Peptides tissue-specifically stimulate cell differentiation during their aging.

We verified expression of CXCL12 and Hoxa3 transcription factors of differentiation in cultures of human embryonic pancreatic and bronchial cells and CXCL12 and WEGC1 factors in a culture of human prostatic fibroblasts. Reduced expression of these differentiation markers was detected in late-passage (aging) cultures. The expression of differentiation factors CXCL12, Hoxa3, and WEGC1 was tissue-specifically stimulated by short peptides: pancragen (Lys-Glu-Asp-Trp) in pancreatic cells, bronchogen (Ala-Glu-Asp-Leu) in bronchial epithelial cells, and vesugen (Lys-Glu-Asp) in fibroblasts. The inducing effect of peptides on the expression of differentiation factors was more pronounced in aged cultures, which can serve as a mechanism of their geroprotective effect.