Epitalon
Also: epithalon, epithalone, AEDG peptide, Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly
4 papers: 1 animal study, 2 cell studies, 1 review or preprint.
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Summary
Epitalon is a synthetic four-amino-acid peptide (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly) designed from the amino acid composition of epithalamin, an extract of the bovine pineal gland. It comes from the same Russian bioregulator programme as several other peptides on this site. Twenty-five years of published work is in cells, animals and computer models; there is no human trial among the papers linked here.
What it targets
The claim most often attached to epitalon comes from a short 2003 report in which adding the peptide to cultured human fetal fibroblasts, cells that do not normally make telomerase, was said to switch the enzyme on and lengthen telomeres. That is a cell-culture finding; the paper's suggestion that it could extend the lifespan of an organism is not demonstrated in it. In mice bred to develop mammary tumours, monthly courses of epitalon were associated with fewer and smaller tumours and lower HER-2/neu gene expression, while a similar short peptide tested alongside it had the opposite effect. In mouse egg cells aged in culture, epitalon reduced reactive oxygen species and markers of deterioration. A 2025 independent review collects this work, notes reported effects on melatonin synthesis and several enzymes, and says it remains uncertain whether these are the only mechanisms involved.
Clinical Research
Suppliers stocking Epitalon
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