Longevity research
Cellular aging, telomeres, and immune modulation. Below is the published literature for each compound in this area — 78 studies in total, 50 of them published since 2023, every one linked to its source record.
- LongevityEarly clinical
Epithalon
Epithalon (also written Epitalon) is a synthetic tetrapeptide, Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly (AEDG), derived from the pineal gland extract preparation Epithalamin. Published work reports induction of telomerase activity and telomere elongation in cultured human cells, modulation of circadian and pineal gene expression, antioxidant effects, and extension of median lifespan in Drosophila and rodent models. The great majority of this literature originates from a single Russian research group, with a small number of independent in vitro replications appearing between 2022 and 2025. No registered, placebo-controlled randomised trial of the tetrapeptide in humans has been published in the indexed literature.
- Studies
- 15
- Since 2023
- 8
- Newest
- 2026
- LongevityEarly clinical
Glutathione
Glutathione (GSH) is an endogenous tripeptide (glutamate-cysteine-glycine) that functions as the principal intracellular thiol antioxidant and redox buffer. Human research falls into three broad strands: pharmacokinetic work comparing standard oral, liposomal/micellar and intravenous delivery; dermatological trials of oral, topical and intravenous glutathione for skin pigmentation; and precursor-based repletion strategies, most prominently glycine plus N-acetylcysteine (GlyNAC), studied in ageing, HIV and metabolic disease. Trial sizes are generally small, outcome measures are heterogeneous, and results in neurodegeneration have been largely negative for direct glutathione administration while precursor approaches have shown more consistent biochemical effects.
- Studies
- 15
- Since 2023
- 9
- Newest
- 2026
- LongevityEarly clinical
LL-37
LL-37 is the sole human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide, a 37-residue amphipathic alpha-helical peptide released by proteolytic cleavage of the hCAP18 precursor encoded by the CAMP gene. It is expressed by neutrophils, monocytes and epithelial cells, transcriptionally induced by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, and acts through direct membrane permeabilisation of microbes, neutralisation of lipopolysaccharide, and receptor-mediated chemotaxis and immunomodulation. Its biological effect is strongly concentration- and context-dependent, and elevated LL-37 is implicated as a pathogenic driver in rosacea, psoriasis and atherosclerosis as well as a host-defence effector. The great majority of the literature is in vitro or animal work; human interventional data are limited to a small number of topical and oral formulations.
- Studies
- 17
- Since 2023
- 13
- Newest
- 2026
- LongevityApproved drug
Thymosin Alpha-1
Thymosin alpha-1 (Ta1, thymalfasin) is a 28-amino-acid peptide derived from prothymosin alpha and originally isolated from thymic tissue. It acts largely through Toll-like receptor signalling on dendritic cells and monocytes, influencing T-cell differentiation, thymic output and cytokine balance. It is registered as a prescription immunomodulator in a number of countries, principally for chronic hepatitis B and as an adjuvant in sepsis and oncology, and has been studied in more than thirty controlled human trials. It is not approved by the FDA or EMA.
- Studies
- 16
- Since 2023
- 11
- Newest
- 2026
- LongevityClinical
VIP
Vasoactive intestinal peptide is a 28-amino-acid neuropeptide that signals through the class B G protein-coupled receptors VPAC1 and VPAC2, with documented roles in pulmonary vasodilation, surfactant regulation, suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokine release, regulatory T cell induction, and synchronisation of circadian pacemaker neurons in the suprachiasmatic nucleus. Its synthetic form, aviptadil, has been tested in humans for COVID-19-associated acute hypoxaemic respiratory failure, sarcoidosis and erectile dysfunction. The largest randomised trial in respiratory failure (TESICO) found no significant clinical benefit for intravenous aviptadil versus placebo, and a 2025 systematic review of ARDS trials reported a pooled survival odds ratio of 1.01, while smaller inhaled-route and open-label studies reported favourable but non-definitive signals. An aviptadil-phentolamine intracavernosal combination is an established second-line agent in erectile dysfunction practice.
- Studies
- 15
- Since 2023
- 9
- Newest
- 2026
Latest published research
Therapeutic peptides in gerontology: mechanisms and applications for healthy aging
Frontiers in Aging · narrative review of nine therapeutic peptides used or investigated in aging research, including Epithalon
PubMed · 42021992A Targeted Metabolomic Assessment of Oral Glutathione Bioavailability and Safety in Humans: A Randomized Crossover Clinical Trial
Antioxidants (Basel) · randomized double-blind crossover, 14 healthy adults, single oral doses of micellar vs standard vs liposomal glutathione, plus 30-day single-arm safety phase at 600 mg/day
PubMed · 41897500Efficacy and Safety of Glutathione Supplementation in Patients with HIV Infection and HIV-Tuberculosis Co-Infection
Nutrients · review of mechanistic studies, clinical trials and translational research on glutathione and precursor supplementation in HIV and HIV-tuberculosis co-infection
PubMed · 41754089Formulation-dependent differences in systemic glutathione availability: Comparative pharmacokinetics of orally dissolving film and tablet formulations in healthy adults
European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics · randomized open-label crossover single-dose 300 mg pharmacokinetics, plus 4-week supplementation at 100 mg/day, healthy adults (CRIS KCT0011710)
PubMed · 42392376Intravenous longevity therapy: a critical review of evidence, mechanisms, and clinical utility
Acta Dermatovenerologica Alpina, Pannonica et Adriatica · critical review of intravenous high-dose vitamin, amino acid, glutathione and NAD+ infusion protocols marketed as longevity therapy
PubMed · 41915584Liposomal glutathione outperforms plain glutathione in uptake, cell regeneration and systemic availability: evidence from cellular and human models
British Journal of Nutrition · HEK293T cell assays plus parallel-arm open-label human pharmacokinetic study, 12 healthy adults (6 per arm), single 1 g oral dose
PubMed · 41559937The role of N-acetylcysteine and glutathione in the management of Parkinson's disease: a systematic review of oxidative biomarkers and clinical outcomes
Amino Acids · systematic review of 9 studies (2009-2019) totalling 196 participants with Parkinson's disease, comparing NAC or glutathione against placebo or healthy controls
PubMed · 41874704Adaptive immune response to the autoantigen LL-37 differentiates atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease phenotypes
Clinical & Translational Immunology · Observational immunophenotyping study of PBMCs and plasma from patients with stable atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease after myocardial infarction, stroke or peripheral artery disease
PubMed · 42016145
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