The short version of pineal peptides fits in a sentence. The long version — which is the one that helps — is below.
This page was last updated on 2026-08-01 and is reviewed periodically as new material appears.
Epitalon is the common name for a synthetic tetrapeptide with the sequence alanine-glutamate-aspartate-glycine, usually abbreviated AEDG. All four residues are proteinogenic amino acids, and the free peptide has a calculated mass near 390 grams per mole. Because the chain is short and carries no modifications, it is assembled readily by solid-phase synthesis and is distributed mainly as a freeze-dried solid for laboratory work. Catalogue listings use the spellings epitalon, epithalone, and simply AEDG, and the three refer to the same sequence.
The compound is generally presented as a synthetic fragment of epithalamin, a pineal gland extract investigated in the former Soviet Union from the 1970s onward. Vladimir Khavinson and colleagues in Saint Petersburg developed short peptides modelled on such extracts, and epitalon became the most widely cited of those sequences. Most primary reports appeared in Russian-language journals or in proceedings with limited international circulation. Independent replication in laboratories outside that network remains sparse, and much repeated secondary material traces back to a small number of originating groups.
Laboratory work has examined effects on telomerase activity in cultured cells, on melatonin rhythms in animals, and on markers of oxidative stress. Some experiments report measurable changes while others show none, and the reported findings rest largely on small studies. The absence of large independent trials means the generality of these results is unresolved rather than settled. Review articles occasionally apply the label geroprotector, a term that reflects a research hypothesis about ageing rather than an established clinical finding.
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.
No national medicines regulator has approved epitalon as a therapeutic product. It is generally distributed as a research chemical, and in some jurisdictions selling peptides for human consumption without approval is restricted or prohibited. Certificates of analysis accompanying commercial material vary in which tests are performed, and independent verification of identity and purity is uncommon. Statements about anti-ageing or disease-prevention benefits on vendor pages are marketing claims rather than regulatory findings, a distinction that shapes how the compound is discussed in scientific and popular sources alike.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Molecular formula | C14H22N4O9 | Computed for the free acid of Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly |
| Molecular mass | About 390.35 g/mol | Free peptide; salt forms shift the value |
| Appearance | White to off-white solid | Typical of short peptides after freeze-drying |
| Solubility class | Freely soluble in water | Aqueous buffers are also commonly used |
| Common synonyms | Epitalon, epithalone, AEDG | AEDG is the single-letter sequence |
Residue composition is the property that most cleanly separates verified material from mislabelled samples. Alanine, glutamate, aspartate and glycine appear in that order from the N-terminus, and the two acidic residues sit in the middle of the chain. Because the peptide is short, it can be produced by solid-phase synthesis and characterised by mass spectrometry without ambiguity. Any reported sample whose measured mass departs substantially from 390 daltons is a different compound or a degraded mixture rather than epitalon.
Epitalon is a synthetic tetrapeptide whose four residues are alanine, glutamate, aspartate and glycine, commonly abbreviated AEDG. Its molecular formula is C14H22N4O9 and its monoisotopic mass is near 390.35 daltons. The peptide carries two acidic side chains, so it is neutral to negatively charged in most aqueous buffers. Published reference summaries usually list it under both spellings, epitalon and epithalon, and treat the two names as the same material.
The compound is generally described as a synthetic analogue of a fragment isolated from a pineal gland extract. Researchers associated with the Saint Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology introduced it during the 1980s and 1990s while studying short peptides from animal tissue. The original extract, called epithalamin, is a heterogeneous mixture, whereas epitalon is a single defined sequence. That distinction matters because findings reported for the extract are not automatically findings about the pure tetrapeptide, and claims about broader biological effects remain a separate question from the chemical identity described here.
Regulatory status varies by country and is not harmonized. Epitalon is not an approved drug in major Western jurisdictions. In some countries it is sold as a research chemical, and in others it has appeared in products marketed for other categories. This inconsistent status means that purity, labeling accuracy, and documentation differ widely between suppliers, and verification of identity and purity through independent analysis is the usual way buyers assess a given lot.
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.
Chemically, the molecule consists of four amino acid residues joined by three peptide bonds, with a free N-terminal amino group and a free C-terminal carboxyl group. Its molecular formula is C14H22N4O9, and its monoisotopic mass is approximately 390 daltons. The acidic glutamate and aspartate side chains give the peptide a net negative charge near neutral pH, a property that shapes its chromatographic behaviour and solubility profile. No disulfide bridges or other post-translational modifications are present, so the primary sequence alone defines the structure.
Most experimental work has been carried out in cell culture and animal models. Several reports describe changes in telomerase activity and proliferation in cultured cells, while rodent studies have examined lifespan, melatonin rhythm and reproductive endpoints. Human data remain limited, and much of the published clinical material consists of small trials with incomplete reporting of methods and controls. Whether the cell and animal findings translate into measurable effects in people is an open question, and the mechanistic basis of the reported telomerase changes is not fully established.
