp Biol Med 2016, PMID 27383168), and more recent work on proliferative and inflammatory pathways in a monocyte/macrophage cell line (Avolio et al., Int J Mol Sci 2022, PMID 35408963).
The Catalog by Physiological System
Each compound is associated in the literature with a particular tissue. The grouping below follows that association; every entry links to its full research monograph.
Immune / thymic
Respiratory
Cardiovascular
Urogenital
Hepatic / metabolic
Central nervous system
Pineal / telomere
Connective tissue
Handling in the Laboratory
These compounds share the handling profile of any lyophilised peptide. Store the sealed vial at −20 °C protected from light. Introduce bacteriostatic water down the vial wall rather than directly onto the powder cake, and do not shake — peptide solutions foam readily and agitation promotes aggregation. Allow the cake to dissolve undisturbed, then refrigerate the reconstituted solution at 2–8 °C.
Final concentration is vial mass divided by diluent volume; our peptide reconstitution calculator performs that arithmetic and converts the result to insulin-syringe units. For the underlying chemistry see lyophilised peptides: what researchers need to know and temperature effects on peptides.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are peptide bioregulators?
Peptide bioregulators are very short peptides — typically two to four amino acids — associated with the research programme led by Vladimir Khavinson at the St Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology. Each is associated in the published literature with a specific tissue or organ system. Their defining characteristic is length: at two to four residues they are far shorter than signalling peptides such as BPC-157 or thymosin beta-4.
How do peptide bioregulators work?
The mechanism proposed in the published literature is regulation of gene expression. A systematic review of the peptide-regulation literature describes short peptides interacting with DNA and chromatin and modulating transcription in a tissue-associated manner (Khavinson et al., Molecules 2021, PMID 34834147). This is a different proposed mechanism from receptor-agonist peptides, which bind a cell-surface receptor.
What is the difference between cytomax and cytogen peptides?
Cytomax preparations are peptide complexes extracted from animal tissue, while cytogens are chemically synthesised short peptides with a defined sequence. The compounds on this page are synthesised short peptides supplied as lyophilised powder with a defined sequence and a third-party certificate of analysis.
Are Khavinson peptides the same as Russian peptides?
The terms are used interchangeably in non-academic discussion because the research programme originated in St Petersburg. The formal literature refers to them as short peptides or peptide bioregulators. The naming does not indicate anything about a given compound's manufacturing origin.
Are peptide bioregulators approved for any clinical use?
No compound on this page holds a United States marketing authorisation. The published research is predominantly preclinical, with much of it appearing in Russian-language journals and their translations. Material supplied by AminoCore Research is intended for laboratory research only, not for human or veterinary use.
How are bioregulator peptides stored and reconstituted?
Store the sealed lyophilised vial at −20 °C protected from light. Introduce bacteriostatic water down the vial wall rather than onto the powder cake, and do not shake — agitation causes foaming and promotes aggregation. Refrigerate reconstituted solution at 2–8 °C. Final concentration is vial mass divided by diluent volume.