Epitalon
Epitalon is a synthetic tetrapeptide inspired by a natural compound produced in the pineal gland, studied for its role in cellular aging and longevity research.
What Is Epitalon?
Synthetic tetrapeptide studied for its role in telomerase activation, pineal gland regulation, and cellular longevity. Epitalon (also known as Epithalon or Epithalone) is a synthetic tetrapeptide composed of four amino acids: Alanine, Glutamic acid, Aspartic acid, and Glycine (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly, or AEDG). It was developed by gerontologist Professor Vladimir Khavinson at the SPbIBG, based on Epithalamin, a natural polypeptide complex isolated from the pineal gland (Khavinson et al., 2017).
As a research compound, Epitalon has attracted significant scientific interest for its geroprotective and neuroendocrine properties, with over 25 years of preclinical data. Its biological role relates to regulating pineal gland function, supporting telomere maintenance, and influencing the body's natural circadian and antioxidant systems (Araj et al., 2025).
Mechanism of Action
Epitalon is studied for its ability to activate telomerase, the enzyme responsible for maintaining telomere length, through induction of the hTERT gene in human somatic cells. In landmark experiments, Epitalon-treated human fetal fibroblasts exceeded the Hayflick limit, dividing well beyond the natural replicative ceiling of untreated controls (Khavinson, Bondarev & Butyugov, 2003).
Recent work suggests Epitalon may interact directly with the hTERT gene promoter and histone H1, modulating chromatin structure through epigenetic mechanisms (Khavinson et al., 2020).
Research Use Only
Epitalon supplied by Peptidos.eu is intended exclusively for laboratory and scientific research. It is not approved for human or animal consumption and must not be used as a medicine or diagnostic tool.
- Chemical name
- Epitalon
- Purity
- 99.516%
- Molecular formula
- C₁₄H₂₂N₄O₉
- Amino acid sequence
- Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly
- CAS number
- 307297-39-8
- Molecular weight
- 390.35 g/mol
- Number of amino acids
- 4
- Appearance
- White lyophilized (freeze-dried) powder.
- Solubility / reconstitution
- Highly water-soluble. Reconstitute in bacteriostatic or sterile water; dissolves readily to a clear, colorless solution. Also soluble in DMSO (~78 mg/mL); insoluble in ethanol.
- Storage
- Stable for ~24–36 months lyophilized at −20 °C, protected from light and moisture. After reconstitution, store at 2–8 °C and use within ~1–2 weeks. Avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles.
- Khavinson, V. Kh., Bondarev, I. E., & Butyugov, A. A. (2003). Epithalon peptide induces telomerase activity and telomere elongation in human somatic cells. Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, 135(6), 692–695.
- Khavinson, V. Kh., Izmaylov, D. M., Obukhova, L. K., & Malinin, V. V. (2000). Effect of epitalon on the lifespan increase in Drosophila melanogaster. Mechanisms of Ageing and Development, 120(1–3), 141–149.
- Anisimov, V. N., Khavinson, V. Kh., Provinciali, M., Alimova, I. N., Baturin, D. A., Popovich, I. G., Zabezhinski, M. A., Imyanitov, E. N., Mancini, R., & Franceschi, C. (2002). Inhibitory effect of the peptide epitalon on the development of spontaneous mammary tumors in HER-2/neu transgenic mice. International Journal of Cancer, 101(1), 7–10.
- Anisimov, V. N., Khavinson, V. Kh., Popovich, I. G., Zabezhinski, M. A., Alimova, I. N., Rosenfeld, S. V., Zavarzina, N. Yu., Semenchenko, A. V., & Yashin, A. I. (2003). Effect of Epitalon on biomarkers of aging, life span and spontaneous tumor incidence in female Swiss-derived SHR mice. Biogerontology, 4(4), 193–202.
- Khavinson, V. Kh., Goncharova, N., & Lapin, B. (2001). Synthetic tetrapeptide epitalon restores disturbed neuroendocrine regulation in senescent monkeys. Neuroendocrinology Letters, 22(4), 251–254.
- Korkushko, O. V., Khavinson, V. Kh., Shatilo, V. B., & Antonyk-Sheglova, I. A. (2011). Peptide geroprotector from the pituitary gland inhibits rapid aging of elderly people: results of 15-year follow-up. Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, 151(3), 366–369.
- Kozina, L. S., Arutjunyan, A. V., & Khavinson, V. Kh. (2007). Antioxidant properties of geroprotective peptides of the pineal gland. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 44(Suppl 1), 213–216.
- Sibarov, D. A., Vol'nova, A. B., Frolov, D. S., & Nozdrachev, A. D. (2007). Effects of intranasal administration of epitalon on neuron activity in the rat neocortex. Neuroscience and Behavioral Physiology, 37(9), 889–893.
- Khavinson, V. Kh., Popovich, I. G., Linkova, N. S., Mironova, E. S., & Ilina, A. R. (2020). Peptide regulation of gene expression: a systematic review. Molecules, 26(22), 7053.
- Al-Dulaimi, S., Thomas, A., Matta, S., & Roberts, T. (2025). Epitalon increases telomere length in human cell lines through telomerase upregulation or ALT activity. Biogerontology, 26(5), 175.
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