==== Fruit waste textiles ==== In a collaboration between Danish fashion brand Ganni and Mexican biomaterials company Polybion, a unique prototype blazer was created using bacterial cellulose derived from industrial fruit waste. Unlike traditional leather, it has been stated that this fruit textile is environmentally friendly, with a significantly smaller carbon footprint.
=== Suspect identification === In the search for suspects, some police organizations have created websites featuring cold cases. For example, the Texas Rangers have established a website in the hopes that it shall elicit new information and investigative leads.
blaTEM-1: provides resistance to ampicillin by encoding β-lactamase. cat: chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene, provides resistance to chloramphenicol. aadA: aminoglycoside adenyltransferase, provides resistance to streptomycin and spectinomycin. sul1: sulfonamide resistance.
=== Tumors === Th22 cells are involved in tumorigenesis in cases of hepatocellular carcinoma, liposarcoma or colon cancer, and affect tumor tissue in two different pathways. Overexpression of interleukin-22 (IL-22) or Th22 cells may result in the progression of cancer growth and cause malignant epithelial cell proliferation. However, physiological functions of Th22 cells are tissue repair and wound healing. Some studies have shown a possible anti-tumor effect of these cells, and normal interleukin-22 (IL-22) secretion leads to tissue repair.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
== Background == The summit was held on the French shore of Lake Geneva, close to the border with Switzerland. Because delegations were expected to arrive through Geneva Airport, the event required security coordination between France, Switzerland and the Swiss cantons of Geneva, Vaud and Valais. The summit had initially been announced for 14–16 June 2026, but was later postponed by a day to 15–17 June, to avoid a clash with the planned UFC Freedom 250 mixed martial arts event held on US president Donald Trump's birthday. French president Emmanuel Macron made the reduction of global economic imbalances a priority for France's G7 presidency, citing industrial overcapacity, underinvestment, excessive debt, deregulation and low private investment in developing countries among the threats to economic stability. The summit took place in the aftermath of reports of a memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran aimed at ending the Iran War and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Trump signed the memorandum at the Palace of Versailles on 17 June 2026, during a dinner hosted by Macron after the summit.
Although the pathogens and their mechanics differ greatly from those of animals, plants are subject to a wide variety of diseases, including those caused by fungi, oomycetes, bacteria, viruses, viroids, virus-like organisms, phytoplasmas, protozoa, nematodes and parasitic plants. Damage caused by insects, mites, vertebrate, and other small herbivores is not considered a part of the domain of plant pathology. The field is connected to plant disease epidemiology and especially concerned with the horticulture of species that are of high importance to the human diet or other human utility.
Protein function is heavily dependent on protein structure, and rational protein design uses this relationship to design function by designing proteins that have a target structure or fold. Thus, by definition, in rational protein design the target structure or ensemble of structures must be known beforehand. This contrasts with other forms of protein engineering, such as directed evolution, where a variety of methods are used to find proteins that achieve a specific function, and with protein structure prediction where the sequence is known, but the structure is unknown. Most often, the target structure is based on a known structure of another protein. However, novel folds not seen in nature have been made increasingly possible. Peter S. Kim and coworkers designed trimers and tetramers of unnatural coiled coils, which had not been seen before in nature. The protein Top7, developed in David Baker's lab, was designed completely using protein design algorithms, to a completely novel fold. More recently, Baker and coworkers developed a series of principles to design ideal globular-protein structures based on protein folding funnels that bridge between secondary structure prediction and tertiary structures. These principles, which build on both protein structure prediction and protein design, were used to design five different novel protein topologies.
=== Regulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition and metastasis === ITGA1 mediates communication between collagen-rich ECM environments ands transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) signaling pathways. In pancreatic cancer, ITGA1 promotes TGFβ/collagen-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which is distinguishable by decreased epithelial markers such as E-cadherin (CDH1) as well as increased mesenchymal markers such as FN1, ZEB1, VIM, and MUC1. Through these mechanisms, ITGA1 promotes cellular plasticity. This is associated with invasion and metastatic progression. ITGA1 is required for efficient metastatic dissemination of living PDAC cells. Loss of ITGA1 reduces tumor spread in experimental models, displaying ITGA1's contribution to metastatic behavior by enabling tumor cells to respond to collagen and TGFβ-rich micro-environments.
