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VD11 is an 11-amino-acid linear peptide (VDELWPPWLPC) isolated from the spinal cord of the Chinese odorous frog Odorrana schmackeri. In one preclinical study it pushed microglia to release the neurotrophic factors NGF and BDNF and helped rats recover motor function after a complete spinal cord transection. People look at it as an early-stage, frog-derived candidate for central nervous system repair, not as a supplement.
- Improved hindlimb motor recovery (BBB score ~15.2 vs ~11.0 vehicle at day 28) after complete spinal cord transection in rats (preclinical)
- Reduced lesion cavity size and scar length in the injured cord (preclinical)
- Preserved more surviving neurons on Nissl staining after injury (preclinical)
- Drove NGF and BDNF release from activated microglia in vitro
- Protected PC12 cells and supported axon elongation under oxygen-glucose deprivation stress (preclinical)
- Lower 28-day mortality than the methylprednisolone comparison in the rat model (preclinical)
- Activated AMPK and PI3K/AKT pro-survival signaling in the injured cord (preclinical mechanism)
Overview
The honest read: VD11 rests on essentially a single primary paper (Li et al., Neural Regeneration Research, 2023) plus a later hydrogel-formulation study from the same group. All evidence is preclinical; there is in vitro data in BV2 microglia and PC12 cells, and in vivo data in a rat spinal cord transection model. There is no human data, no pharmacokinetics, no receptor identification, and no independent replication. It is genuinely niche; the peptide exists and the results are real, but the body of work is small and comes from one lab. Treat any claim beyond 'promising rat data' as unestablished.
- VD11 was pulled from the spinal cord of Odorrana schmackeri, a Chinese odorous frog, making it one of the first reported spinal-cord-derived (rather than skin-derived) amphibian peptides studied for CNS repair.
- It does not appear to act on neurons directly; in the studies it worked largely by nudging microglia to pump out NGF and BDNF.
- In rats it outperformed high-dose methylprednisolone (the standard steroid comparison) on locomotor recovery and on survival in that single study.
- A 2025 paper embedded VD11 into an injectable thermosensitive hydrogel so it could be delivered together with stem cells to an injury site.
Mechanism
VD11 is the mature product of a 58-residue precursor (encoded by a 221-bp mRNA) found in frog spinal cord; the active is the 11-mer VDELWPPWLPC, molecular weight around 1357 Da, ending in a cysteine. Its direct binding partner or receptor has not been identified. Functionally, in LPS-stimulated BV2 it increased both mRNA and protein for nerve growth factor () and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (), most strongly near 100 nM; those secreted factors are the likely route by which it supports neuronal survival and axon extension rather than acting on neurons directly.
In PC12 cells under oxygen-glucose deprivation and reperfusion it improved viability and axon elongation. RNA sequencing plus western blots from the injured cord pointed to activation of the and / signaling pathways, with VD11 raising phosphorylated AMPK and phosphorylated AKT that were otherwise suppressed by injury. So the working picture is neurotrophic and neuroprotective signaling driven largely through , not a defined receptor agonism.
receptor fingerprint
(BV2, LPS-activated)stimulates neurotrophic secretion
signaling pathwayactivator
/ signaling pathwayactivator
(nerve growth factor)upregulates expression
(brain-derived neurotrophic factor)upregulates expression
Direct receptorunidentified
Dosingtypical ranges, not medical advice
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Safetyrisks and cautions, not medical advice
There is no human safety data at all. In the rat transection study, VD11-treated animals actually fared better on survival (28-day mortality about 40 percent versus roughly 65 percent for the methylprednisolone comparison group) and did not show the body-weight loss seen with high-dose steroid. That is reassuring for a first look but says nothing about chronic dosing, immunogenicity of a foreign amphibian peptide, off-target effects, or reproductive and developmental risk. Because the sequence carries a free cysteine it may be prone to oxidation or disulfide-linked aggregation, which matters for formulation and shelf stability. Anyone treating this as anything other than a research chemical is ahead of the evidence.
