The Influence of KE and EW Dipeptides in the Composition of the Thymalin Drug on Gene Expression and Protein Synthesis Involved in the Pathogenesis of COVID-19.

Linkova N, Khavinson V, Diatlova A, Petukhov M, Vladimirova E, Sukhareva M, Ilina A. Int J Mol Sci. 2023.

Organ: thymus-immune · Type: in-vitro · Peptides: Thymalin, Vilon, Thymogen

Docking, pathway analysis, and an LPS-stimulated PBMC assay in which Thymalin, KE (Vilon), and EW (Thymogen) lowered IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α — not clinical evidence that these peptides treat COVID-19.

Editorial summary of a 2023 original article in International Journal of Molecular Sciences (MDPI, open access: doi:10.3390/ijms241713377). Computational work plus a small in-vitro inflammation assay. Public pages cite PubMed; the DOI is the OA record. Read the paper: PMID 37686182.

Methods

The article is original research, not a review: molecular docking of KE and EW to dsDNA (ICM-Pro), promoter and PathCards/STRING pathway analysis of COVID-19-associated genes, then an LPS-induced inflammation model in human peripheral-blood mononuclear cells. ELISA for IL-1β, IL-6, and TNFα used blood from four donors (2–4 ELISA runs per cytokine). KE is Vilon; EW is Thymogen; both are described as active substances of the thymic polypeptide complex Thymalin.

Findings

Docking preferred GGAG in classical B-form DNA for EW and GCGC in curved nucleosomal DNA for KE. Cluster analysis pointed at AKT1 and AKT2 as potential cytokine-storm-related targets, with ACE2 and CYSLTR1 as EW-specific and CHUK as KE-specific gene targets, functionally linked to IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, IL-4, and IL-10. In the LPS PBMC assay, Thymalin, EW, and KE reduced IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α synthesis 1.4–6.0 times. The authors interpret Thymalin’s immunomodulatory effect in a COVID-19 inflammatory setting as potential regulation of cytokine-storm proteins by these dipeptides.

Docking and a four-donor LPS assay are not a COVID-19 treatment trial. Follow the PMID and the OA DOI.