Vasoactive intestinal peptide, often shortened to VIP, is a peptide that researchers have studied across a wide range of conditions for decades. Anyone encountering the name in a study or a lab report may want to know what it is and how far the research has progressed.
Key takeaways
- VIP is a naturally occurring 43-amino acid peptide with a molecular weight of about 3,326.8 daltons.
- More than 60 clinical trials have registered VIP as a subject of study.
- Sample trials span menstrual migraine, acute respiratory distress syndrome with sepsis, and irritable bowel syndrome.
- One completed Phase 1 trial examined VIP directly in patients with respiratory distress and sepsis.
- A completed Phase 4 trial measured VIP alongside other biomarkers in menstrual migraine patients treated with a separate therapy.
What the evidence shows
Across more than 60 registered trials, VIP has been examined in connection with several distinct areas of physiology. A completed Phase 1 study looked at vasoactive intestinal peptide administration in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome and sepsis. A completed Phase 4 study measured VIP levels, among other markers, in women with menstrual migraine before and after a separate treatment. A more recent trial without a specified phase is examining VIP in the context of a multidisciplinary treatment approach for moderate to severe irritable bowel syndrome, and remains active.