Epitalon
Tetrapeptide studied primarily in Russian gerontology research for telomerase modulation and pineal function.
Educational only — not medical advice. SmartPeptide does not prescribe, diagnose, or treat. Always consult a licensed healthcare provider before using any peptide, supplement, medication, or protocol.
What the research shows
Small studies (mostly Russian gerontology programs) suggest effects on telomere biology and circadian/pineal markers in older adults. Some claim mortality benefit over multi-year follow-up.
What's still experimental
Independent replication outside of the original Russian research tradition is sparse. Western RCTs of meaningful size and duration are largely absent.
Anecdotal / community reports
Longevity-focused biohacker reports describe sleep and skin improvements; these are uncontrolled.
Anecdotal reports are NOT scientific evidence. They reflect personal experience and may not generalize.
FDA approval status
Source: openFDA + DailyMed (NIH/NLM)Doses studied in research
Source: Published clinical trialWhat published trials tested or FDA-approved labels specify. Reporting research facts — not a SmartPeptide recommendation.
The doses below are aggregated from research-peptide community forums (Reddit, biohacker discussions). They are NOT supported by clinical trials, NOT FDA-approved, and NOT a SmartPeptide recommendation. Source purity, dose accuracy, and user-reported outcomes are unverifiable. We display this only because the information is publicly available elsewhere — visitors should absolutely consult a licensed clinician familiar with experimental peptides before any use.
Khavinson lab protocols
Open calculatorNotes from the source: Most evidence is from the Khavinson research group (Russia); independent replication is sparse. SmartPeptide cannot verify supplier purity.
How clinicians typically protocol this
Third-party reference · not our recommendationDosing phases, cycle lengths, and administration timing as listed in a compounding-pharmacy clinician reference guide. Shown so you can see what a real protocol looks like — and bring informed questions to a licensed clinician.
Dose numbers, frequencies, and cycle lengths in this panel are extracted from a clinician-facing reference protocol distributed by a US-based compounding pharmacy in November 2025. SmartPeptide has paraphrased all descriptive text and adds no endorsement. Always consult a licensed clinician.
Synthetic tetrapeptide (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly) analog of pineal Epithalamin; studied for telomerase and circadian effects.
Protocol phases
Every other day × 5 days, repeatable up to 2×/year with 4–6 month intervals between cycles.
Protocol notes: Most human data on Epitalon comes from Russian gerontology literature — mixed methodology.
FDA enforcement & recalls
Live · openFDA Drug Enforcement APIMechanism & targets
ChEMBL · UniProt · Open TargetsProtein targets (UniProt)
- Telomerase reverse transcriptaseO14746gene: TERTHomo sapiens· 1132 aaReviewed
Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein enzyme essential for the replication of chromosome termini in most eukaryotes. Active in progenitor and cancer cells. Inactive, or very low activity, in normal somatic cells. Catalytic component of the teleromerase holoenzyme complex whose main activity is the elongation of telomeres by acting as a reverse transcriptase that adds simple sequence repeats to chromosome ends by copying a template sequence within the RNA component of the enzyme. Catalyzes the RNA-de…
Live research
PubMed · ClinicalTrials.gov · Europe PMC · OpenAlexEurope PMC — 97 additional records
Includes EU/UK studies and PubMed Central full-text articles. Often surfaces research weeks before PubMed indexes it.
- Unregulated Peptide Use in the Age of Biohacking: Digital Promotion, Gray-Market Access, and Emerging Public Health RisksHailu KT, Abriha FN, Duguma YM, et al. · 2026Open access
- LCP2 mediates SUV39H1-driven cellular senescence-related chemoresistance in natural killer/T-cell lymphomaZhang Y, Qian S, Yang Q, et al. · 2026Open access
- Dual-Mechanism Aptamer-Drug Complex Overcomes Paclitaxel Resistance in Ovarian Cancer via Structural Constraint and Telomerase InhibitionMa Y, Chen Z, Shen X, et al. · 2026Open access
- Therapeutic peptides in gerontology: mechanisms and applications for healthy agingMavrych V, Shypilova I, Bolgova O., et al. · 2026Open access· cited 2×
Research volume (OpenAlex topic graph)
Human clinical evidence
Semantic Scholar · AI TLDRs · influence-rankedMost influential human studies
- Overview of Epitalon—Highly Bioactive Pineal Tetrapeptide with Promising PropertiesReviewOpen access1 influential / 8 citedS. Araj, Jakub Brzezik, Katarzyna Mądra-Gackowska · International Journal of Molecular Sciences · 2025
TLDR The results of these studies indicate significant geroprotective and neuroendocrine effects of Epitalone, resulting from its antioxidant, neuro-protective, and antimutagenic effects, originating from both specific and nonspecific mechanisms.
