The short version of pineal peptides fits in a sentence. The long version — which is the one that helps — is below.
Reviewed 2026-04-30. Anything still debated is marked as such rather than presented as settled.
Epitalon is a synthetic tetrapeptide with the amino acid sequence alanine-glutamate-aspartate-glycine, abbreviated Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly or AEDG. It was developed by the Russian researcher Vladimir Khavinson and colleagues during work on peptide bioregulators derived from the pineal gland. The compound is short enough to be produced by standard solid-phase peptide synthesis and is typically handled as a lyophilized white powder. Its small size distinguishes it from larger pineal peptides such as epithalamin, a complex extract from which the tetrapeptide was conceptually derived.
The four residues give epitalon a molecular formula of C14H22N4O9 and a molecular weight near 390.35 daltons. The presence of two acidic residues, glutamate and aspartate, makes the free peptide strongly acidic, while the alanine and glycine ends provide neutral, nonpolar character. This combination produces a molecule with substantial water solubility. Because there are no cysteine, methionine, or tryptophan residues, the peptide lacks the most common oxidation-sensitive side chains, which simplifies handling compared with many longer peptides.
The proposed relationship between epitalon and pineal function is a central part of its background. Khavinson's group reported that short peptides corresponding to regions of larger pineal proteins could influence gene expression in cells. Epitalon was framed as a synthetic analogue of an active fragment rather than a direct isolation product. Whether the tetrapeptide reproduces the effects of the parent extract is an open question, because comparative studies are limited and the parent extract itself is not a single defined substance.
Epitalon appears in the literature primarily through a small number of research groups, most of them associated with the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology. Publications describe cell culture experiments, animal studies, and a limited number of small human studies. Independent replication outside this network is sparse. As a result, reviews of the topic usually separate descriptive reports of observed effects from the question of whether those effects generalize, and they note the difficulty of comparing studies that use different preparations and endpoints.
Analytical characterization of epitalon relies on standard peptide methods. Reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography is used to assess purity, and mass spectrometry confirms identity by checking the observed mass against the expected value near 390 daltons. Amino acid analysis can verify composition. Because the peptide is short and hydrophilic, it elutes early on many reverse-phase columns, so method development often requires ion-pairing reagents to achieve adequate retention and resolution from related impurities.
Storage and handling follow conventional peptide practice. Lyophilized epitalon is typically kept refrigerated or frozen, protected from moisture and light, and allowed to equilibrate to room temperature before opening to avoid condensation. Once dissolved, aqueous solutions are usually stored cold and used within a short period, since dilute peptide solutions can support microbial growth and may slowly degrade. The absence of cysteine and methionine reduces, but does not eliminate, oxidation concerns during long-term storage.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Amino acid sequence | Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly | Tetrapeptide, often abbreviated AEDG |
| Molecular formula | C14H22N4O9 | Free peptide, unmodified termini |
| Molecular weight | ~390.35 Da | Calculated for the free acid form |
| Appearance | White to off-white powder | Typical lyophilized product form |
| Solubility class | Freely soluble in water | Two acidic residues dominate ionic character |
Epitalon is a synthetic linear tetrapeptide with the sequence alanine–glutamate–aspartate–glycine, abbreviated AEDG. Its molecular formula is C14H22N4O9 and the calculated mass is approximately 390.35 g/mol. The compound is made by solid-phase peptide synthesis rather than extracted from tissue, although early work described it as a short fragment of a peptide fraction obtained from bovine pineal extract. In the research literature the spelling epitalon and the variant epithalone both appear, while AEDG is the standard code used in peptide nomenclature.
Several names circulate for the same molecule, including epitalon, epithalone, epithalamin tetrapeptide, and the sequence code AEDG. A CAS registry number, 307297-39-8, is commonly cited for it, though catalogue entries should be checked against supplier documentation because mislabelled records occur. In its usual form the peptide carries free amino and carboxyl termini and is neither glycosylated nor lipidated. Researchers distinguish the defined tetrapeptide from epithalamin itself, a crude pineal preparation containing many peptides that is not chemically characterised.
The most frequently cited laboratory finding is that AEDG increased telomerase activity and extended telomere length in cultured human somatic cells. That work used fetal fibroblast strains and reported changes in enzyme activity alongside altered division counts. Replication by unrelated groups has been limited, and the published record is largely a single-laboratory series rather than a multi-centre programme. The result supports a hypothesis about peptide influence on gene expression in cell culture; it does not by itself establish an effect on telomere length in living animals or in people.
