What is Epithalon?
Epithalon (also spelled Epitalon) is a synthetic tetrapeptide (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly) originally derived from the larger pineal-gland peptide epithalamin. Investigated in lifespan, carcinogenesis, and neural-activity preclinical models by the Khavinson and Anisimov research groups in Russia. Not approved by any major regulator.
What the research literature says
Epithalon is a synthetic four-amino-acid peptide (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly, sometimes written AEDG in single-letter code) developed by the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology as a synthetic analogue of the larger pineal-derived complex epithalamin. The compound was designed as part of a Khavinson-group research program investigating short peptide bioregulators derived from animal-organ extracts.
The Khavinson group documented lifespan-extension effects in Drosophila melanogaster (PMID 11087911). Anisimov and colleagues extended the framing into mammalian carcinogenesis models — colon carcinogenesis induced by 1,2-dimethylhydrazine in rats (PMID 12049808), and spontaneous carcinogenesis in female C3H/He mice (PMID 16634527). Neural-activity work documented effects on neocortex neuron activity following intranasal administration in rats (PMID 17955380).
The published mechanistic literature is comparatively sparse relative to the canonical BPC-157 or TB-500 mechanism literatures. Hypothesised mechanisms include telomerase modulation, melatonin-axis interaction (consistent with the pineal-derived origin), and direct effects on cellular pathways implicated in ageing and carcinogenesis biology. Cross-laboratory replication of the original Russian-group findings by independent investigators is more limited than for the BPC-157 literature.
Why this matters in research context
Researchers using Epithalon should anchor protocol design to the published Khavinson and Anisimov research-group literature and apply standard caveats about findings concentrated within a single research lineage. The lifespan-extension and carcinogenesis-modulation frameworks are the most consistently characterised mechanism arms across the cited work; broader mechanism claims should be treated with appropriate scientific caution pending cross-laboratory replication.
Related compounds
- Epithalon 10mg — the compound covered by this answer
References
- Khavinson VK et al. Effect of epitalon on the lifespan increase in Drosophila melanogaster. Mech Ageing Dev 2000;120(1-3):141-149. [PMID 11087911]
- Anisimov VN et al. Inhibitory effect of peptide Epitalon on colon carcinogenesis induced by 1,2-dimethylhydrazine in rats. Cancer Lett 2002;183(1):1-8. [PMID 12049808]
- Kossoy G et al. Effect of the synthetic pineal peptide epitalon on spontaneous carcinogenesis in female C3H/He mice. In Vivo 2006;20(2):253-257. [PMID 16634527]
- Sibarov DA et al. Effects of intranasal administration of epitalon on neuron activity in the rat neocortex. Neurosci Behav Physiol 2007;37(9):887-893. [PMID 17955380]
Research-questions pages describe research-context use of peptide-research terminology. They do not constitute medical, veterinary, or clinical advice. Epithalon is sold strictly as a research-grade reagent for laboratory and bench research applications.