Category · 27 entries

Longevity & Mitochondrial

Peptides studied for aging, senescence, and mitochondrial function.

Research Only

Bronchogen

A Khavinson tetrapeptide from bronchial tissue — proposed to support respiratory epithelium function in chronic obstructive airway disease; evidence is preliminary and Russian-language.

Research Only

Cardiogen

A Khavinson-group tetrapeptide from heart-tissue extract — proposed to support cardiomyocyte function and cardiac tissue aging; evidence base is Russian-language and largely pre-clinical.

Research Only

Cartalax

A Khavinson tripeptide from cartilage tissue extract — proposed to support chondrocyte function and joint tissue homeostasis in aging and osteoarthritis models; mostly pre-clinical Russian-language evidence.

Not Approved (US)

Cerluten

A Khavinson lung-derived short peptide bioregulator sold in Russia as a cytomedine supplement for respiratory aging. Like the rest of the Khavinson short-peptide family, supporting evidence is almost exclusively Russian-language and of low methodological rigor by Western standards; no independent replication, no FDA or EMA status, and no controlled clinical data.

Research Only

Chonluten

A Khavinson tripeptide studied for bronchial epithelium regeneration and anti-inflammatory effects in the respiratory tract — evidence base is Russian-language and preliminary.

Research Only

Cortagen

A Khavinson-group tetrapeptide isolated from cortex tissue — used in Russian neurology practice for post-stroke cognitive deficit; evidence is almost entirely Russian-language with minimal Western replication.

Not Approved (US)

Endoluten

The Khavinson pineal bioregulator preparation, positioned as a "precursor/complementary" product to epithalon (the synthetic AEDG tetrapeptide). Marketed in Russia for neuroendocrine and circadian support in aging. Evidence base is Russian-language Khavinson-group studies with minimal independent replication.

Research Only

Epithalon

A synthetic pineal tetrapeptide from the Khavinson group (St. Petersburg) — the only peptide with published data claiming telomerase activation and telomere elongation in human cell models.

Preclinical

FOXO4-DRI

A D-retro-inverso cell-penetrating peptide designed by the Peeper lab (Netherlands Cancer Institute) to selectively clear senescent cells — the prototype senolytic peptide.

Research Only

GDF11

⚠ Not a peptide — a 12 kDa TGF-β superfamily protein. Rose to prominence through Amy Wagers' 2013–2014 parabiosis studies suggesting it was a "youthful factor" that could reverse cardiac, skeletal muscle, and neural aging in mice. Subsequent independent work substantially walked back or contradicted several of the original claims, and the current consensus view is that GDF11's role in aging is considerably more complex and less uniformly "rejuvenating" than early reports suggested.

Clinical Trials

GDF15

⚠ Not a peptide — a 12 kDa TGF-β superfamily protein. Rises with age and with mitochondrial stress; a potent anorexic/cachexia signal via its brainstem GFRAL/RET receptor. Active clinical development in two directions: agonism for obesity (NGM120, LY3463251) and antagonism for cachexia (ponsegromab, Pfizer Phase 3 PROACC-1 in cancer cachexia).

Research Only

Humanin

A mitochondrial-derived peptide with neuroprotective, metabolic, and anti-apoptotic activity — one of the first signaling peptides identified as encoded by mitochondrial DNA.

Research Only

Livagen

A Khavinson tetrapeptide proposed to support hepatic and lymphocyte function; reported to decondense chromatin in aged lymphocytes in in-vitro studies — Russian-language evidence, no Western replication.

Research Only

MOTS-c

A mitochondrially encoded peptide studied for its effects on metabolic homeostasis, insulin sensitivity, and exercise capacity.

Research Only

Ovagen

A Khavinson tripeptide proposed to support hepatocyte function and reproductive-tissue aging; evidence is Russian-language and pre-clinical.

Research Only

Pinealon

A Khavinson tripeptide proposed to cross the blood–brain barrier and support neuronal gene expression in aging brain tissue — animal data in hypoxia and oxidative stress models; no Western clinical trials.

Not Approved (US)

Prostamax

A Khavinson prostate bioregulator preparation marketed in Russia for prostate aging, with the synthetic KEDP tetrapeptide (Prostagen) as its characterized active fragment. Russian-language evidence base; no FDA/EMA status; no independent Western clinical replication.

Research Only

SHLP2

A 26-aa mitochondrial-derived peptide, the most-studied of the SHLP1–SHLP6 family (Cohen lab, USC). Preclinical data report insulin-sensitizing, antiapoptotic, and metabolic-protective effects; lower plasma levels in humans correlate with age and with type 2 diabetes. Research-only; no human clinical trials.

Research Only

SHLP3

One of the six small humanin-like peptides (Cohen lab); preclinical reports suggest roles in adipogenesis and metabolic regulation. Less well-characterized than SHLP2 or humanin. Research-only.

Research Only

SHLP6

A SHLP-family member with a notably distinct preclinical profile: where humanin and SHLP2 are antiapoptotic, SHLP6 has been reported as pro-apoptotic, suggesting the mitochondrial-derived peptide family includes members with opposing regulatory roles. Research-only.

FDA ApprovedFull Entry

SS-31 (Elamipretide)

The first FDA-approved mitochondria-targeted peptide therapeutic — approved September 2025 as Forzinity for Barth syndrome, with broader investigation in heart failure, macular degeneration, and aging.

Not Approved (US)

Testagen

A Khavinson testis bioregulator preparation — note that the synthetic tetrapeptide KEDG has been reported in different Khavinson-group publications under both the Testagen and Ventfort names, reflecting either genuine tissue-source overlap or inconsistent nomenclature in the primary literature. Evidence is Russian-language; Russian nutraceutical status only.

Not Approved (US)

Thymalin

A calf-thymus polypeptide extract (like cortexin but for thymus-immune axis), positioned by Khavinson as an aging bioregulator. Russian approval, no FDA/EMA approval. Evidence base includes several Russian-language longevity-cohort observations and immune-function studies; methodological rigor is mixed.

Not Approved (US)

Thymogen

Glu-Trp, the synthetic dipeptide characterized as an active fragment of calf-thymus bioregulator preparations, registered in Russia as an immune-supportive medicine. Khavinson-framework research compound; no FDA/EMA approval.

Not Approved (US)

Ventfort

The Khavinson vascular bioregulator, marketed in Russia for endothelial aging and microcirculation support. Associated with the synthetic KEDG tetrapeptide in some Khavinson-group publications. Russian-language evidence base only; not FDA/EMA approved.

Research Only

Vesugen

The synthetic KED tripeptide in the Khavinson short-peptide series, studied preclinically for vascular-aging and antiatherogenic effects. Not a registered medicine; research-only in the West, nutraceutical status in Russia. Preclinical evidence only.

Not Approved (US)

Visoluten

The Khavinson retinal bioregulator preparation, marketed in Russia for age-related retinal change including macular degeneration support. Evidence base is Russian-language Khavinson-group studies. Not FDA- or EMA-approved.

← All peptides