A practical reference on Epitalon: what it is, how it behaves, what the literature reports, and where the honest uncertainties sit.
Reviewed 2026-06-22. Anything still debated is marked as such rather than presented as settled.
Epitalon is the common name for a synthetic tetrapeptide with the sequence alanine-glutamate-aspartate-glycine, usually abbreviated AEDG. All four residues are proteinogenic amino acids, and the free peptide has a calculated mass near 390 grams per mole. Because the chain is short and carries no modifications, it is assembled readily by solid-phase synthesis and is distributed mainly as a freeze-dried solid for laboratory work. Catalogue listings use the spellings epitalon, epithalone, and simply AEDG, and the three refer to the same sequence.
The compound is generally presented as a synthetic fragment of epithalamin, a pineal gland extract investigated in the former Soviet Union from the 1970s onward. Vladimir Khavinson and colleagues in Saint Petersburg developed short peptides modelled on such extracts, and epitalon became the most widely cited of those sequences. Most primary reports appeared in Russian-language journals or in proceedings with limited international circulation. Independent replication in laboratories outside that network remains sparse, and much repeated secondary material traces back to a small number of originating groups.
Laboratory work has examined effects on telomerase activity in cultured cells, on melatonin rhythms in animals, and on markers of oxidative stress. Some experiments report measurable changes while others show none, and the reported findings rest largely on small studies. The absence of large independent trials means the generality of these results is unresolved rather than settled. Review articles occasionally apply the label geroprotector, a term that reflects a research hypothesis about ageing rather than an established clinical finding.
Proposed mechanisms centre on cell-culture observations rather than a defined receptor interaction. Several reports describe increased expression of the telomerase catalytic subunit after exposure of cultured human cells, and the authors attributed the effect to short peptide fragments entering the nucleus and influencing gene transcription. No receptor for the tetrapeptide has been identified, and the free peptide is expected to be degraded rapidly by plasma peptidases. Whether any measurable fraction reaches intact tissues after administration remains an unresolved question rather than an established finding.
The published literature is dominated by a small number of research groups, much of it in Russian-language journals, and independent replication outside those groups is limited. Studies are typically small, use cultured cells or rodent models, and report endpoints that differ between papers, which makes comparison difficult. Large randomised human trials have not appeared in the indexed literature. Questions about absorption, distribution and clearance are therefore still treated as open in reviews that mention the compound.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Molecular formula | C14H22N4O9 | Computed for the free acid of Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly |
| Molecular mass | About 390.35 g/mol | Free peptide; salt forms shift the value |
| Appearance | White to off-white solid | Typical of short peptides after freeze-drying |
| Solubility class | Freely soluble in water | Aqueous buffers are also commonly used |
| Common synonyms | Epitalon, epithalone, AEDG | AEDG is the single-letter sequence |
Published evidence comes mainly from Russian-language journals and from a single research group, with small sample sizes and limited independent replication. A few laboratories outside that group have examined related peptides and reported weaker or absent telomerase effects, so the central claim is best described as contested rather than settled. Rodent studies report modest changes in some ageing markers and in survival, but designs vary and control conditions are often sparse. No large randomised trial in humans has been published, and long-term safety data in healthy populations are correspondingly thin.
Epitalon is a synthetic tetrapeptide with the sequence alanine-glutamate-aspartate-glycine, commonly abbreviated AEDG. It was designed at the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology as a short, chemically defined analogue of epithalamin, a fraction obtained from bovine pineal tissue. Small peptide bioregulators of this type formed a long-running line of work there from the 1980s onward. Because the molecule is produced by solid-phase synthesis rather than extraction, its composition is exact and its purity can be measured directly.
The most frequently cited proposed action is induction of telomerase, the enzyme that adds repeat sequences to chromosome ends. Cell-culture work from the originating group reported higher telomerase reverse transcriptase expression and measurable telomere elongation in human somatic cells after exposure. How a four-residue peptide would reach nuclear gene regulation is not established, and no cell-surface receptor or uptake route has been identified. Additional reports describe changes in melatonin secretion, antioxidant enzyme activity and lipid peroxidation in aged animals, but these findings remain mechanistically unconnected to the telomerase observation.
