If you have been reading about AEDG and want a single page that covers the useful parts, this is it: definitions, context, how it is studied, and the questions that come up repeatedly.
Updated 2025-08-11. Numbers and descriptions here follow the published literature rather than marketing material.
The peptide emerged from research carried out in Saint Petersburg from the late 1980s onward, where investigators searched for shorter active fragments of a pineal preparation known as epithalamin. The name epitalon was chosen to reflect that parent extract. Early reports described effects on neuroendocrine markers and on the lifespan of laboratory animals. Much of that work appeared in Russian-language journals, with English translations following later, which affects how readily the original protocols can be assessed by outside groups.
Published studies on epitalon are dominated by a small number of research groups, and independent replication in other laboratories remains limited. Proposed mechanisms include activation of telomerase and modulation of melatonin rhythms, but the evidence for either rests mainly on cell cultures and animal models. Whether the peptide produces comparable effects in humans is an open question, and the absence of large controlled trials means the literature is best read as exploratory rather than settled.
Epitalon is a synthetic four-amino-acid peptide with the sequence alanine-glutamate-aspartate-glycine, commonly abbreviated AEDG. Its molecular formula is C14H22N4O9, and its calculated molar mass is approximately 390.35 grams per mole. The compound is a short fragment related to a peptide fraction isolated from bovine pineal gland extracts, and it is normally supplied as a lyophilised powder intended for laboratory research. It is not a registered pharmaceutical product in most countries.
Storage and handling follow conventional peptide practice. Lyophilized epitalon is typically kept refrigerated or frozen, protected from moisture and light, and allowed to equilibrate to room temperature before opening to avoid condensation. Once dissolved, aqueous solutions are usually stored cold and used within a short period, since dilute peptide solutions can support microbial growth and may slowly degrade. The absence of cysteine and methionine reduces, but does not eliminate, oxidation concerns during long-term storage.
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.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Molecular formula | C14H22N4O9 | Derived from the four-residue sequence |
| Molar mass | About 390.35 g/mol | Free peptide, counter-ion not included |
| Appearance | White to off-white powder | Lyophilised solid from aqueous solution |
| Water solubility | Freely soluble | Short, polar peptide chain |
| Common synonyms | AEDG; epithalone | Catalogues use the names interchangeably |
Epitalon is a synthetic tetrapeptide whose sequence is alanine–glutamate–aspartate–glycine, commonly abbreviated AEDG. It was developed in Russia during the 1980s and 1990s by investigators associated with the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology, who studied short peptides as regulators of gene expression and tissue function. The alternative spelling epithalon appears interchangeably in the literature, and the two names refer to the same molecule. Outside Russia it is encountered chiefly as a research chemical rather than a licensed medicine, and it holds no approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration or the European Medicines Agency.
The peptide is a synthetic analogue of epithalamin, a preparation extracted from bovine pineal glands. Investigators sought a short, chemically defined molecule that would reproduce some of the endocrine and gerontological observations attributed to the glandular extract. Proposed mechanisms centre on induction of telomerase activity, an effect reported in cultured human somatic cells in the early 2000s, together with influences on melatonin secretion and neuroendocrine regulation. Those mechanisms remain incompletely characterised, and the reported telomerase response has not been consistently reproduced by independent groups working in comparable systems.
Published work on this compound consists mainly of in vitro experiments, animal studies, and small clinical investigations, a substantial share of which appeared in Russian-language journals. Sample sizes are generally small, control conditions differ between studies, and several endpoints rely on markers whose clinical meaning is itself debated. Reviews of the longevity field treat the peptide as an early example of telomerase-directed research rather than an established intervention. Regulatory treatment varies by country: some jurisdictions place it under prescription controls, others treat it as a laboratory material, and importation may be restricted regardless of local status.
Solubility is high in water, phosphate-buffered saline and normal saline, a pattern that follows from the two acidic residues in the chain. The peptide dissolves poorly in non-polar solvents such as hexane or chloroform. Stock solutions are often prepared in water first and then diluted into the buffer of interest. Because the molecule is small and hydrophilic, filtration through a low-protein-binding membrane is usually straightforward, and visible particulates are uncommon in freshly made solutions.
