Khavinson Peptides

"Khavinson peptides" is the informal name for the family of peptide bioregulators developed by the Russian gerontologist Vladimir Khavinson and colleagues, first at the Military Medical Academy in Leningrad and later at the St Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology. The programme began with peptide extracts of the pineal gland (Epithalamin) and thymus (Thymalin) and moved on to synthetic di-, tri- and tetrapeptides intended to reproduce them.

The best-known synthetic members are Epitalon (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly), modelled on the pineal extract, and Pinealon (Glu-Asp-Arg), studied for brain tissue. The group reported long-term Russian and Ukrainian cohort studies in older adults — for example, a 6–8-year follow-up of 266 people and a 12-year randomised study of Epithalamin — alongside cell-culture work on telomerase and gene expression.

The evidence is concentrated in a small number of institutes and has seen little independent replication outside the region. Living Water Labs supplies Epitalon and Pinealon strictly for laboratory research purposes.