Epitalon is a synthetic tetrapeptide (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly) developed by Prof. Vladimir Khavinson at the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology in the 1980s. It is the synthetic analogue of epithalamin, extracted from the bovine pineal gland.

Preclinical studies conducted by Khavinson, Anisimov, and collaborating institutions have examined Epitalon across several distinct biological domains: telomerase activation and telomere length extension; regulation of pineal melatonin synthesis in aging models; inhibition of spontaneous mammary and colorectal tumors in rodent models; restoration of circadian rhythm patterns in aged primates; preservation of retinal structure and electrophysiological function in rats; and epigenetic modulation of neurogenic gene expression via histone interaction. All findings referenced here derive from preclinical models and have not been validated in controlled human clinical trials.

The studies cited on this page appear in peer-reviewed journals including Biogerontology and Molecules and are indexed in PubMed/PMC. Epitalon has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for any diagnostic, therapeutic, or preventive application. It is classified as a research compound only.