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Specimen Atlas of Research Peptides81 plates · MIT
PeptidesDBan atlas
Side-by-side · Research reference

ARA 290vsVilon

Side-by-side comparison across mechanism, dosage, evidence, side effects, administration, and stack synergies. Citations on every claim where available.

APhase 2HUMAN-REVIEWED17/59 cited
BAnimal-StrongHUMAN-REVIEWED13/49 cited
ARA 290
EPO-Derived Peptide · Innate Repair Receptor Agonist
4 mgDaily doseBrines 2015Culver 2017
28 daysPhase 2 durationCulver 2017
Non-erythropoieticSafety profileBrines 2015Liu 2014
SQ · DailyBrines 2015Culver 2017
Vilon
Khavinson Bioregulator · Dipeptide
2 AADipeptide
T-helperStimulatesLinkova 2011
MouseModel basisKhavinson 2002
Literature lacks standardised clinical route

01Mechanism of Action

Parameter
ARA 290
Vilon
Primary target
Innate repair receptor (EPO receptor / CD131 heterodimer)
Immune cell differentiation pathways, chromatin modification
Pathway
EPO/CD131 → JAK2 activation → PI3K/AKT, MAPK signaling → anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic cascades
Vilon → Thymocyte sphingomyelinase activation → T-helper & cytotoxic T-cell differentiation; epigenetic suppression of aging markers (CCL11, HMGB1)
Downstream effect
Tissue protection, nerve fiber regeneration, suppression of inflammatory macrophage activation, altered T-cell differentiation (↑Treg, ↑Th2, ↓Th1)Liu 2014Culver 2017
Enhanced T-cell differentiation (CD4+, CD8+, B-cells), thymocyte proliferation, modulated IL-1β comitogenic activity, proposed chromatin decondensation in aged lymphocytesLinkova 2011Khavinson 2002Lezhava 2023
Feedback intact?
N/A — does not interact with hematopoietic EPO receptorLiu 2014
Unknown — no HPA/HPG axis data
Origin
11-amino-acid sequence from EPO helix B, engineered to eliminate hematopoietic activity while retaining tissue-protective properties
Synthetic dipeptide derived from Khavinson thymic peptide extraction studies (Thymalin fraction)Morozov 1997
Antibody development
Not reported in clinical trials
—

02Dosage Protocols

Parameter
ARA 290
Vilon
Standard dose (Phase 2)
4 mg / dayBrines 2015Culver 2017
Sarcoidosis SFN and diabetic neuropathy trials.
—
Frequency
Once daily
Self-administered subcutaneously.
Unknown — literature does not specify chronic administration protocols
Duration
28 days (Phase 2)Culver 2017
Corneal nerve improvements observed by day 28.
Not characterised in humans
Evidence basis
Phase 2 RCTsCulver 2017Brines 2015
64-subject sarcoidosis trial, type 2 diabetes trial.
Mouse / in vitro only
Route
SubcutaneousBrines 2015
Likely SQ or oral (Khavinson school uses both); no published ROA validation
Timing
Any time of day
No circadian dependence reported.
—
Standard dose
—
No clinical standard — literature lacks human dosing
Russian practice: often combined with other Khavinson peptides; no FDA/EMA trials.
Animal model dose
—
In vitro: 0.01–10 μg/mL culture medium (mouse thymocytes)
Not translatable to human mg/kg without pharmacokinetic data.
Half-life
—
Not published — dipeptides typically <10 min plasma t½

03Metabolic / Fat Loss Evidence

Parameter
ARA 290
Vilon
Primary effect
Improved metabolic control (HbA1c, fasting glucose)Brines 2015
Secondary to neuropathy treatment; direct lipolytic effects not established.
—
HbA1c
Significant reduction vs placebo
Observed in type 2 diabetes + neuropathy trial.
—
Fasting glucose
Improved in ARA 290 group
—
Body composition
Not directly quantified
Fat loss not a primary endpoint; metabolic improvements may reflect insulin sensitivity.
—

