Bronchogen
Also known as: Ala-Glu-Asp-Leu, AEDL, Ala-Asp-Glu-Leu, ADEL, tetrapeptide bronchogen, Khavinson lung peptide
Khavinson peptide bioregulator (synthetic tetrapeptide)
What it is
Bronchogen is a peptide people use to support lung and airway health, particularly for damaged or inflamed bronchial tissue. It works by prompting airway cells to behave more like healthy, younger cells — reducing inflammation and restoring the normal lung lining. Not FDA-approved; evidence comes entirely from animal models and laboratory studies, with no human clinical trials published.
The scientific side
Bronchogen (Ala-Glu-Asp-Leu / AEDL) is described as a short synthetic tetrapeptide bioregulator originally developed by V.Kh. Khavinson that exerts tissue-specific effects on bronchial epithelium. In cell culture studies, Bronchogen selectively stimulated expression of the differentiation factors CXCL12 and Hoxa3 in human embryonic bronchial epithelial cells, with the most pronounced effect seen in aged ('late-passage') cultures — suggesting a geroprotective mechanism that may counteract age-related loss of differentiation capacity. In a separate study, peptide ADEL (Ala-Asp-Glu-Leu) regulated levels of the proliferation marker Ki67, the anti-apoptotic protein Mcl-1, p53, CD79, and NOS-3 in bronchial epithelial cell cultures, with the strongest activating effect on proliferation markers observed in old cell cultures. Biophysical studies showed Bronchogen acts as a DNA-stabilizing agent, raising calf thymus and mouse liver DNA melting temperature by 3.1°C at molar ratios of 0.01–0.055 (bronchogen/DNA base pairs), without AT- or GC-specificity, suggesting groove-binding interactions. Related short peptides penetrate cell nuclei and interact specifically with nucleic acid sequences, discriminating between nucleotide sequences and recognizing cytosine methylation status. In rat COPD models created by 60-day NO2 exposure, Bronchogen reversed bronchial epithelial remodeling — eliminating goblet cell hyperplasia, squamous metaplasia, lymphocytic infiltration, and emphysema while restoring ciliated cells and increasing secretory IgA. A follow-up study confirmed reduced neutrophilic inflammation, normalized cytokine profiles in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and increased surfactant protein B. In organotypic tissue cultures, Bronchogen stimulated lung explant growth from both young (3-week-old) and aged (18-month-old) rats at a concentration of 0.05 ng/ml. Additionally, Bronchogen regulated expression of CLE, KNOX1, and GRF gene families in Nicotiana tabacum plant models, indicating conserved peptide-DNA regulatory mechanisms across species.
Class: Khavinson peptide bioregulator (synthetic tetrapeptide)
Administration & storage
- Administration
- No injection method data described in reviewed abstracts (PMIDs: 2646802230199201171527282280851525015171212403582211754728371610)
- Storage
- No storage data described in reviewed abstracts
- Cautions
- No acute toxicity, adverse effects, or safety signals were reported in any of the reviewed abstracts (PMIDs: 26468022, 30199201, 17152728, 22808515, 25015171, 21240358, 22117547, 28371610). Absence of reported adverse events in animal studies does not establish human safety.,All efficacy data are from animal models (rat COPD) or in vitro/ex vivo systems — extrapolation to human dosing is not supported by reviewed literature (PMIDs: 26468022, 30199201, 17152728).,No human clinical trials have been published for Bronchogen as of the reviewed literature; human safety and efficacy data are entirely absent from the reviewed PMIDs.
Legal & regulatory status
Not approved by the US FDA as a drug. Not stated in reviewed literature as approved anywhere — requires manual verification. Reviewed abstracts contain no regulatory approval data (PMIDs: 26468022, 30199201, 22808515,…
Not stated in reviewed literature — requires manual verification
Not stated in reviewed literature — requires manual verification
What it's studied for
- Reversal of bronchial epithelial remodeling in COPD (animal model) Animal studies only
- One month of Bronchogen administration in NO2-induced rat COPD model eliminated goblet cell hyperplasia, squamous metaplasia, lymphocytic infiltration, and emphysema; restored ciliated cells; and increased secretory IgA production, normalizing cytokine profiles in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. PMID 26468022 Kuzubova et al., Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine (2015)
- Bronchogen treatment in rat COPD model decreased neutrophilic inflammation activity, normalized cellular composition and pro-inflammatory cytokine/enzyme profile in BALF, restored bronchial epithelium structure, and increased secretory IgA and surfactant protein B levels. PMID 30199201 Titova et al., Rossiiskii fiziologicheskii zhurnal (2017)
- Stimulation of bronchial epithelial cell differentiation and geroprotection (in vitro) Mechanistic only
- Bronchogen (Ala-Glu-Asp-Leu) tissue-specifically stimulated expression of differentiation factors CXCL12 and Hoxa3 in human embryonic bronchial epithelial cell cultures; the effect was more pronounced in aged (late-passage) cultures compared to early-passage cultures. PMID 22808515 Khavinson et al., Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine (2012)
- Peptide ADEL (Ala-Asp-Glu-Leu) regulated Ki67, Mcl-1, p53, CD79, and NOS-3 protein levels in human bronchial epithelial cell cultures across passages 1, 7, and 14; strongest activation of proliferation markers Ki67 and Mcl-1 was observed in old (late-passage) cultures. PMID 25015171 Khavinson et al., Lung (2014)
