Epithalon is a synthetic tetrapeptide (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly) developed by Vladimir Khavinson at the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology. It is a synthetic analog of epithalamin, a polypeptide complex isolated from the bovine pineal gland.
Telomerase Activation and hTERT Expression
Epithalon's most cited mechanism is activation of telomerase. In somatic cells, telomerase is typically silenced; each division shortens telomeres by 50–200 base pairs until critically short telomeres trigger senescence or apoptosis. Research by Khavinson et al. (2003) demonstrated Epithalon increased telomerase activity in human fetal fibroblasts, producing measurable telomere elongation and extending the Hayflick limit via upregulation of hTERT, the catalytic subunit of telomerase.
In Vivo Longevity Models
In Drosophila models, Epithalon increased mean lifespan by ~11–16% depending on dose and sex. In female HER-2/neu transgenic mice, it was associated with a lower cumulative number and smaller maximum size of mammary tumors, smaller (but not fewer) lung metastases, and 3.7-fold lower HER-2/neu mRNA expression in the tumors (Anisimov et al., 2002). In female C3H/He mice, it was associated with fewer mice bearing malignant tumors and no metastases (Kossoy et al., 2006). In female Swiss-derived SHR mice it did not change mean lifespan or total spontaneous tumor incidence, but was associated with fewer bone-marrow chromosome aberrations, less leukemia and longer survival of the last 10% of animals (Anisimov et al., 2003).
Pineal and Neuroendocrine Regulation
Epithalon increases melatonin production in aging animals where pineal function has declined. This may represent a second longevity-related mechanism operating in parallel with its telomere effects — addressing both the molecular clock (telomere shortening) and the circadian clock (melatonin rhythm) simultaneously.
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Epithalon — View Product Page →References
- Khavinson VKh, et al. (2003). Epithalon peptide induces telomerase activity and telomere elongation in human somatic cells. Bull Exp Biol Med, 135(6), 590–592.
- Anisimov VN, Khavinson VK, Provinciali M, et al. (2002). Inhibitory effect of the peptide epitalon on the development of spontaneous mammary tumors in HER-2/neu transgenic mice. Int J Cancer, 101(1), 7–10. PMID: 12209581. DOI: 10.1002/ijc.10570.
- Anisimov VN, Khavinson VKh, Popovich IG, et al. (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. PMID: 14501183. DOI: 10.1023/a:1025114230714.
- Kossoy G, et al. (2006). Effect of the synthetic pineal peptide epitalon on spontaneous carcinogenesis in female C3H/He mice. In Vivo, 20(2), 253–257. PMID: 16634527.
This article summarizes publicly available research for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, a therapeutic claim, or a recommendation for human use. Products referenced are sold for laboratory research use only.