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Updated: Aug 24, 2026

Measuring Single-Cell Aging with an Imaging-based Biomarker of Chromatin and Epigenetic Aging
Published on: January 30, 2026
Bioregulator Vilon-induced reactivation of chromatin in cultured lymphocytes from old people
Teimuraz Lezhava1, Vladimir Khavison, Jamlet Monaselidze
1Department of Genetics, Tbilisi State University, Tbilisi, Georgia. lezh@kheta.ge
Abstract:
The effect of the synthetic peptide bioregulator Vilon on structural and facultative heterochromatin of cultured lymphocytes from old people has been studied. The data obtained indicate that Vilon (a) induces unrolling (deheterochromatinization) of total heterochromatin; (b) activates synthetic processes caused by the reactivation of ribosomal genes as a result of deheterochromatinization of nucleolus organizer regions; (c) releases the genes repressed due to the condensation of euchromatic regions forming facultative heterochromatin; (d) does not induce decondensation of pericentromeric structural heterochromatin. Our results indicate that Vilon causes progressive activation (deheterochromatinization) of the facultative heterochromatin with increased aging.
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