Longevity, sleep & cognition
Epitalon
A four-amino-acid peptide connected with telomerase, the enzyme that extends the protective ends of chromosomes.
Telomerase and chromosome ends.
Epitalon, also spelled Epithalon, has the amino-acid sequence Ala–Glu–Asp–Gly. Its connection to aging comes from experiments on telomeres, the protective DNA regions at the ends of chromosomes.
How it works.
- Telomerase activity
- Human fibroblast cultures exposed to Epitalon showed increased activity of the enzyme that extends telomeres.
- Telomere length
- The same cell experiments measured longer telomeres following exposure.
- Chromosome structure
- Telomeres are repeating DNA sequences at chromosome ends that help protect those ends.
Useful terms
- Tetrapeptide
- A peptide containing four amino acids.
- Telomere
- A protective region of repeating DNA at the end of a chromosome.
- Telomerase
- An enzyme that adds DNA repeats to telomeres.
Results.
Risks, concerns & drawbacks.
- Cell type matters
- The 2025 experiment also lengthened telomeres in cancer-cell lines through a different pathway. This raises a biological question about effects in different tissues; it is not evidence that Epitalon causes cancer in people.
- Long-term outcomes
- Cellular telomere changes do not tell us how repeated use affects a person’s lifespan or health over many years. Those outcomes remain uncertain for this specific peptide.