Epithalon 10 mg

Epithalon (Epitalon) — 10 mg

Purity: ≥98% (HPLC)
Form: lyophilized powder, 3 ml vial
Storage: −20 °C (before opening), +2…+8 °C (after reconstitution, no more than 28 days)
Verification: Janoshik Analytical (Czech Republic) — independent blind test of every batch
Synonyms: Epithalon, Epithalamin, Epithalon, Epitalon, AEDG

---

Contents

1. What is Epithalon?
2. Why Epithalon attracts researchers' attention
3. Peptide structure
4. Telomeres and telomerase — in simple terms
5. Effect on gene expression
6. Epithalon in skin research
7. Cell biology and division control
8. Melatonin and circadian rhythms
9. Visual function research
10. Sources

---

1. What is Epithalon?

Epithalon is one of the most extensively studied peptides in the field of cellular aging. It is a synthetic tetrapeptide of four amino acids (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly), created at the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology in the 1980s. Its prototype was epithalamin — an extract of the epiphysis (pineal gland).

Over more than 30 years of research, Epithalon has become the subject of dozens of publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals. The two topics most often associated with this peptide are activation of the enzyme telomerase and influence on melatonin production.

For research use only. Not a medicinal product. Not intended for use in humans or animals.

---

2. Why Epithalon attracts researchers' attention

In short — because it is one of the few peptides for which a simultaneous influence on several fundamental processes has been described:

• Telomeres. In laboratory experiments on human cells, activation of telomerase has been shown — the enzyme that restores the protective "caps" of chromosomes [1]. Telomere shortening is considered one of the key markers of cellular aging.

• Melatonin. In experiments on primates, restoration of the daily rhythm of melatonin production was observed [12] — the hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle.

• Immune response. In rodent models, an influence on the expression of interferon gamma — one of the key signaling molecules of the immune system — has been described [5].

• Cellular renewal. In in vitro experiments, stimulation of fibroblasts — the cells that produce collagen and elastin — has been noted [6].

None of these effects has been proven in humans within clinical studies. All data have been obtained under laboratory conditions (in vitro) and in animal models (in vivo). This is precisely why Epithalon remains a research peptide.

---

3. Peptide structure

Parameter	Value
Amino acid sequence	Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly
Molecular formula	C₁₄H₂₂N₄O₉
Molecular weight	390.35 g/mol
CAS number	307297-39-8
PubChem CID	219042
Type	Synthetic tetrapeptide
Production	Solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS)

Epithalon is one of the shortest biologically active peptides. Just four amino acids — but it is precisely this sequence that reproduces the key fragment of natural epithalamin.

---

4. Telomeres and telomerase — in simple terms

To understand why Epithalon is interesting, you need to understand what telomeres are.

Imagine that your chromosomes are shoelaces, and telomeres are the plastic tips at their ends. With each cell division, these tips shorten slightly. When they become too short, the cell stops dividing. This is one of the mechanisms studied in the context of the biology of aging.

Telomerase is an enzyme capable of rebuilding these tips. In most adult cells, telomerase is inactive. This is exactly why scientists became interested in the possibility of its activation.

In 2003, Khavinson's group published data showing that Epithalon induces telomerase activity in human somatic cells in vitro and promotes telomere elongation [1]. In parallel, in experiments on rodents and insects, a statistically significant increase in lifespan was observed in the experimental groups compared with the control groups [2][3].

It is important to understand: these results were obtained under laboratory conditions. The question of whether they are reproducible in humans remains open and is the subject of ongoing research.

---

5. Effect on gene expression

Besides telomerase, an interaction of Epithalon with the promoter regions of several genes has been described [4]:

• CD5 — involved in the maturation of immune cells
• IL-2 — one of the main regulators of leukocyte activity
• MMP2 — involved in the renewal of connective tissue (skin, tendons, blood vessels)
• Tram1 — associated with the production of proteins inside the cell

Put simply, research shows that this short peptide of four amino acids is able to "switch on" certain genes, affecting immunity, tissue renewal, and protein synthesis — at least in laboratory models.

In experiments on rats, enhanced expression of interferon gamma has also been described — a key signaling molecule that coordinates the immune system's response to viral infections [5].

---

6. Epithalon in skin research

Collagen and elastin are proteins responsible for the elasticity and strength of the skin. They are produced by fibroblast cells. With age, fibroblast activity declines — this is one of the key processes studied in dermatological research.