Identity and purity are established with reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. The chromatogram shows the main peak and any truncated or oxidised by-products, while the mass spectrum confirms the expected 390 dalton mass. Amino acid analysis can corroborate composition when a sample's origin is uncertain. Counterion content, particularly residual trifluoroacetate from purification, is frequently reported alongside purity because it shifts the net mass of the solid.
Epitalon is a synthetic tetrapeptide with the sequence alanine–glutamate–aspartate–glycine, commonly abbreviated AEDG. Its design traces to epithalamin, a peptide fraction prepared from bovine pineal gland extracts that researchers in Saint Petersburg began investigating in the 1970s. The compound has a molecular formula of C14H22N4O9 and a nominal molecular mass near 390 daltons. It holds no approved drug status in the United States or the European Union, and material sold under this name is generally offered as a research chemical rather than a finished pharmaceutical product.
Proposed mechanisms centre on cell-culture observations rather than a defined receptor interaction. Several reports describe increased expression of the telomerase catalytic subunit after exposure of cultured human cells, and the authors attributed the effect to short peptide fragments entering the nucleus and influencing gene transcription. No receptor for the tetrapeptide has been identified, and the free peptide is expected to be degraded rapidly by plasma peptidases. Whether any measurable fraction reaches intact tissues after administration remains an unresolved question rather than an established finding.
The published literature is dominated by a small number of research groups, much of it in Russian-language journals, and independent replication outside those groups is limited. Studies are typically small, use cultured cells or rodent models, and report endpoints that differ between papers, which makes comparison difficult. Large randomised human trials have not appeared in the indexed literature. Questions about absorption, distribution and clearance are therefore still treated as open in reviews that mention the compound.
Later, Osborn and Weber pioneered fluorescent antibody staining of cellular substructures, a major technique called indirect immunofluorescence microscopy. In developing the method, they tagged microtubules with specific antibodies, then used fluorescently-tagged secondary antibodies (antibodies to the first set of antibodies) to light up the locations of the microtubules in cells. When they began their work in Germany, the cytoskeleton was not heavily researched. Microtubules and microfilaments were known, and they established that microtubules always reacted with antibodies to tubulins while microfilaments always reacted with antibodies to actin. In the course of their studies, they also found intermediate filaments, slightly thicker than microfilaments, and unreactive to actin antibodies. They developed new antibodies against proteins of the microtubules, intermediate filaments, and microfilaments to use as reagents in examining many types of cells. Many of their antibodies have been licensed to companies for commercial development. Klaus and Osborn used their method to study elements of the cytoskeleton of eukaryotic cells in two dimensions and three dimensions. Osborn has extensively studied microtubules, intermediate filaments, microfilaments, and nuclear proteins as well as other proteins that can associate with these structures. By 1981 Osborn and Klaus had shown conclusively intermediate filaments in different types of cells are different but related, and they can be distinguished using immunofluorescence.
== Properties == In 1969, strong piezoelectricity was observed in PVDF, with the piezoelectric coefficient of poled (placed under a strong electric field to induce a net dipole moment) thin films as large as 6–7 pC/N: 10 times larger than that observed in any other polymer. PVDF has a glass transition temperature (Tg) of about −35 °C and is typically 50–60% crystalline. To give the material its piezoelectric properties, it is mechanically stretched to orient the molecular chains and then poled under tension. PVDF exists in several phases depending on the chain conformations as trans (T) or gauche (G) linkages: TGTG' for α and δ phase, TTTT for β phases, and TTTGTTTG' for γ and ε phases. The α and ε conformations lack piezoelectric properties because of the antiparallel alignment of dipoles within its unit cell. The β, γ, and δ phases feature a parallel arrangement of dipoles, rendering them polar crystals with a non-zero dipole moment. Among these phases, the β phase stands out due to its remarkable remnant polarization and the highest dipolar moment per unit cell, garnering more interest compared to the others. When poled, PVDF is a ferroelectric polymer, exhibiting efficient piezoelectric and pyroelectric properties. These characteristics make it useful in sensor and battery applications. Thin films of PVDF are used in some newer thermal camera sensors. Unlike other popular piezoelectric materials, such as lead zirconate titanate (PZT), PVDF has a negative d33 value.