Animal and clinical reports appear mainly in Russian-language journals from the 1990s and 2000s, covering endpoints such as melatonin rhythm, lifespan in aged rodents, and retinal function. Many of these papers involve small groups, lack blinding or placebo comparison, and are difficult to retrieve through indexed databases. Review articles published in English generally summarise the claims without reanalysing the underlying data. Because no large randomised trial exists, the clinical importance of these reported effects stays unresolved and is properly described as an open question.
Perls, the director of the New England Centenarian Study at Boston University. Centenarians will often have many friends, strong ties to relatives and high self-esteem. In addition, some research suggests that the offspring of centenarians are more likely to age with better cardiovascular health than their peers. A historical study from Korea found that male eunuchs in the royal court had a centenarian rate of over 3%, and that eunuchs lived on average 14 to 19 years longer than uncastrated men.
=== Available forms === Arsenic trioxide (ATO) is available in both intravenous (IV) and oral formulations for clinical use. The IV form is widely approved and used as the standard for treating acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), requiring daily infusions. Recent advances have led to the development of oral formulations, including liquid and solid (tablet/pill) preparations, designed to provide comparable bioavailability and efficacy to IV ATO. Specific formulations include:
== Lipid kinases == Lipid kinases phosphorylate lipids in the cell, both on the plasma membrane as well as on the membranes of the organelles. The addition of phosphate groups can change the reactivity and localization of the lipid and can be used in signal transmission.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
=== 2005–present: A new look === On 17 December 2005, the organisation obtained a new corporate identity. The previous NOS logo was in use for 36 years and featured the company's initials in lowercase, with round and obtuse angles. The O of the logo is painted red and represents "the hub of 360-degree reportage". The new logo was designed by graphic designers Lambie-Nairn, complete with new idents for its television programmes. The typeface was Gotham. Its news-gathering operations also changed, with the news departments for radio, television, and internet merging and reorganising into different sections (NOS, NOS News, NOS Sports, with NOS Events added in 2009). An announcement made by the Minister of Education in 2007 confirmed a further division of the NOS. The umbrella group Publieke Omroep, managed by the NOS was to be legally separated and renamed Nederlandse Publieke Omroep (Netherlands Public Broadcasting). The move was to ensure the NOS operated under the same conditions as its fellow broadcasting associations, as well as transferring membership of the European Broadcasting Union. In 2009, the NOS became fully independent and now has its own Board of Directors. Since 2012, the NOS has got a new style and layout and, for some programs, other titles. The biggest change is visible in the 8 o'clock NOS Journaal (traditionally the most viewed and therefore the most important news broadcast of the NOS), where they adopted a standing presentation.
== Cell progenitors and analogs == Dermal fibroblasts are derived from mesenchymal stem cells within the body. Like corneal fibroblasts, dermal fibroblast proliferation can be stimulated by the presence of fibroblast growth factor (FGF). Fibroblasts do not appear to be fully differentiated or specialized. After examining the CD markers of the fibroblast cells, researchers at BioMed Central discovered that these cell lack "distinctive markers" confirming that these cells can be further differentiated. One example of further differentiation of dermal fibroblasts is that upon injury, dermal fibroblasts can give rise to myofibroblasts, fibroblast cells with smooth muscle characteristics. Dermal cells differentiate into myofibroblasts by altering their actin gene expression (which is silenced in dermal fibroblasts). When dermal fibroblasts express actin, the cells can slowly contract. This contraction plays a critical role in wound healing and fibrosis. By pulling tissues closed, differentiated myofibroblasts seal the skin after an injury (thereby, preventing infection but inducing scar formation). Myofibroblasts can also be derived from non-fibroblast sources. Based on evidence of α-SMA expression from lung injuries, myofibroblasts can "arise de novo" directly from mesenchymal stem cells.
Myostatin - Prevents muscle growth and is often higher in people with cancer. Activin - May contribute to muscle loss when TNF is also active. Growth Differentiation Factor 15 (GDF-15) - Normally produced during cellular stress. Thought to play a role in food aversion and is associated with reduced food intake.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Epitalon is a synthetic tetrapeptide composed of four amino acids: alanine, glutamate, aspartate, and glycine. It is written as Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly. The free peptide has a molecular weight of about 390 daltons and is normally supplied as a lyophilized powder.
No. Epitalon is chemically synthesized, not extracted. It was designed as a short synthetic fragment conceptually related to larger pineal peptides studied in the same research tradition, particularly the extract known as epithalamin. The two are distinct materials with different compositions.
The term bioregulator is used in this research tradition for short peptides proposed to influence gene expression or cell function. Epitalon is grouped with other synthetic short peptides under this label. The term reflects a proposed mechanism rather than an established drug classification.
Identity is normally confirmed by mass spectrometry, which checks the measured mass against the expected value near 390 daltons. Reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography is used alongside it to assess purity. Amino acid analysis can provide additional composition data.