History
VD11 was reported in 2023 by Shan-Shan Li and colleagues in the group of Xin-Wang Yang (Kunming Medical University), published in Neural Regeneration Research. It came out of the same lab's broader program mining amphibian tissue for regenerative peptides; an earlier sibling peptide from frog skin, OM-LV20, had already been shown to help in spinal cord injury and cerebral ischemia models. VD11 was framed as the first peptide drawn from amphibian spinal cord (rather than skin secretions) reported for spinal cord repair, and was pitched as smaller and more potent than OM-LV20. A 2025 follow-up built VD11 into an injectable, thermosensitive 'PCV' hydrogel scaffold intended to co-deliver the peptide with stem cells for CNS injury. Development has not advanced to human trials.
Reputation
Within its narrow field VD11 is regarded as an interesting proof-of-concept from the amphibian-peptide neuroregeneration niche, cited mainly by the originating group and by hydrogel and stem-cell scaffold work. It has essentially no footprint in the general nootropics or research-chem community, is not sold as a wellness peptide, and shows up mostly in specialty catalogs as a research reagent. It should be read as an early academic candidate, not a validated therapeutic.
Subjective profileweighing the evidence above
One striking rat study from one lab, with no replication, no human data, and no measured pharmacokinetics or dose-response. Spinal cord repair is worth chasing and this is a reasonable early lead for researchers, but there is nothing here that supports putting it in a person.
Resources
This entry is here for reference.
Research
- 2022first citedPeptide OM-LV20 promotes structural and functional recovery of spinal cord injury in rats.
- 2025most recentFrog-Derived Neuroregenerative-Peptide-Reinforced Bioactive Hydrogels with Injectability, Therm…
- 1.A new peptide, VD11, promotes structural and functional recovery after spinal cord injury
- 2.Frog-Derived Neuroregenerative-Peptide-Reinforced Bioactive Hydrogels with Injectability, Thermosensitivity, and Enhanced Neurotrophic Function for Repairing Central Nervous Injuries
- 3.Peptide OM-LV20 promotes structural and functional recovery of spinal cord injury in rats.
- 4.Peptide OM-LV20 protects astrocytes against oxidative stress via the 'PAC1R/JNK/TPH1' axis.
- 5.A short peptide exerts neuroprotective effects on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury by reducing inflammation via the miR-6328/IKKβ/NF-κB axis.
5 listed here; entry last updated August 2026
Reviews
My notesprivate to this device
FAQ
What is VD11 and where does it come from?
It is an 11-amino-acid peptide (VDELWPPWLPC) isolated from the spinal cord of a Chinese odorous frog, Odorrana schmackeri. It was reported in 2023 as a candidate for spinal cord injury repair.
Does VD11 actually work?
In one rat study it clearly helped motor recovery after spinal cord transection and beat high-dose steroid on several measures. That is promising, but it is a single lab's preclinical work with no human data and no independent replication, so 'works in rats' is the honest ceiling right now.
How does it work?
It seems to act indirectly. Rather than hitting neurons, it prompts microglia to secrete the growth factors NGF and BDNF, and it activates AMPK and PI3K/AKT survival signaling in injured tissue. Its actual receptor has not been identified.
Is there a human dose?
No. All dosing was in rats (0.1 mg/kg injected directly into the spinal cord, twice daily for a week) or in cell culture (around 100 nM). There is no established or safe human dose.
Is VD11 safe?
Unknown in humans. In rats it was well tolerated and even improved survival compared with steroid, but that says nothing about long-term use, immune reactions to a foreign peptide, or safety in people.
How is VD11 different from OM-LV20?
OM-LV20 is an earlier, longer peptide from frog skin studied by the same group in spinal cord and stroke models. VD11 is shorter, came from frog spinal cord rather than skin, and was reported as more potent in their hands, but it has far less supporting data.
Can I buy VD11 as a nootropic?
It is sold only as a research reagent by specialty chemical suppliers, not as a wellness peptide. There is no basis for using it in people, and it has essentially no presence in the general nootropics community.
Is it being developed as a drug?
Not in any clinical sense. The most recent work built VD11 into an injectable hydrogel scaffold for delivering the peptide with stem cells, which is still early lab-stage bioengineering rather than a trial.
Limitations of the evidence
- No human data whatsoever; safety and efficacy in people are entirely unknown
- No pharmacokinetics, half-life, or dose-response in humans has been measured
- Evidence comes from a single originating lab without independent replication
Notes and cautions
- As a foreign amphibian peptide it could be immunogenic; this has not been tested
- Free cysteine in the sequence may make it prone to oxidation or aggregation, a stability concern
- All efficacy relied on direct intraspinal delivery, which is invasive and not a practical consumer route