- Pineal-regulating tetrapeptide epitalon improves eye retina condition in retinitis pigmentosa.Clinical trial1 influential / 14 citedV. Khavinson, M. Razumovsky, S. Trofimova · Neuro - endocrinology letters · 2002
TLDR The analysis of Epitalon effects suggests that the tetrapeptide participates in the mechanisms of transcription common for the epiphysis and retina.
- AEDG Peptide (Epitalon) Stimulates Gene Expression and Protein Synthesis during Neurogenesis: Possible Epigenetic MechanismJournal articleOpen access2 influential / 28 citedV. Khavinson, F. Diomede, E. Mironova · Molecules · 2020
TLDR Investigation of the influence of AEDG peptide on neurogenic differentiation gene expression and protein synthesis in human gingival mesenchymal stem cells suggested the basis for the epigenetic mechanism of this process was suggested.
- Inhibitory effect of the peptide epitalon on the development of spontaneous mammary tumors in HER‐2/neu transgenic miceJournal article1 influential / 29 citedV. Anisimov, V. Khavinson, M. Provinciali · International Journal of Cancer · 2002
TLDR The inhibitory effect of Epitalon is demonstrated in the development of spontaneous mammary tumors in HER‐2/neu mice, suggesting that a downregulation of HER‐ 2/nei gene expression in mammary adenocarcinoma may be responsible, at least in part, for the antitumor effect of the peptide.
- Effect of epitalon on the lifespan increase in Drosophila melanogaster.Journal article1 influential / 41 citedV. Khavinson, D. M. Izmaylov, L. K. Obukhova · Mechanisms of Ageing and Development · 2000
TLDR The geroprotector activity of epitalon, a synthetic tetrapeptide Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly, was studied on the Drosophila melanogaster wild strain Canton-S and significantly increased the lifespan of imagoes by 11-16% when applied at unprecedented low concentrations.
Research funding & verification
NIH RePORTER · CrossRef DOI registryNIH-funded research
U.S. National Institutes of Health- 1Z01AG000288-03Proteins Implicated In Cardiac Senescence: Results FromKenneth R Boheler · NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON AGING · FY2002
- 1Z01AG000288-04Proteins Implicated In Cardiac SenescenceKenneth R Boheler · NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON AGING · FY2003
Publication landscape
CrossRef · DOI registry- NRF1 works
- International Atomic Energy Agency1 works
- IPEV1 works
- INTAROS1 works
- French Polar Institute1 works
- European Union—Next Generation EU—under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan1 works
Funder diversity is a credibility signal. Research concentrated in a single drug company's funding warrants more scrutiny than research funded across NIH, charities, and academic grants.
Preprints — cutting edge
bioRxiv · medRxiv · via Europe PMCPreprints have NOT been peer-reviewed. They are early research shared by authors before formal validation. Treat findings as preliminary.
- PreprintFrom Cellular Aging to Tissue Protection: Epitalon in Regenerative and Longevity MedicineJain A, Gallacher DM, Issa MA, et al. · 2026-07-29
- PreprintEpitalon increases telomere length in human cell lines through telomerase upregulation or ALT activityAl-dulaimi S, Thomas R, Matta S, et al. · 2025-07-15
Known risks
Most studies are small, single-center, and not independently replicated.
Reported side effects
No established safety profile in larger populations.
FDA adverse event reports (FAERS)
Updated quarterly by FDAWhat requires medical supervision
Not FDA-approved. Long-term safety in larger populations is uncharacterized.
Questions for your clinician
- What independent replications exist outside the original Russian work?
- What objective biomarkers (e.g., telomere length, biological-age clocks) would we measure?
- What's the rationale for cycling vs continuous use?