The parent extract epithalamin was characterised as a low-molecular-weight fraction of pineal tissue rather than a single defined chemical entity. Researchers fractionated it and tested successive fragments for activity, a screening approach typical of peptide discovery work in that era. Epitalon emerged from that process as one of the shorter sequences of interest. Because the original extract was never fully resolved into individual components, claims about which constituent drives a given effect rest on inference. This distinction matters when reading older reports that attribute extract observations to the tetrapeptide itself.
Epitalon is a synthetic tetrapeptide with the residue sequence alanine-glutamate-aspartate-glycine, commonly abbreviated AEDG. Its monoisotopic mass is approximately 390.35 daltons, and it is usually supplied as a lyophilised trifluoroacetate or acetate salt. The compound was derived from a pineal gland extract called epithalamin, a heterogeneous preparation investigated in the former Soviet Union. Researchers associated with the Saint Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology described the tetrapeptide as a constituent fragment of that extract. Commercial material is offered as a laboratory reagent rather than as a finished pharmaceutical product.
An active celebrity in the climate change movement, DiCaprio believes global warming is the world's "number-one environmental challenge". Eager to learn about ecology from an early age, he would watch documentaries on rainforest depletion and the loss of species and habitats. In 1998, he established the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, a non-profit organization devoted to promoting environmental awareness. It supports organizations and campaigns committed to ensuring a viable future for planet Earth, and produced the short web documentaries Water Planet and Global Warning. The foundation has also funded debt-for-nature swaps. By 2018, the foundation had funded more than 200 projects, providing $100 million in support. He has been an active supporter of numerous environmental organizations and sat on the board of the World Wildlife Fund and International Fund for Animal Welfare. DiCaprio has owned environment-friendly electric-hybrid vehicles. His use of private jets and large yachts have been criticized as hypocritical due to their large carbon footprints. DiCaprio chaired the national Earth Day celebration in 2000 where he interviewed Bill Clinton and they discussed plans to deal with global warming and the environment. He presented at the 2007 American leg of Live Earth. DiCaprio donated $1 million to the Wildlife Conservation Society at Russia's Tiger Summit. DiCaprio's persistence in reaching the event after encountering two plane delays caused then Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to describe him as a "muzhik" or "real man".
C.; Schwab, M.; Viegas, M. H.; Roseboom, T. J. (2015). "Prenatal Undernutrition and Leukocyte Telomere Length in Late Adulthood". The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 102 (3): 655–660. doi:10.3945/ajcn.115.112326. PMID 26178721. S2CID 4493294. Chen, R.; et al. (2012). "Personal Omics Profiling Reveals Dynamic Molecular and Medical Phenotypes". Cell. 148 (6): 1293–1507. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2012.02.009. PMC 3341616. PMID 22424236. Bernardes De Jesus, B.; Schneeberger, K.; Vera, E.; Tejera, A.; Harley, C. B.; Blasco, M. A. (2011). "The Telomerase Activator TA-65". Aging Cell. 10 (4): 604–621. doi:10.1111/j.1474-9726.2011.00700.x. PMC 3627294. PMID 21426483.
The primary structure of a biological polymer to a large extent determines the three-dimensional shape (tertiary structure). Protein sequence can be used to predict local features, such as segments of secondary structure, or trans-membrane regions. However, the complexity of protein folding currently prohibits predicting the tertiary structure of a protein from its sequence alone. Knowing the structure of a similar homologous sequence (for example a member of the same protein family) allows highly accurate prediction of the tertiary structure by homology modeling. If the full-length protein sequence is available, it is possible to estimate its general biophysical properties, such as its isoelectric point.
