Epithalon and Telomere Research — Ireland Reference Guide (2026)

By the Peptides Lab Ireland research team · Updated July 2026 · Research use only

Epithalon (Epitalon) is a synthetic tetrapeptide with an active research literature in telomere biology, pineal function and longevity research. It is one of the most cited compounds in the small-peptide longevity research space and features regularly in Irish and international ageing research programmes.

What is Epithalon?

Epithalon is a synthetic four-amino-acid research peptide (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly, MW ≈ 390 Da). It is a synthetic analogue of Epitalon, a naturally occurring peptide fragment isolated from bovine pineal gland extracts in Russian research from the 1980s. The full-length pineal peptide precursor is called Epithalamin.

Research applications

The Epithalon research literature covers:

• Telomerase activity research and the most-cited pathway. Epithalon has been reported to increase telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) activity and telomere length in some in-vitro models
• Pineal biology research , melatonin secretion and circadian rhythm research
• Age-related biomarker research — protocols examining ageing markers and healthspan biology
• Oncology research models : some studies have examined tumor-suppressor gene expression modulation
• Immune-senescence research . Thymic function in ageing models

Epithalon in the small-peptide longevity research space

Epithalon sits in a research niche alongside a small set of longevity-focused compounds. Related research references at Peptides Lab Ireland:

• MOTS-c . Mitochondrial-derived peptide research reference
• FOXO4-DRI , senolytic-class peptide targeting FOXO4-p53
• NAD+ coenzyme central to sirtuin activation and redox biology
• SS-31 (Elamipretide) — mitochondria-targeted tetrapeptide

Reconstitution

Epithalon reconstitutes with bacteriostatic water see our reconstitution guide. As a small tetrapeptide, Epithalon is relatively stable in aqueous solution.

Regulatory context

Epithalon isn’t approved as a medicinal product in Ireland. Supplied strictly for in-vitro laboratory research : see our HPRA guide.

Sourcing Epithalon in Ireland

Peptides Lab Ireland stocks HPLC-verified Epithalon with per-batch Certificate of Analysis. See the product page.

See also

• Skin & Anti-Ageing peptides category
• Reconstitution guide
• How to Read a Peptide COA

For laboratory research use only. Not intended for human or veterinary use.