For services to Broadcasting and to Charity. Jacqueline Blake. Lately Chair, LACA, The Food People. For services to Education. Christopher John Blandford. President, World Heritage UK. For services to World Heritage. Heather Jane Boardman. Adviser, British Fashion Council and Founder, British Beauty Council. For voluntary services to Fashion and Beauty. Professor Daniela Bortoletto. Head of Particle Physics, University of Oxford. For services to Particle Physics and to Gender Equality. Camilla Jane Bowry. Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Sal's Shoes. For services to Young People, to Education and to the Environment. Michael Andrew Boyd. Project Manager, Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, Consultant Director for Northern Ireland, Rio Ferdinand Foundation, Chair, Belfast Healthy City and lately Director, Football Development, Irish Football Association. For services to Association Football, to Sport, to Charity and to Reconciliation in Northern Ireland. Eamonn John Boylan. Chief Executive, Greater Manchester Combined Authority. For services to Local Government. Anthony James Bravo. Principal, Basingstoke College of Technology. For services to Further Education. Dr. Stephen Brierley. Founder, Riverlane. For services to Quantum Computing. Millie Bright. Footballer. For services to Association Football. Professor Matthew Jon Brookes. Professor of Physics, University of Nottingham. For services to Physics. Abigail Margaret Brown. Councillor and lately Leader, Stoke-on-Trent City Council, and Deputy Chair, Local Government Association. For services to Local Government.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
This self-regulation effect is achieved as the CO2 laser essentially stops ablating as soon as it comes in contact with the intraocular percolated liquid, which occurs as soon as the laser reaches the optimal residual intact layer thickness.
==== Type II ==== Collagen is fatally defective at its C-terminus. Most cases result in death shortly after birth, or within the first year of life, due to respiratory failure. Another common cause of death is intracranial bleeds from skull fractures present at, or sustained during or shortly after, birth. In many cases, the newborn already has multiple broken bones at the time of birth. Type II infants also exhibit severe respiratory problems and have severely deformed bones. Sixty percent of infants die less than 24 hours after being born, and survival after the first year is extremely unlikely and normally requires mechanical ventilation. In the rare cases of infants who survive their first year of life, severe developmental and motor delays are seen; neither of two infants studied in 2019, both aged around two years, had achieved head control, and both required a ventilator to breathe. Type II is also known as the "lethal perinatal" form of OI, and is not compatible with survival into adulthood. Due to similarly severely deformed bones, sometimes infants with severe type III are wrongly initially classified as type II; once long-term survival is shown, they are considered as having type III instead.
=== Legal controversy === The film was the subject of a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by White Wolf, Inc. and Nancy A. Collins, claiming the setting was too similar to the Vampire: The Masquerade and Werewolf: The Apocalypse games, both set in the World of Darkness setting, and to the Sonja Blue vampire novels. White Wolf filed 17 counts of copyright infringement, and claimed over 80 points of unique similarity between White Wolf's gaming systems and the film. These included some general plot points like vampires having superhuman speed or being able to disappear, and more specific similarities like a vampire/werewolf hybrid being referred to as an “Abomination”. White Wolf, Inc. also said the script was very similar to a story entitled The Love of Monsters (1994), which they published, written by Nancy A. Collins. In September 2003, a judge granted White Wolf an expedited hearing. The lawsuit ended in a confidential settlement.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
It is a synthetic tetrapeptide built from alanine, glutamate, aspartate and glycine. The four residues are joined by standard peptide bonds, giving a linear chain rather than a branched structure.
The name derives from epithalamin, a pineal gland extract studied in the former Soviet Union. Researchers proposed that short fragments of that extract carried the biological activity of interest.
No major regulatory agency has approved it as a medicine. It is handled as a research chemical, and products sold under this name are not standardised drugs with defined clinical labelling.
Identity is normally confirmed by mass spectrometry, which checks the measured mass against the expected value near 390 daltons. Reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography is used alongside it to assess purity. Amino acid analysis can provide additional composition data.