VIP (Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide)
Research-Grade
Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide (VIP) is a 28-amino-acid neuropeptide first isolated from porcine duodenum in 1970. Despite its name suggesting a gut-specific role, VIP is widely distributed throughout the central and peripheral nervous systems, lungs, and immune tissue. It acts as a potent vasodilator, bronchodilator, immunomodulator, and neuromodulator. VIP has gained particular attention in the mold illness / CIRS (Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome) community through the work of Ritchie Shoemaker, who proposed intranasal VIP as a final-step intervention in his Shoemaker Protocol for biotoxin illness. His published case series report improvements in pulmonary artery pressure, C4a, TGF-beta-1, VEGF, and MMP-9 markers. These reports are clinician-driven and have not been independently replicated in controlled trials. In mainstream clinical medicine, VIP has been investigated for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) — a Phase II inhaled VIP trial showed improved exercise capacity and hemodynamics. It is also under investigation for inflammatory bowel disease and neurodegenerative conditions, leveraging its anti-inflammatory NF-κB suppression and CREB-mediated neuroprotection. The challenge with VIP as a therapeutic is its extremely short half-life (approximately 1 minute in plasma), requiring intranasal or inhaled delivery to bypass rapid proteolytic degradation.
Specifications
| Origin / Manufacturer | Synthetic (identical to endogenous) |
| Active Components | Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide acetate |
| Storage | Store at −20°C, protect from light |
| Shelf Life | 12 months (lyophilized) |
| Form Factor | Lyophilized powder for intranasal or subcutaneous reconstitution |
Clinical Evidence
Clinical report reference
Clinical report reference
Clinical report reference
Clinical report reference
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources & References
Every clinical claim on this page traces to a primary peer-reviewed source.
- 1Petkov V, et al.. Vasoactive intestinal peptide as a new drug for treatment of primary pulmonary hypertension. Journal of Clinical Investigation. 2003;111(9):1339-1346. PMID:12727926
- 2Delgado M, et al.. Vasoactive intestinal peptide: a neuropeptide with pleiotropic immune functions. Amino Acids. 2013;45(1):25-39. PMID:21989854
Reviewed by
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Immunology & Pulmonology Review
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