Selank

Selank is a synthetic heptapeptide with the sequence Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro, developed at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow) from the natural immunomodulator tuftsin (residues 289–292 of the IgG heavy chain). It is registered as a research and anxiolytic compound within the Russian Federation but has no FDA approval in the United States.

Peppudex card: see the mechanism + evidence-grade summary at [Peppudex / Selank](https://peppudex.com/peptides/selank).

Overview

Tuftsin (Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg) was identified in 1970 by Najjar and Nishioka at Tufts University as a leukocyte-stimulating tetrapeptide. The Russian Academy of Sciences extended the sequence by three C-terminal residues (Pro-Gly-Pro) in the 1980s to stabilize the peptide against rapid plasma proteolysis. Selank is the resulting heptapeptide. The Russian pharmaceutical authorities approved a 0.15% intranasal solution under a domestic registration in the early 2000s.

Mechanism

The proposed mechanism is heterogeneous and has been characterized primarily in Russian preclinical literature:

• Modulation of GABA-A receptor expression and binding affinity in cortical and hippocampal tissue
• Increase in serotonin (5-HT) turnover in rodent brain
• BDNF mRNA upregulation in selected forebrain regions
• Immunomodulatory activity inherited from the tuftsin parent (macrophage and NK-cell activation in vitro)

The receptor-binding profile is less well characterized than that of Semax. No high-affinity classical receptor has been identified, and a substantial portion of Selank's reported activity may be indirect.

See: GABA-A_receptor, BDNF, Tuftsin.

Evidence

Russian-language preclinical and small-scale clinical literature is moderately extensive. Western-indexed peer-reviewed publications are scarcer:

• Kozlovskaya et al. (Eksp Klin Farmakol, 2001 et seq.) report anxiolytic activity in rodent elevated-plus-maze and conditioned-suppression paradigms, with potency comparable to short-acting benzodiazepines at the dose ranges tested in animals.
• Inozemtseva, Karpenko et al. (J Neurochem 2008) reported transient BDNF mRNA elevation following intranasal administration in rats.
• No completed Phase 3 trials registered with the FDA or the European Medicines Agency.

Dosing literature

Russian clinical literature describes intranasal administration of the 0.15% solution (~150 µg per drop) at 2–3 drops per nostril, 2–3 times per day. This wiki does not recommend any human dose. The compound is supplied as a chemical reference material for in-vitro research.

Storage

Lyophilized: 4 °C 12+ months, –20 °C indefinite. Reconstituted: 2–8 °C, use within 28 days. The compound is hygroscopic; keep vial sealed until immediately before reconstitution. See Reconstitution.

Regulatory status

• United States. Research use only. Not FDA-approved.
• Russian Federation. Registered as a research and anxiolytic compound under domestic pharmaceutical authority; one of the few Russian-origin peptides with a domestic clinical registration.
• WADA. Not currently on the prohibited list.

See also

• Semax · sister Russian-origin heptapeptide
• Tuftsin · parent immunomodulator
• GABA-A_receptor
• [Peppudex card · Selank](https://peppudex.com/peptides/selank) · mechanism, evidence grades A-F, FAQs, peer-reviewed sources

References

• Kozlovskaya MM, Kozlovskii II, Val'dman EA, Seredenin SB. "Selank and short peptides of the tuftsin family in the regulation of adaptive behavior in stress." Neurosci Behav Physiol. 2003;33(8):853-60.
• Medvedev VE, Tereshchenko OS, Kost NV, et al. "Selank in the treatment of anxiety and asthenic disorders in patients with somatic conditions." Russian medical journal review series (Russian-language publication).
• Vyunova TV, Andreeva LA, Shevchenko KV, Myasoedov NF. "Synthetic Peptides as Promising Anxiolytics of New Generation: Experimental and Clinical Justification." Acta Naturae. 2018;10(2):29-37.