Epithalon (Epitalon) has long been understood to help preserve telomeres, which are the protective end caps found on fragments of DNA (chromosomes). Telomeres protect DNA from degradation as it is replicated during cell division (one cell splitting into two). Telomeres themselves suffer degradation, however, and eventually become too short to be effective. At this point, a cell will either commit cell suicide in a process called apoptosis or it will go dormant in a process called senescence. Both processes lead to aging and eventual dysfunction and disease. Senescence is one of the primary drivers of disease and aging. Epitalon has been shown to activate an enzyme called telomerase, which protects and repairs telomeres. More active telomerase means that cells age slower and remain functional longer. The net result is that overall aging appears to be slowed down. Research in rodents indicates that Epitalon may extend life by as much as 27% via this mechanism[2], [3]. Epitalon does not only activate telomerase. As noted above, Epitalon has been shown to affect expression for several genes through alteration of DNA structure. This process, called epigenetic modification, is of interest to scientists because it provides the foundation for controlling gene expression at a very fine level. Research is being conducted to learn how to harness epigenetic technology, which could potentially allow scientists to alter everything from an individual’s eye color to how intelligent a person is or how long someone lives. Micro-encapsulated Epitalon has shown excellent orally bioavailability in lab research studies.