Vesugen Peptide: What It Is and What Studies Exist
Vesugen peptide is a Russian product name tied to KED, a chain of three amino acids (Lys-Glu-Asp). Most of its research is cell work, plus one mouse study. The only human data are Russian reports with no control group described. All of it comes from, or links to, one St. Petersburg research group.
Sources: PubMed 28539017 (2016); PubMed 28539025 (2016); PubMed 34071923 (2021)
Short answer
- What is vesugen?
- A product name, also spelled Vezugen, for the peptide KED (Lys-Glu-Asp). Its research group says KED protects blood vessels.
- Does it work in people?
- Not shown. Two reports say blood flow got better after Vezugen. Neither one describes a control group.
- Any safety concerns on record?
- Yes. A 2015 study of synthetic peptides found pro-oxidant activity. It also found fewer CD34-positive blood stem cells.
Sources: PubMed 28539017 (2016); PubMed 25051774 (2014); PubMed 26390612 (2015)
Is Vesugen the Same as Vezugen?
Yes, they appear to be two spellings of one product. KED is the lab name of the peptide behind both. Papers from 2014 and 2015 write vesugen. Papers from 2013, 2014 and 2016 write Vezugen.
The link to KED comes from one 2016 paper. It names two peptide products, Vezugen and Pinealon. It says they contain lysyl-glutamyl-asparagin and glutamyl-asparagin-arginine. Read in order, that pairs Vezugen with Lys-Glu-Asp (KED) and Pinealon with Glu-Asp-Arg. No paper states the match in one plain sentence. So treat it as a strong guess, not a stated fact.
Most papers found come from, or were co-written with, the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology, led by Khavinson. Some of the Russian human reports, though, come from a separate group in Ekaterinburg (Ural State Medical University and the Institute of Medical Cell Technologies) and study the Vezugen product. No controlled human trial was found from any group. Related short peptides are covered in our testagen and cardiogen guides.
Sources: PubMed 28539017 (2016); PubMed 25051766 (2014); PubMed 26390612 (2015); PubMed 25051774 (2014); PubMed 28976154 (2013)
What Is Vesugen Peptide Good For?
No controlled human trial shows vesugen is good for any condition. The claims come from the research group itself. It says KED protects blood vessels. It also calls KED effective for hardened arteries and other heart and vessel problems in older people.
The same 2016 paper gives the lab basis for that claim. Endothelin-1 is a vessel signal that rose in models of artery disease. The paper says KED brought it back to normal. It also says KED raised sirtuin1, a protein that helps repair DNA.
A 2021 review from the group adds a brain claim. It says KED taken by mouth improved memory and attention in older people with nervous system problems. The abstract gives no dose, group size or trial design. So the claim cannot be checked.
Sources: PubMed 28539025 (2016); PubMed 34173097 (2021)
The Vesugen Evidence, Step by Step
Most vesugen research is computer, cell and animal work. The table groups the studies found by evidence level, from furthest to closest to a human result.
| Tested on | When | What was reported |
|---|---|---|
| Computer model | 2014, docking | Vesugen was modelled binding the promoter of the MKI67 gene, which codes the Ki-67 protein. |
| Cells in a dish | 2012 to 2024, seven papers | Among the findings: more cell growth, less cell death, lower FOXO1, p16 and p21 activity, more serotonin, more dendrite branching, and higher Ki-67 in vascular cells. |
| Honey bees | 2012 | KED changed associative learning in short and long term memory tests. |
| Mice | 2021, Alzheimer model | Daily shots tended to increase neuroplasticity. |
| People, no control group described | 2013 to 2016, Russian reports | Better blood flow in leg and penile arteries; biological age markers; pro-oxidant activity and fewer CD34-positive cells. |
The cell studies in numbers
In aging human stem cells, KED lowered FOXO1 gene activity by 1.6 to 2.3 fold. In human mouth stem cells, it cut the aging markers p16 and p21 by 1.82 to 3.23 times. In aging brain cells, KED and EDR raised serotonin.
