Epithalon

Epithalon (Epitalon, AEDG peptide) is a synthetic tetrapeptide, Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly, designed from the amino acid composition of epithalamin, a polypeptide extract of the bovine pineal gland. Research on the Epithalon peptide has centered on telomerase activity and telomere length in cultured human cells, biomarkers of aging and spontaneous tumor incidence in mice, and neurogenic gene expression in human stem cells. Research Market supplies Epithalon as a lyophilized research reagent, with purity and identity data for each lot reported on its certificate of analysis. It is sold strictly for laboratory research use.

Chemical structure and identification

• Molecular formula: C₁₄H₂₂N₄O₉
• Molecular weight: 390.35 g/mol
• CAS number: 307297-39-8
• PubChem CID: 219042
• Amino acid sequence: Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly (AEDG)
• Synonyms: Epitalon; Epithalone; AE-0 peptide
• Form: Lyophilized powder
• Analytical methods: RP-HPLC for purity and mass spectrometry for identity, reported on the batch certificate of analysis

Research applications

• Telomerase in fibroblasts: Adding Epithalon to telomerase-negative human fetal fibroblast cultures induced expression of the telomerase catalytic subunit, telomerase activity and telomere elongation [1]
• Telomere length in cell lines: In normal epithelial and fibroblast cells, Epithalon produced dose-dependent telomere extension through hTERT and telomerase upregulation; in 21NT and BT474 breast cancer cells, telomere extension occurred through ALT activation [2]
• Aging biomarkers in mice: In female SHR mice treated monthly from 3 months of age, Epithalon did not change mean life span or total spontaneous tumor incidence but lowered chromosome aberrations in bone marrow cells and the incidence of leukemia [3]
• Neurogenic differentiation: In human gingival mesenchymal stem cells, AEDG increased Nestin, GAP43, β-tubulin III and doublecortin mRNA 1.6- to 1.8-fold; molecular modeling suggested binding to histones H1/3 and H1/6 [4]
• Literature overview: A 2025 review summarizes in vitro, in vivo and in silico work on the peptide and notes how few physico-chemical and structural studies exist [5]

Reference citations

1. Khavinson V.Kh. et al. (2003). Epithalon peptide induces telomerase activity and telomere elongation in human somatic cells. Bull Exp Biol Med, 135(6):590–592. PMID 12937682 · DOI
2. Al-Dulaimi S. et al. (2025). Epitalon increases telomere length in human cell lines through telomerase upregulation or ALT activity. Biogerontology, 26(5):178. PMID 40908429 · DOI
3. Anisimov V.N. et al. (2003). Effect of Epitalon on biomarkers of aging, life span and spontaneous tumor incidence in female Swiss-derived SHR mice. Biogerontology, 4(4):193–202. PMID 14501183 · DOI
4. Khavinson V. et al. (2020). AEDG peptide (Epitalon) stimulates gene expression and protein synthesis during neurogenesis: possible epigenetic mechanism. Molecules, 25(3):609. PMID 32019204 · DOI
5. Araj S.K. et al. (2025). Overview of Epitalon-highly bioactive pineal tetrapeptide with promising properties. Int J Mol Sci, 26(6):2691. PMID 40141333 · DOI

Compound data from PubChem CID 219042. Literature summaries describe published preclinical research and are not claims about this product’s effects in humans or animals.