- DNA stabilization and nuclear interaction (biophysical / in vitro) Mechanistic only
- Bronchogen increased the DNA melting temperature of calf thymus and mouse liver DNA by 3.1°C at molar ratios (bronchogen/DNA base pairs) of 0.01–0.055; complex melting enthalpy (ΔH melt) was 11.4 cal/g (thymus) and 12.7 cal/g (liver); Bronchogen was not AT- or GC-specific, consistent with groove binding. PMID 21240358 Monaselidze et al., Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine (2011)
- Short peptides structurally related to Bronchogen penetrated into cytoplasm, nucleus, and nucleolus of HeLa cells; peptides discriminated between different nucleotide sequences and recognized cytosine methylation status, indicating specific nucleic acid binding with sequence selectivity. PMID 22117547 Fedoreyeva et al., Biochemistry (Biokhimiia) (2011)
- Tissue-specific stimulation of lung explant growth (ex vivo, aging model) Animal studies only
- Bronchogen at 0.05 ng/ml stimulated lung explant growth in organotypic tissue cultures from both young (3-week-old) and aged (18-month-old) rats compared to control explants, suggesting utility for stimulating reparative processes in lung tissue during ageing. PMID 17152728 Zakutskiy et al., Advances in Gerontology (2006)
- Gene expression regulation in plant and cross-species models Mechanistic only
- Bronchogen (Ala-Glu-Asp-Leu) at 10 nM concentrations regulated expression of CLE, KNOX1, and GRF gene family members in Nicotiana tabacum, demonstrating conserved cross-species peptide-DNA regulatory activity consistent with epigenetic mechanisms. PMID 28371610 Fedoreyeva et al., Biochemistry (Biokhimiia) (2017)
Safety signals
- No adverse effects, toxicity, or safety signals were reported in any reviewed abstract. However, all studies were conducted in animals or in vitro systems, meaning the absence of reported harm does not constitute a human safety profile. No human safety data are available in the reviewed literature. PMID 26468022
- DNA-binding activity identified in vitro — Bronchogen binds DNA in a groove-binding fashion and raises DNA melting temperature, raising theoretical questions about genotoxicity that were not evaluated in any reviewed abstract. Interaction with chromatin and nuclear components observed for related peptides. Long-term DNA-binding implications are unstudied in reviewed literature. PMID 21240358
Contraindications
- No contraindications are stated in any of the reviewed abstracts. The complete absence of human clinical trial data means no evidence-based contraindications can be derived from reviewed literature. PMID 26468022
About these dose ranges
Dose ranges below reflect commonly reported community protocols. Where published research cites a specific dose, the PMID is linked. Doses without citations are not clinical recommendations — they reflect what practitioners and researchers commonly report using.
Community-reported dosing
| Route | Dose | Frequency / Duration | Population / context | Source tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not specified in abstract | Not specified in abstract (described as 'tetrapeptide Bronchogen' administered for 1 month) | 1 month | animal | Research PMID 26468022 |
| Not specified in abstract | Not specified in abstract | Course of peptide treatment (duration not specified in abstract) | animal | Research PMID 30199201 |
| In vitro / ex vivo tissue culture addition | 0.05 ng/ml (effective concentration in organotypic culture) | Not specified in abstract | animal | Research PMID 17152728 |
| In vitro | Molar ratios of 0.01–0.055 (bronchogen/DNA base pairs) for DNA stabilization effect | In vitro experiment | in vitro | Research PMID 21240358 |
| Exogenous application (plant model) | 10 nM (in Nicotiana tabacum plant model) | Not specified in abstract | in vitro | Research PMID 28371610 |
| In vitro cell culture | Not specified in abstract | Measured at passages 1, 7, and 14 of cell culture | in vitro | Research PMID 25015171 |
| In vitro cell culture | Not specified in abstract | Not specified in abstract | in vitro | Research PMID 22808515 |
| Oral capsule (as marketed by Khavinson Institute in Russia); subcutaneous injection also reported in community settings — neither route validated in reviewed abstracts | Not established from reviewed literature; 0.05 ng/ml was effective concentration in rat organotypic tissue culture (PMID: 17152728); human equivalent dose unknown | Not established from reviewed literature | Adults seeking lung tissue support or geroprotection; no human clinical data available to validate any protocol |
All studies (8)
- PMID 17152728 Animal studies only
Tissue-specific stimulation of lung explant growth (ex vivo, aging model) - PMID 21240358 Mechanistic only
DNA stabilization and nuclear interaction (biophysical / in vitro) - PMID 22117547 Mechanistic only
DNA stabilization and nuclear interaction (biophysical / in vitro) - PMID 22808515 Mechanistic only
Stimulation of bronchial epithelial cell differentiation and geroprotection (in vitro) - PMID 25015171 Mechanistic only
Stimulation of bronchial epithelial cell differentiation and geroprotection (in vitro) - PMID 26468022 Animal studies only
Reversal of bronchial epithelial remodeling in COPD (animal model) - PMID 28371610 Mechanistic only
Gene expression regulation in plant and cross-species models - PMID 30199201 Animal studies only
Reversal of bronchial epithelial remodeling in COPD (animal model)