In experiments on rodents, Epithalon showed an increase in fibroblast activation of 30–45% compared with control groups [6]. A decrease in the activity of caspase-3 — the enzyme that triggers the cell death program — has also been described [7]. In essence, under laboratory conditions it was observed that skin cells retained viability longer.

---

7. Cell biology and division control

In several independent studies on rodents, the effect of Epithalon on cell division processes was investigated. Data have been described indicating that the peptide may modulate the rate of cell proliferation in experimental models [8][9].

A separate line of research is the study of the interaction with the PER1 gene, which regulates the cell's internal biological clock (circadian rhythms). PER1 expression is described in the literature as a factor associated with cell cycle control [10].

---

8. Melatonin and circadian rhythms

Melatonin is often called the "sleep hormone," but its role is broader: it participates in the regulation of daily rhythms, antioxidant defense, and the functioning of the immune system. It is produced by the pineal gland (epiphysis), and with age its production tends to decline.

Epithalon was originally created as a synthetic analog of the active fragment of epithalamin — an extract of the pineal gland. It is therefore not surprising that one of the main directions of its study is its influence on melatonin synthesis.

In studies it has been described that Epithalon acts on the enzyme AANAT (arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase), which is a key link in the chain of melatonin biosynthesis [11]. In experiments on primates, restoration of the normal daily melatonin secretion profile was observed in aged animals [12].

---

9. Visual function research

In experiments on rats with a model of degenerative retinal disease, the effect of Epithalon on the structure and function of the eye's retina was studied. The authors describe preservation of structural integrity and improvement in indicators of the retina's bioelectrical activity in animals that received the peptide [13].

---

Sources

1. Khavinson V.K., Bondarev I.E., Butyugov A.A. Epithalon peptide induces telomerase activity and telomere elongation in human somatic cells. Bull. Exp. Biol. Med., 135(6): 590–592, 2003. PubMed

2. Anisimov V.N., Mylnikov S.V., Khavinson V.K. Pineal peptide preparation epithalamin increases the lifespan of fruit flies, mice and rats. Mech. Ageing Dev., 103(2): 123–132, 1998. PubMed

3. Anisimov V.N. et al. Effect of Epitalon on biomarkers of aging, life span and spontaneous tumor incidence in female Swiss-derived SHR mice. Biogerontology, 4(4): 193–202, 2003. PubMed

4. Khavinson V.K. et al. Short cell-penetrating peptides: a model of interactions with gene promoter sites. Bull. Exp. Biol. Med., 154(3): 403–410, 2013. PubMed

5. Lin'kova N.S., Kuznik B.I., Khavinson V.K. Peptide Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly and interferon gamma: their role in immune response during aging. Adv. Gerontol., 25(3): 478–482, 2012. PubMed

6. Chalisova N.I. et al. Short peptides stimulate skin cell regeneration during ageing. Adv. Gerontol., 27(4): 699–703, 2014. PubMed

7. Lin'kova N.S. et al. Peptide Regulation of Skin Fibroblast Functions during Their Aging In Vitro. Bull. Exp. Biol. Med., 161(1): 175–178, 2016. PubMed

8. Vinogradova I.A. et al. Effect of Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly peptide on life span and development of spontaneous tumors in female rats. Bull. Exp. Biol. Med., 144(6): 825–830, 2007. PubMed

9. Kossoy G. et al. Effect of the synthetic pineal peptide epitalon on spontaneous carcinogenesis in female C3H/He mice. In Vivo, 20(2): 253–257, 2006. PubMed

10. Gery S. et al. The circadian gene per1 plays an important role in cell growth and DNA damage control in human cancer cells. Mol. Cell, 22(3): 375–382, 2006. PubMed

11. Khavinson V.K., Shataeva L.K., Chernova A.A. Effect of regulatory peptides on gene transcription. Bull. Exp. Biol. Med., 136(3): 288–290, 2003. PubMed

12. Korkushko O.V. et al. Normalizing effect of the pineal gland peptides on the daily melatonin rhythm in old monkeys and elderly people. Adv. Gerontol., 20(1): 74–85, 2007. PubMed

13. Khavinson V. et al. Pineal-regulating tetrapeptide epitalon improves eye retina condition in retinitis pigmentosa. Neuro Endocrinol. Lett., 23(4): 365–368, 2002. PubMed

---

This material was prepared by the LONGIVIYA editorial team based on published scientific research. The information is for educational purposes only and is not a medical recommendation.

For research use only. Not a medicinal product. Not intended for use in humans or animals. Independent verification of every batch: Janoshik Analytical (Czech Republic).