Epitalon (Epithalon)

What is Epitalon?

Epitalon is the synthetic tetra peptide, alanyl-glutamyl-aspartyl-glycine, which is considered a short peptide as its sequence is less than 10 amino acids. Epitalon is also referred to as tetrapeptide AEDG, and Epithalon. It was initially identified in the polypeptide complex Epithalamin. Epithalamin is a polypeptide complex extracted from the pineal gland of cattle.

Is Epitalon the Fountain of Youth?

The exogenous application of this complex has shown many anti-aging benefits that have been reproduced in research and clinical trials. However, it is important to note that most of the research is carried out by groups lead by Vladimir Khavinson. According to his website, Vladimir Khavinson has led several gerontology and geriatric focused research projects in Russia. Epitalon was found to mimic the geroprotective activity of Epithalamin and is touted by many as a “fountain of youth” peptide drug. It has successfully increased lifespan of mice and fruit flies. Epitalon has also displayed benefits to circadian rhythm and cortisol levels in senescent monkeys. The administration of epitalon to senescent monkeys was able to restore endogenous synthesis of melatonin. The production of endogenous melatonin has been shown to decline with age. Perhaps the most well-established benefit of epitalon is in eyes and vision. Epitalon has demonstrated improvement of retina condition in a retinitis pigmentosa mouse model. Retinitis pigmentosa is a genetic disorder that involves the breakdown and loss of cells in the retina. Epitalon has also been used in clinical trials and showed positive effect in 90% of the cases. The positive effects were: “visual acuity increase, extension of visual field borders, normalization of electrophysiological indices.” Epitalon has also displayed the ability to express genes that are subject to age related repression. 4

Epitalon and Cancer

Epitalon has shown some promising research in the mouse and rat model with the reduction of carcinoma incidence and multiplication. Vladimir N.Anisimov et. Al, 2002, observed a significant decrease in the number of tumors in rats with chemically induced bowel carcinogenesis. This study showed that Epitalon had an inhibitory effect on these tumors in the rectum, colon, jejunum, and ileum. A separate study found epitalon to greatly reduced spontaneous mammary tumors in HER-2/neu mice. The peptide application showed a downregulation of HER-2 mRNA expression.6

There has been research displaying increased incidence of breast cancer among night shift workers conversely a decrease of incidence in blind women who are proposed to secrete more melatonin. Further there has been research displaying treatment with melatonin and separately epitalon display decreases in mammary carcinoma.9 This information may suggest that pineal health or higher melatonin levels could help prevent mammary carcinomas. Therefore, it has been purported that epitalon’s pineal normalizing effect may help reduce the risk of breast cancer.7 There was also a study which displayed a sixfold decrease in development of leukemia in epitalon treated mice when compared to the control group.8

Is Epitalon FDA Approved

Epitalon has not been approved by FDA for human consumption so there is not an accepted dose in the US. However, there have been many accounts of anecdotal self-experimentation.

Epitalon Dosage

The dosing schemas seem to vary greatly. I have seen anywhere from .5mg to 10mg, recommended across various informational outlets.

How Long do You Take Epitalon?

This compound has been recorded as being used every day or a few times a week, from 10-50 days per cycle, and cycling it 1-2 times per year.

A Majority of epitalon users seem to report and average of 5-10mg per day for 15-25 days, with this being done once every year or once every six months.

Epitalon Side Effects

Epitalon does not seem to have enough data to provide common side effects. There does not

1. Sack, R.L., Lewy, A.J., Erb, D.L., Vollmer, W.M. and Singer, C.M. (1986), Human Melatonin Production Decreases With Age. Journal of Pineal Research, 3: 379-388. doi:10.1111/j.1600-079X.1986.tb00760.x

2. VK Khavinson, DM Izmaylov, LK Obukhova, 2000. Effect of epitalon on the lifespan increase in Drosophila melanogaster. Mechanisms of ageing– Elsevier

3. Khavinson V, Goncharova N, Lapin B. Synthetic tetrapeptide epitalon restores disturbed neuroendocrine regulation in senescent monkeys. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2001;22(4):251-254.

4. Khavinson VKh, Lezhava TA, Monaselidze JR, et al. Peptide Epitalon activates chromatin at the old age. Neuro Endocrinology Letters. 2003 Oct;24(5):329-333.

5. Anisimov VN, Khavinson VKh, Popovich IG, Zabezhinski MA. Inhibitory effect of peptide Epitalon on colon carcinogenesis induced by 1,2-dimethylhydrazine in rats. Cancer Lett. 2002;183(1):1-8. doi:10.1016/s0304-3835(02)00090-3

6. Anisimov, V.N., Khavinson, V.K., Provinciali, M., Alimova, I.N., Baturin, D.A., Popovich, I.G., Zabezhinski, M.A., Imyanitov, E.N., Mancini, R. and Franceschi, C. (2002), Inhibitory effect of the peptide epitalon on the development of spontaneous mammary tumors in HER‐2/neu transgenic mice. Int. J. Cancer, 101: 7-10. doi:10.1002/ijc.10570

7. Anisimov VN. The role of pineal gland in breast cancer development. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol. 2003;46(3):221-234. doi:10.1016/s1040-8428(03)00021-0

8. Anisimov, V.N., Khavinson, V.K., Popovich, I.G. et al. Effect of Epitalon on biomarkers of aging, life span and spontaneous tumor incidence in female Swiss-derived SHR mice. Biogerontology 4, 193–202 (2003).

9. Coleman MP, Reiter RJ. Breast cancer, blindness and melatonin. Eur J Cancer. 1992;28(2-3):501-3. doi: 10.1016/s0959-8049(05)80087-5. PMID: 1591073.