== External links == Calvete JJ (1995). "On the structure and function of platelet integrin alpha IIb beta 3, the fibrinogen receptor". Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 208 (4): 346–60. doi:10.3181/00379727-208-43863a. PMID 7535429. Garner Stephen F., Campbell Kate, Metcalfe Paul, Keidan Jane, Huiskes Elly, Dong Jing-Fei, Lopez Jose A., Ouwehand Willem H. (2002). "Glycoprotein V: the predominant target antigen in gold-induced autoimmune thrombocytopenia" (PDF). Blood. 100 (1): 344–346. doi:10.1182/blood.V100.1.344. PMID 12070047.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) Dumin J A, Dickeson S K, Stricker T P, Bhattacharyya-Pakrasi M, Roby J D, Santoro S A, Parks W C (2001). "Pro-collagenase-1 (matrix metalloproteinase-1) binds the alpha(2)beta(1) integrin upon release from keratinocytes migrating on type I collagen". J. Biol. Chem. 276 (31): 29368–74. doi:10.1074/jbc.M104179200. PMID 11359786.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) http://www.reference.md/files/D019/mD019038.html Online Medical Dictionary, Platelet membrane glycoproteins Platelet+membrane+glycoproteins at the U.S. National Library of Medicine Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) http://www.ojrd.com/content/1/1/46/figure/F1?highres=y http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/99/1/e1/F4.large.jpg
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
==== Autonomic problems ==== Although neurogastroenterological manifestations in connective tissue disorders are common, their root cause is not yet known. Splanchnic circulation, small fiber neuropathy and altered vascular compliance have all been named as potential contributors to gastrointestinal complaints, particularly for patients who have a known, comorbid autonomic condition. Dysautonomia symptoms, autonomic system dysfunction, in hEDS is associated with exercise intolerance and cardiac atrophy.
Wound healing refers to a living organism's replacement of destroyed or damaged tissue by newly produced tissue. In undamaged skin, the epidermis (surface, epithelial layer) and dermis (deeper, connective layer) form a protective barrier against the external environment. When the barrier is broken, a regulated sequence of biochemical events is set into motion to repair the damage. This process is divided into predictable phases: blood clotting (hemostasis), inflammation, tissue growth (cell proliferation), and tissue remodeling (maturation and cell differentiation). Blood clotting may be considered to be part of the inflammation stage instead of a separate stage.
James Rowley French (September 23, 1928 – December 20, 2017) was an American radio host, voice actor, writer and producer. French founded Imagination Theatre in 1996 and served as its producer until 2017. He was the morning DJ on the Seattle radio station KIRO from 1959 to 1971, and again from 1980 to 1994. As a voice actor, French was known for his work in video games by Valve, including Half-Life 2 (2004), Left 4 Dead (2008), and Dota 2 (2013).
=== Persian Gulf Arab states === The Arab states of the Persian Gulf started a campaign of prosecution against civilians and foreign citizens that shared or reposted rumors from unverified sources about the Iranian attacks, with the stated main goal to curb misinformation that could harm public order. Bahrain's Cyber Crime Directorate also started a campaign of arresting civilians in the country, which has a large Shiite minority, who allegedly expressed "their support for the Iranian shelling targeting the Kingdom of Bahrain", describing such activities as treason and as promotion of hostile acts against the state. Trump said "Even if we knew Gulf countries would be hit, big deal we did what we have to do". Saudi Arabia invoked its Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement with Pakistan. Pakistan deployed some 8,000 troops, a squadron of 16 aircraft, and two squadrons of drones. There was a pledge to send more if required. On 28 May, the US president Donald Trump threatened to "blow up" Oman if it failed to "behave" in a casual aside during a cabinet meeting after reports of talks between Iran and Oman about jointly charging a toll for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
=== Donald Trump's first presidency === Since late 2018, Trump repeatedly privately and publicly discussed buying Greenland. The Trump administration "courted Greenlandic politicians with promises of American business investment, educational opportunities, and development aid". According to a report in the New Yorker, a 2019 delegation of American diplomats and national-security officials, dispatched to discuss mining of mineral and particularly rare-earth mineral resources, included members of the Greenland Policy Coordination Committee, a committee within the National Security Council "working to subvert the Kingdom of Denmark".
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
It is a four-amino-acid peptide with the sequence alanine-glutamate-aspartate-glycine. The chain is unmodified and contains only standard proteinogenic residues, which makes it straightforward to produce by solid-phase synthesis and to characterise by standard peptide methods.
Epitalon and epithalon both circulate, and the difference reflects transliteration of a name coined in Russian-language publications. Reference to the extract it derives from, epithalamin, explains the shared stem. Databases and suppliers are inconsistent, so a search for one spelling alone may miss relevant entries.
No. Epithalamin is a multi-component preparation obtained from pineal tissue, and its exact composition is not fully characterised. Epitalon is a single defined tetrapeptide described as a short synthetic counterpart of that extract, so the two are related in origin but not interchangeable in identity.
No. Epithalamin is a heterogeneous peptide fraction obtained from pineal gland extract and contains many components. Epitalon is a single synthetic tetrapeptide with the sequence Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly. Researchers synthesised the shorter peptide while attempting to identify active sequences within the extract.