Anti-Aging & Longevity Peptides
"Anti-aging / longevity peptides" is a marketing category, not a pharmacological class. The compounds grouped here span pineal bioregulators, thymic extracts, copper-binding tripeptides, mitochondria-targeted peptides, anti-aging protein mimetics, and small-molecule metabolic modulators. Only one compound — elamipretide (Forzinity™) — has any FDA approval, and that is for a rare pediatric genetic disease (Barth syndrome), not for longevity.
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Compounds Covered (10)
Epithalon (Epitalon / AEDG peptide)
Synthetic tetrapeptide (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly) modeled on epithalamin, a polypeptide extract of the pineal gland. Proposed to activate telomerase and restore melatonin rhythm.
GHK-Cu (Copper Tripeptide-1)
Glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine complexed with Cu(II). Naturally occurring in human plasma; levels decline with age. First isolated by Loren Pickart (1973). Best evidence is for topical cosmetic use.
AHK-Cu (Copper Tripeptide Hair Analog)
L-Alanyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine–Cu(II) — a synthetic analog of GHK-Cu with alanine replacing glycine. Research-grade topical peptide focused on hair growth.
Thymalin (Thymic Polypeptide Extract)
Not a single peptide — a heterogeneous polypeptide complex extracted from young calf thymus. Contains short peptides of 2-8 amino acids including dipeptides Glu-Trp and Lys-Glu. Developed in the USSR in the 1970s.
SS-31 / Elamipretide (Forzinity™)
Synthetic aromatic-cationic tetrapeptide (D-Arg-Dmt-Lys-Phe-NH₂). The ONLY FDA-approved compound in this class — approved Sept 2025 for Barth syndrome, not for longevity.
MOTS-c (Mitochondrial ORF of 12S rRNA type-c)
16-amino-acid mitochondrial-derived peptide encoded within the 12S rRNA region of mtDNA. An exercise-induced signaling peptide and AMPK activator.
Humanin (and analog HNG / S14G-humanin)
24-amino-acid mitochondrial-derived peptide encoded within the 16S rRNA region of mtDNA; the first MDP discovered. HNG (S14G-humanin) is a synthetic analog up to ~1,000× more potent.
Klotho Peptide Fragments (KP1, KP6)
Engineered fragments of the α-Klotho protein. KP1 = 30-amino-acid sequence; KP6 = shorter fragment. Laboratory research reagents.
5-Amino-1MQ (5-amino-1-methylquinolinium)
NOT A PEPTIDE — a small-molecule (quinolinium) NNMT inhibitor. Included because it is frequently marketed alongside longevity peptides. Should be classified as a research chemical.
FOXO4-DRI (FOXO4-D-Retro-Inverso)
A D-retro-inverso peptide that disrupts the FOXO4-p53 interaction in senescent cells, triggering selective apoptosis of senescent cells (senolytic). Preclinical research compound.
Comparison Notes
Evidence quality ranges from FDA-approved (SS-31, narrow indication) to purely preclinical (Humanin, Klotho fragments, 5-Amino-1MQ). The Russian bioregulator tradition (Epithalon, Thymalin) has intriguing but methodologically weak human data. GHK-Cu has the best topical evidence but injectable use is unproven.
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