=== Music === Musician Hayley Williams wrote and released a song titled Mirtazapine describing her positive experience with the medication. In 2025 it was released on Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party, her third solo album.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Schmidt praised the "high, clear and immensely rousing singing" on This Is Not Supposed To Be Positive. Chloe Leonard of Distorted Sound Magazine described "Naive" as "a sludge infused track that really showcases frontman Cédric Toufouti's impressive vocal range". Regarding A Loner, Toufouti and Igorrr's female lyrical singer spent some time together so she could teach him vocal techniques. In 2022, Desgroux described Toufouti's voice as "clear and ultra-melodic". David wrote that his singing on A Loner expresses "sadness without being tearful and loneliness without calling pity". A staff reviewer at Metal Storm felt that A Loner's "grunge-like" vocals are slightly too pronounced for that sound, though this does not hinder immersion; on the contrary, the ensuing contrast makes "the album more interesting". Webb said that the bassline coupled with the guitar tones on "An Ode To Breakdown" provides "the perfect platform" for Toufouti "to lay his beautiful, soulful singing over". In their review of Hangman's Chair's concert at DesertFest 2022 in the UK, Davey and Ruskell wrote that the band's music "culminate[s] in soaring riffs which serve to bolster the raw emotion of Cédric Toufouti's cleanly sung vocals". On Saddiction, Toufouti had to change his guitar tuning to match the Bass VI's sound and, consequently, adapt his vocal style. Thus, he went up into a higher pitch range more often and for longer durations, adding extra "tension" to certain riffs, he said.
=== Malicious contributions on Wikipedia === In September 2011, Hari admitted that he had edited articles on Wikipedia about himself and journalists with whom he had had disputes. Using a sock puppet account under the name "David r from meth productions", he added false and defamatory claims to articles about journalists including Nick Cohen, Cristina Odone, Francis Wheen, Andrew Roberts, Niall Ferguson and Oliver Kamm, and edited the article about himself "to make him seem one of the essential writers of our times". In July 2011, Cohen wrote about the suspicious Wikipedia editing in The Spectator, prompting the New Statesman journalist David Allen Green to compile evidence that Hari used the identity "David Rose" to pretend to be an editor who was qualified in environmental science. This led to an investigation by the Wikipedia community and "David Rose" was blocked from Wikipedia. Hari published an apology in The Independent, admitting that he had been "David Rose" and writing: "I edited the entries of people I had clashed with in ways that were juvenile or malicious: I called one of them anti-Semitic and homophobic, and the other a drunk. I am mortified to have done this, because it breaches the most basic ethical rule: don't do to others what you don't want them to do to you. I apologise to the latter group unreservedly and totally."
=== Lactotrophs === Lactotrophs (also called prolactin cells or mammotrophs) are acidophilic cells of the anterior pituitary that synthesise, store, and secrete prolactin. They develop from the Pit-1 (POU1F1)–dependent lineage, shared with somatotrophs and thyrotrophs. In the normal adult pituitary, lactotrophs constitute approximately 15–25% of anterior pituitary cells; this proportion rises to as high as 50% during pregnancy and lactation owing to estrogen-driven hyperplasia. Lactotrophs are electrically excitable, firing spontaneous action potentials accompanied by calcium transients that sustain continuous exocytosis.
6 February – Around eight million people on means tested benefits begin to receive the final scheduled cost-of-living payment from the UK government, as Sunak tells the BBC the financial pressures on households are beginning to ease. 7 February The government announces that dentists will be offered a £20,000 bonus to work in the areas of England with the poorest access to NHS care. Data published by Halifax Bank indicates that UK house prices increased by 2.5% in January 2024 when compared to the same month in 2023. The Met Office issues two amber snow warnings for the following day covering north Wales, north-west Shropshire, the Peak District and south Pennines. 8 February The UK government confirms that more than 100 school buildings containing reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete will be rebuilt or refurbished. Sir Keir Starmer insists he has no choice but to ditch Labour's £28 billion a year green investment pledge. 9 February Weather warnings remain in place as snow and rain continue to fall across the UK. Police tell reporters they believe that Abdul Shakoor Ezedi may have drowned in the River Thames, based on CCTV of the suspect at Chelsea Bridge. The Duke of Sussex settles his remaining phone hacking claims against Mirror Group Newspapers, with the newspaper agreeing to pay his legal costs along with around £300,000 in compensation. 10 February Police begin a search of the River Thames for the body of Abdul Shakoor Ezedi, the Clapham chemical attack suspect. A light aircraft crashes into the garden of a property in Bodffordd, Anglesey.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
It is a four-amino-acid peptide with the sequence alanine-glutamate-aspartate-glycine. The chain is unmodified and contains only standard proteinogenic residues, which makes it straightforward to produce by solid-phase synthesis and to characterise by standard peptide methods.
Epitalon and epithalon both circulate, and the difference reflects transliteration of a name coined in Russian-language publications. Reference to the extract it derives from, epithalamin, explains the shared stem. Databases and suppliers are inconsistent, so a search for one spelling alone may miss relevant entries.
No. Epithalamin is a multi-component preparation obtained from pineal tissue, and its exact composition is not fully characterised. Epitalon is a single defined tetrapeptide described as a short synthetic counterpart of that extract, so the two are related in origin but not interchangeable in identity.
Small studies with human participants have been reported, chiefly in Russian-language journals, but they are limited in size and design. No large randomised controlled trial with published results is available.