A 2024 study turned skin cells from older donors into nerve cells. KED and two other short peptides gave the cells more branches. They had no effect on mitochondria, lysosomes or the aging protein p16. That study reports what did not change, as well as what did.
Sources: PubMed 25051766 (2014); PubMed 28539025 (2016); PubMed 22977872 (2012); PubMed 32399807 (2020); PubMed 31677028 (2020); PubMed 24909721 (2014); PubMed 39518916 (2024); PubMed 34071923 (2021)
Has Vesugen Been Tested in People?
Only in Russian reports with no control group described. Four of them report vesugen results. Without a control group, a gain could come from other care, time or chance.
- 2014: in older men, blood flow in the main artery of the penis got much better after Vezugen. Both exam and test results improved.
- 2013: in leg artery disease, blood flow in the legs got better after Vezugen alone. Both exam and ultrasound results improved.
- 2016: in a comparison of anti-aging methods, the biggest change in biological age markers came from Vezugen and Pinealon used together.
- 2015: in 32 older people with several long-term illnesses, vesugen with Pinealon was studied for aging markers; the report also noted pro-oxidant activity and fewer blood stem cells (see safety below).
Sources: PubMed 25051774 (2014); PubMed 28976154 (2013); PubMed 28539017 (2016)
Is Vesugen Safe?
Nobody knows, because no controlled safety study of vesugen exists. One small study did record two findings worth knowing. It is a 2015 Russian study of synthetic peptides. The people in it were aged 41 to 83 and had several long-term illnesses.
First, the authors found pro-oxidant activity. Pro-oxidant is the opposite of antioxidant. Second, they saw fewer CD34-positive stem cells in the blood. They read that as a sign the body was making fewer blood cells.
The abstract lists 32 people. But its own count of 18 men and 12 women adds up to 30. That mismatch is one more reason to treat these reports as early signals.
Sources: PubMed 26390612 (2015)
Is There a Vesugen Dose?
No human dose appears in any vesugen study found. The only dose figure is from mice, and it is not a human dose.
A 2021 study used 5xFAD mice, a model of Alzheimer's disease. KED was given at 400 micrograms per kg each day, by a shot into the belly. The mice got it from 2 to 4 months of age. It tended to improve how well brain connections adapt. Mouse doses do not convert directly to people. No regulator has set any vesugen dose.
Sources: PubMed 34071923 (2021)
Common Questions
What is vesugen peptide good for?+
No controlled human trial shows it is good for anything. The research group behind it says KED protects blood vessels. Russian reports with no control group say blood flow in the legs and penis got better after Vezugen, and others report biological age markers and safety signals in people. The rest of the research is computer, cell, bee and mouse work.
What is vesugen made of?+
Vesugen is linked to KED, a chain of three amino acids: lysine, glutamic acid and aspartic acid. That link is a guess drawn from one Russian paper. It pairs the name Vezugen with lysyl-glutamyl-asparagin.
Is vesugen the same as Vezugen?+
They appear to be two spellings of the same product. Some Russian papers write vesugen and others write Vezugen, and both are tied to the same KED peptide research.
Has vesugen been tested in humans?+
Only in Russian reports. One followed 110 people of different ages, one followed 32 people aged 41 to 83, and two looked at blood flow in arteries. None of the abstracts describes a control group, and no vesugen trial is listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
What are the side effects of vesugen?+
No controlled safety study exists. A 2015 Russian study of synthetic peptides found pro-oxidant activity. It also found fewer CD34-positive stem cells in the blood. The authors read that as the body making fewer blood cells.
What is the dose of vesugen?+
No human dose appears in any study found. The only dose figure is from mice: 400 micrograms per kg a day, injected into the belly, in an Alzheimer's model. That is an animal dose, not a human one.
Sources: PubMed 28539025 (2016); PubMed 28539017 (2016); PubMed 25051774 (2014); PubMed 26390612 (2015); PubMed 34071923 (2021)
Related reading
This guide is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. It describes what published cell, animal and small human studies report about vesugen (KED). Vesugen is a research compound with no approval from the FDA or any other regulator found. Talk to a qualified healthcare professional before making any decision about your health.