04Side Effects & Safety

Parameter
ARA 290
Vilon
Injection site reaction
Mild, transient
—
Hematopoiesis
None — non-erythropoietic
Distinguishes ARA 290 from native EPO.
—
Cardiovascular
No thrombotic events or hypertension reported
—
Immunogenicity
No antibody formation reported
—
Tolerability
Well-tolerated in Phase 2 trialsCulver 2017Brines 2015
—
Human safety data
—
Absent from PubMed-indexed literature
Theoretical risk
—
Immune hyperactivation in autoimmune-prone individuals (T-cell differentiation enhancement)
Antibody formation
—
Not reported; dipeptides generally low immunogenicity
Animal models
—
No adverse effects noted in mouse thymocyte or pineal lymphoid cultures
Absolute Contraindications
ARA 290
  • ·Hypersensitivity to ARA 290
Vilon
  • ·Active autoimmune disease (theoretical — no clinical data)
Relative Contraindications
ARA 290
  • ·Active malignancy (theoretical EPO-axis concern; not observed in trials)
Vilon
  • ·Pregnancy / lactation (no safety data)
  • ·Acute infection with cytokine storm risk (immune modulation unknown)

05Administration Protocol

Parameter
ARA 290
Vilon
1. Preparation
Reconstitute lyophilised powder per manufacturer instructions. Use sterile technique.
No clinical protocols exist in Western peer-reviewed literature. Russian gerontological practice may use 1–10 mg ranges, but dosing is empirical.
2. Injection site
Subcutaneous — abdomen, thigh, or upper arm. Rotate sites to avoid lipohypertrophy.
Subcutaneous injection (common for Khavinson peptides) or oral (some bioregulators reportedly active orally due to small size). No validated ROA.
3. Timing
Once daily, any time of day. Self-administered in Phase 2 trials.Brines 2015
Unknown — no circadian or meal-timing data. Khavinson school often recommends morning administration.
4. Dosing
4 mg daily for 28 days (Phase 2 protocol). Duration for chronic use not established.Culver 2017
Likely lyophilised powder, refrigerated. Reconstitution protocols not published.
5. Storage
Lyophilised: store at controlled room temperature. Reconstituted: refrigerate, use within specified timeframe.
—

06Stack Synergy

ARA 290
+ BPC-157
Moderate
View BPC-157 →

ARA 290 targets the innate repair receptor (EPO/CD131) for nerve regeneration and anti-inflammatory signaling, while BPC-157 promotes angiogenesis and tissue repair through distinct mechanisms (likely involving VEGF, growth hormone receptor pathways). Combined, they may address both neuroinflammation and structural tissue repair in neuropathy or injury models. No direct clinical data; mechanistic overlap in tissue protection.

ARA 290
4 mg SQ · daily
BPC-157
250–500 mcg SQ · daily
Frequency
Once daily, same or separate injections
Primary benefit
Nerve regeneration, pain reduction, tissue healing
Vilon
+ Epitalon
Moderate
View Epitalon →

Both are Khavinson bioregulators targeting aging pathways. Epitalon (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly) acts on telomerase and pineal function; Vilon on immune differentiation and chromatin decondensation. Combined in Russian gerontological protocols for multi-system aging intervention. Lezhava et al. (2023) tested both on aged lymphocyte chromatin, showing distinct epigenetic effects. Complementary, not synergistic in strict pharmacological sense.

Vilon
Empirical — no standard
Epitalon
Empirical — often 10 mg cycles
Frequency
Sequential or concurrent (literature ambiguous)
Primary benefit
Multi-system aging modulation (immune + pineal/circadian)
+ Thymalin
Weak
View Thymalin →

Thymalin is the parent polypeptide complex from which Vilon was isolated. Both target immune differentiation, but Thymalin is a complex mixture (multiple peptides), whereas Vilon is a purified dipeptide. Morozov & Khavinson (1997) described Vilon as a synthetic successor designed to replicate Thymalin's immunomodulatory effects with greater specificity. Redundant in practice; no published combination studies.

Vilon
No standard
Thymalin
10–100 mg IM (polypeptide complex)
Primary benefit
Redundant — both target T-cell differentiation
Morozov 1997Khavinson 2020