Peptide Regulation of Gene Expression: A Systematic Review.

Khavinson VK, Popovich IG, Linkova NS, Mironova ES, Ilina AR. Molecules. 2021.

Organ: general-aging · Type: review · Peptides: Epitalon, Vilon, Thymogen, KED, EDR, AEDR

An open-access 2021 systematic review arguing that short peptides can regulate gene expression via DNA, histone, and methylation contacts — a literature synthesis, not a clinical trial.

Editorial summary of a 2021 Molecules systematic review (MDPI, open access: doi:10.3390/molecules26227053). Public pages cite PubMed; the DOI is the OA record. Read the paper: PMID 34834147.

Methods

Systematic review of published work on short peptides (2–7 residues) and gene expression. The authors survey DNA–peptide contacts (including promoter-sequence models), histone binding, DNA-methylation status, nuclear and nucleolar penetration, and reported effects on differentiation, senescence, immune, and neural gene sets. They compile Khavinson-line sequences (including AEDG/Epitalon, KE/Vilon, EW/Thymogen, KED, EDR, AEDR) alongside other short peptides from the wider literature. No new wet-lab experiment is reported.

Findings

The authors argue that short peptides can enter nuclei, contact nucleosomes, histones, and single- and double-stranded DNA, and thereby influence replication, transcription, repair, and methylation. They treat short peptides as early signaling molecules for template-directed synthesis and as a basis for possible immunoregulatory, neuroprotective, antimicrobial, and antiviral drugs.

That is a mechanistic literature synthesis. The review does not establish clinical benefit for any peptide. Follow the PMID and the OA DOI.