The 9 Hallmarks of Ageing: A Research Compound Map | QSC Peptides
QSC RESEARCH GUIDE
The 9 Hallmarks of Ageing: A Research Compound Map
López-Otín et al. (2013, Cell) defined the nine hallmarks of ageing — the cellular and molecular mechanisms that drive the ageing process. This framework has become the primary organisational structure for longevity research. This page maps each hallmark to the QSC research compounds that address it — creating a systematic research planning tool for longevity biology.
QSC has the deepest compound coverage for Hallmarks 5 and 6. SS-31 and MOTS-c provide two independent mitochondrial biology tools (membrane protection vs retrograde signalling). FOXO4-DRI and PNC-27 provide two senolytic approaches (FOXO4-p53 disruption vs membrane disruption). Combining both hallmarks in one aged animal model is the most scientifically complete longevity intervention currently achievable with QSC catalog compounds.
Emerging coverage: telomere attrition
Epitalon (Khavinson et al., 20+ years data) is the strongest telomere compound in the catalog. P21 provides a second, less-validated telomerase activator for parallel comparison. The epitalon + thymalin combination (Hallmarks 1 + 8 simultaneously) is the most studied multi-hallmark intervention in Russian longevity literature.
López-Otín et al. (2013, Cell) defined nine hallmarks: telomere attrition, epigenetic alterations, loss of proteostasis, deregulated nutrient sensing, mitochondrial dysfunction, cellular senescence, stem cell exhaustion, altered intercellular communication, and genomic instability. These mechanistic categories organise longevity research and identify therapeutic targets.
Which hallmarks does epitalon address?
Epitalon primarily addresses Hallmark 1 (telomere attrition) via hTERT activation and telomere lengthening. It also has effects on Hallmark 8 (altered intercellular communication) through pineal gland modulation and melatonin normalisation. In the Khavinson model, epitalon + thymalin combines telomere + immune-endocrine hallmarks.
What is the most researched multi-hallmark longevity intervention?
The thymalin + epitalon combination from Khavinson et al. (Gerontology, 1997) is the most published multi-compound longevity intervention — addressing immune senescence (thymalin) and telomere attrition (epitalon) simultaneously. In aged mice, this combination produced 24% lifespan extension — the highest published result for any peptide-only intervention.
Which QSC compound has the most longevity evidence?
Epitalon has the most extensive longevity evidence — 20+ years of Khavinson publications, characterised hTERT mechanism, multiple lifespan extension studies in aged rodents, and pineal/melatonin biology. SS-31 has the strongest mitochondrial biology evidence base including a positive Phase 2 human trial (SERCA).
