Epitalon
aka Epithalon · AEDG peptide
A synthetic tetrapeptide from the Russian gerontology literature, claimed to modulate telomerase and pineal melatonin rhythms, with long-term mortality data that has never been independently replicated.
Mechanism of action
Proposed to interact with promoter regions influencing telomerase reverse transcriptase expression and to restore pineal melatonin secretion patterns in aged animals.
Doses used in published studies
Russian protocols used 5–10 mg cycles over 10–20 days; no validated dosing exists.
These figures describe what researchers administered under supervision. They are reported for accuracy and are not a protocol, recommendation, or substitute for clinical guidance.
Reported benefits
- Extended lifespan in rodent cohorts in single-center studies
- Telomerase activation observed in human somatic cell culture
- Reported normalization of circadian melatonin in older adults
Risks & unknowns
- Evidence base is small, single-region, and largely unreplicated
- Telomerase activation carries theoretical oncogenic risk
- Product identity in the grey market is unreliable
Legal & regulatory status
Not approved in the US, EU, UK, or Australia. No recognized clinical indication outside Russian institutional practice.
Check status in your state or country →Key studies
- Epithalon Peptide Induces Telomerase Activity in Human Somatic Cells
Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine · 2003