Written & Reviewed by
Charles Fowler
Founder, Portal to Wellness
5+ years peptide research
Last Updated
GHK-Cu, Epithalon and NAD+ are studied against different hallmarks of ageing — cellular renewal, collagen synthesis and telomere biology. This guide summarises what the published research reports for each.
GHK-Cu has 40+ years of research behind it. Epithalon was studied for decades in Russia before Western researchers took notice. NAD+ research spans multiple Nobel Prize-adjacent discoveries. These aren’t new — they’ve just been ignored by the cosmetic industry until recently.
Discovered in 1973, GHK-Cu upregulates over 70 genes involved in collagen, elastin, and glycosaminoglycan synthesis. It also downregulates genes associated with inflammation and aggressive tissue destruction.
A tetrapeptide derived from the pineal gland, Epithalon is studied for its ability to activate telomerase — the enzyme that maintains telomere length. Shorter telomeres correlate with biological aging. The published work is largely in cell cultures and animal models.
The compounds on this page are studied against specific biological mechanisms — collagen gene expression, telomere length, mitochondrial energy and inflammatory signalling — not against visible outcomes.
GHK-Cu and BPC-157 are studied for their effects on collagen I, III and elastin gene expression in preclinical models.
Epithalon is studied for telomerase activation, mainly in cell-culture and animal work.
Published measurements report NAD+ declining with age. Research examines its role in DNA repair, sirtuin activity and mitochondrial function.
Glutathione, the body’s primary endogenous antioxidant, is studied for its role in oxidative-stress pathways.
Four compounds studied against four different hallmarks of ageing — Epithalon for telomere biology, Thymalin for thymic function, NAD+ for co-enzyme supply and SS-31 for mitochondrial membrane structure. Priced 20% below buying the four separately.
Aging isn’t one process — it’s a convergence of cellular pathways. The compounds below are grouped by the pathway they are studied against.
With age, collagen production declines and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) increase — degrading the structural proteins that maintain tissue structure. GHK-Cu is studied for its effects on MMP and collagen gene expression.
Each cell division shortens telomeres — the protective caps on chromosomes. When telomeres become critically short, cells enter senescence, secreting inflammatory signals (SASP) that accelerate tissue aging. Epithalon is studied for telomerase activation.
NAD+ is required for sirtuin deacetylase activity — the “longevity proteins” that regulate DNA repair, gene expression, and metabolic health. As NAD+ declines, mitochondria produce less ATP and more reactive oxygen species, driving systemic aging from the cellular energy level up.
The Research Hub sets out the published research on every compound we carry.
Browse the Research Hub →All compounds sold by Portal to Wellness are intended for research purposes only. Citations are provided for educational context.
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