Analysis
The telomere claim, and where it comes from
Epitalon is a four-amino-acid peptide created by Vladimir Khavinson in St Petersburg as a synthetic copy of a pineal gland extract called epithalamin. It is marketed as an anti-ageing peptide that lengthens telomeres, the protective caps on chromosomes that shorten as cells divide.
That claim traces to a 2003 study in which Epitalon switched on the telomerase enzyme and lengthened telomeres in human cells grown in a dish (Khavinson and colleagues). The same institute reported that mice given Epitalon lived longer and developed fewer tumours (Anisimov and colleagues, 2003). The most striking human report concerns the parent extract: in older people followed for six to eight years, those given pineal and thymus peptide extracts had lower death rates than controls (Khavinson and Morozov, 2003).
Our view. the findings are intriguing but come almost entirely from one research network, have rarely been replicated independently, and the human data predate modern trial standards. Lengthening telomeres is also not automatically good, since cancer cells rely on telomerase.
Studies and reports cited
- Khavinson VK et al. Epithalon peptide induces telomerase activity and telomere elongation in human somatic cells. Bull Exp Biol Med, 2003
- Anisimov VN et al. Effect of Epitalon on biomarkers of aging, life span and spontaneous tumor incidence in female Swiss-derived SHR mice. Biogerontology, 2003
- Khavinson VK, Morozov VG. Peptides of pineal gland and thymus prolong human life. Neuro Endocrinol Lett, 2003
Summary of published research for general information. It is not medical advice and not a recommendation to use this substance.