Research background · Updated November 1, 2026
Epithalon Research: Publications, Study Types and Background
Short answer
Epithalon is listed as synthetic tetrapeptide (4 amino acids). As of November 1, 2026, PubMed indexes 145 records matching Epithalon, the earliest from 1993; 10 were published in 2021–2025 and 15 are reviews. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 1 registered study matching the compound.
- PubMed records
- 145
- Earliest record
- 1993
- Published 2021–2025
- 10
- Reviews
- 15
- Animal-only studies
- 89
- Registered studies
- 1
Publications per year, 2006–2025
19 records in 2016–2025 against 54 in 2006–2015; the busiest year was 2008, with 10.
See the numbers
| Year | PubMed records |
|---|---|
| 2006 | 9 |
| 2007 | 9 |
| 2008 | 10 |
| 2009 | 1 |
| 2010 | 2 |
| 2011 | 6 |
| 2012 | 4 |
| 2013 | 6 |
| 2014 | 3 |
| 2015 | 4 |
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 4 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 5 |
Study types
| All PubMed records | 145 |
|---|---|
| Reviews | 1510% |
| Animal studies (no human subjects indexed) | 8961% |
| Indexed as clinical trials | 11% |
| Registered on ClinicalTrials.gov | 1 |
Categories overlap and follow PubMed’s own indexing; recent records may not be indexed yet.
Primary research directions
What 7 of the most-cited and most recent Epithalon papers report, in their own authors’ terms. Each line links the paper it came from.
This narrative review reports that epitalon has been described to modulate telomere-maintenance pathways, circadian and neuroendocrine function and oxidative stress, but notes that human evidence is limited to small studies and that no adequately powered randomized trial has established therapeutic efficacy.
ReviewJain A 2026International journal of molecular sciencesPMID 42884164
This review discusses how modulation of pineal gland function relates to breast cancer development, and describes the pineal peptide preparation Epithalamin and the synthetic tetrapeptide Epitalon (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly) as inhibitors of mammary carcinogenesis in rodent studies.
ReviewAnisimov VN 2003Critical reviews in oncology/hematologyPMID 12791421
This review describes Epitalon as a tetrapeptide designed from the pineal preparation Epithalamin and summarizes reports that it increased lifespan in mice and fruit flies, restored melatonin and cortisol rhythms in old rhesus monkeys, and prolonged retinal integrity in rats with hereditary retinitis pigmentosa.
ReviewKhavinson VKh 2002Neuro endocrinology lettersPMID 12374906
In HeLa cells, fluorescently labeled epithalon and other short peptides were observed in the cytoplasm, nucleus and nucleolus, and in cell-free assays epithalon appeared to bind preferentially to DNA sequences containing CNG and CAG sites, which the authors suggest may relate to epigenetic regulation.
CellsFedoreyeva LI 2011Biochemistry. BiokhimiiaPMID 22117547
In female CBA mice, the pineal tetrapeptide Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly was associated with increased body weight and mean survival, slower aging of estrous function, and lower free radical processes and spontaneous tumor incidence, while food consumption and physical strength were not modified.
MiceAnisimov VN 2001Mechanisms of ageing and developmentPMID 11163623
In senescent female rhesus monkeys, the authors report that Epitalon significantly stimulated evening melatonin synthesis and was associated with normalization of the circadian rhythm of cortisol secretion.
AnimalsKhavinson V 2001Neuro endocrinology lettersPMID 11524632
In the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, epitalon was reported to increase adult lifespan by 11-16%; the authors discuss possible antioxidant and regulatory mechanisms.
AnimalsKhavinson VK 2000Mechanisms of ageing and developmentPMID 11087911
Most-studied topics
The Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) PubMed indexers most often marked as a main topic, across 145 of the 145 records. They describe what the literature is about, not what Epithalon does.
- Aging47 papers
- Pineal Gland26 papers
- Melatonin22 papers
- Dipeptides18 papers
- Antioxidants8 papers
- Thymus Gland8 papers
- Neurons6 papers
- DNA6 papers
Key papers
Earliest indexed record
Verhoeven AJ (1993). The Journal of biological chemistry.
PMID 8360154Most-cited paper · 47 citations
Caputi S (2019). International journal of immunopathology and pharmacology.
PMID 30791821Most-cited #2 · 44 citations
Anisimov VN (2003). Critical reviews in oncology/hematology.
PMID 12791421Most-cited #3 · 41 citations
Verhoeven AJ (1993). The Journal of biological chemistry.
PMID 8360154
Citation counts from NIH iCite, among the 145 records sampled. Titles are left out; open each record on PubMed to read it.
Identity
| Synonyms and codes | Epitalon, Epithalone, AEDG peptide |
|---|---|
| Description | Synthetic tetrapeptide (4 amino acids) |
| Supplied form | Lyophilized powder |
| CAS number | 307297-39-8 |
| Molecular formula | C14H22N4O9 |
| Molecular weight | 390.35 g/mol |
| Sequence | AEDG (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly) |
As published by Vanta Labs, with its sources, on the Epithalon page.
How these numbers were counted
- PubMed search, run November 1, 2026:
epitalon[tiab] OR epithalon[tiab] OR epithalone[tiab] OR "Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly"[tiab]re-run it. Study types add PubMed’s own filters (review, clinical trial, animals not humans). - Topics: MeSH major-topic headings counted across up to 400 of the matching records; headings for study set-up (species, sex, age) are left out.
- Citations: NIH iCite citation counts for the same records.
- ClinicalTrials.gov search:
epitalon OR epithalonre-run it. Any phase, any status.
This page reports what has been published and what papers say they found, with each source linked. It gives no dosing or usage information, and nothing here is a reason to use Epithalon outside a laboratory.
Wholesale supply
Epithalon for research, documented lot by lot.
10mg vials, with a published report printing 99.816% HPLC purity. Every wholesale lot comes with its certificate of analysis, and your quote names the lot. Pricing on inquiry.
Epithalon research questions
How much research has been published on Epithalon?
PubMed indexes 145 records matching Epithalon (searched November 1, 2026), including 15 reviews and 1 records indexed as clinical trials. 10 were published in the five years 2021–2025.
When was Epithalon first described in the literature?
The earliest PubMed record matching Epithalon is from 1993 (Verhoeven AJ, The Journal of biological chemistry, PMID 8360154).
What topics does the Epithalon literature cover?
The subject headings PubMed indexers most often marked as a main topic of Epithalon papers are Aging, Pineal Gland, Melatonin, Dipeptides. These describe what the literature is about. Findings from individual papers, with their sources, are summarized on this page.
What is the regulatory status of Epithalon?
Epithalon is not listed as an approved drug in the FDA's Drugs@FDA database (searched 24 September 2026).
Is Epithalon sold for human use?
No. Vanta Foundry supplies it for laboratory research use only. Not for human or veterinary use, and not a drug, food, cosmetic or dietary supplement.
Where can I buy Epithalon wholesale for research?
From the Vanta Foundry wholesale catalog: add it to your list, choose sizes and the number of vials, and send it on WhatsApp or by email. Every wholesale lot comes with a certificate of analysis.
Research materials supplied by Vanta Foundry are for laboratory research use only. They are not for human or veterinary use and are not drugs, foods, cosmetics or dietary supplements. Websites and payment processing are business services for research-supply brands.
All compounds: research peptide publication statistics.