Selank

Selank research peptide in Thailand

Selank is a synthetic heptapeptide analogue of the endogenous immunomodulatory peptide tuftsin, developed at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences and studied in anxiolytic, BDNF-related and neuroimmune research models. It is frequently examined alongside Semax, the other Russian-developed regulatory peptide from the same research lineage.

This listing is for laboratory research use only. Most of the Selank literature is Russian-language and has not been replicated in Western trials — it is not a medicine, nootropic, supplement, or anxiety product.

Quick facts

Product

Selank (TP-7), synthetic tuftsin analogue

CAS

129954-34-3

Molecular weight

~751.9 g/mol

Parent peptide

Tuftsin (TKPR), an immunomodulatory tetrapeptide fragment of IgG

Intended use

laboratory research use only

How Selank works

Selank is tuftsin with a Pro-Gly-Pro tail appended to the C-terminus. That extension is the whole design idea: native tuftsin is degraded almost immediately by serum peptidases, and the added tripeptide substantially slows cleavage while preserving the parent sequence's receptor interactions. This gives researchers a stabilised probe for tuftsin-like signalling — which sits at the junction of immune and central nervous system activity, since tuftsin itself is an IgG-derived fragment acting on macrophages and microglia.

In published work the peptide is described as modulating GABAergic transmission without acting at the benzodiazepine binding site, and as altering serotonin and noradrenaline turnover in limbic and brainstem regions. A separate strand of the literature examines its effect on brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in the hippocampus and frontal cortex. Notably, the direction of that effect is context-dependent rather than a simple increase — in a chronic-ethanol rat model Selank prevented an ethanol-induced rise in BDNF (Kolik, Bull Exp Biol Med, 2019). These are findings from specific studies, not outcomes attributed to this product.

Key research findings

• In male Wistar rats, intranasally administered Selank altered BDNF mRNA and protein expression in hippocampal tissue, establishing the neurotrophin mechanism as a research target for the peptide (Inozemtseva, Dokl Biol Sci, 2008).
• In an unpredictable chronic mild stress model using the elevated plus maze, individual administration of Selank was most effective at reducing elevated anxiety indicators, while Selank combined with diazepam was most effective under chronic stress conditions (Kasian, Behav Neurol, 2017).
• In rats given 10% ethanol for 30 weeks, Selank (0.3 mg/kg/day intraperitoneally for 7 days) prevented ethanol-induced memory and attention disturbances during withdrawal and blocked the ethanol-induced increase in BDNF content in the hippocampus and frontal cortex (Kolik, Bull Exp Biol Med, 2019).

Research applications

• Anxiolytic screening models (elevated plus maze, chronic mild stress paradigms)
• BDNF and neurotrophin expression studies in hippocampus and frontal cortex
• Neuroimmune and tuftsin-receptor signalling research
• GABAergic and monoaminergic pathway modulation studies
• Withdrawal and dependence models (alcohol, opioid) in rodents
• Comparative regulatory-peptide work alongside Semax

Dosing in the literature

The rodent work used ~0.3 mg/kg intraperitoneally, and the BDNF studies administered the peptide intranasally. This is a summary of parameters as reported in research references, not administration guidance. To model concentrations for a defined protocol, use the Selank peptide calculator.

Reconstitution & storage

Solvent

Bacteriostatic water — standard for lyophilised research peptides

Mixing

Add solvent down the vial wall and swirl gently until dissolved; do not shake

Storage

Refrigerated (2–8 °C) after reconstitution, in common laboratory practice

Use within

A few weeks once reconstituted

Freeze / light

Keep lyophilised powder frozen or cold, sealed, and protected from light

Reconstitute with bacteriostatic water using sterile technique. In Thailand's heat and humidity, protect vials from ambient temperature swings during storage and courier handling.

Selected research

• Intranasal administration of the peptide Selank regulates BDNF expression in the rat hippocampus in vivo — Dokl Biol Sci, 2008
• Peptide Selank Enhances the Effect of Diazepam in Reducing Anxiety in Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress Conditions in Rats — Behav Neurol, 2017
• Selank, Peptide Analogue of Tuftsin, Protects Against Ethanol-Induced Memory Impairment by Regulating of BDNF Content in the Hippocampus and Prefrontal Cortex in Rats — Bull Exp Biol Med, 2019
• Peptide-based Anxiolytics: The Molecular Aspects of Heptapeptide Selank Biological Activity — Protein Pept Lett, 2018 (review)
• Browse all indexed Selank literature on PubMed

Related compounds

• Semax — a synthetic ACTH(4–7) analogue from the same Russian research programme, studied for neurotrophic and cognitive endpoints; the two are commonly examined together in comparative regulatory-peptide work.
• Pinealon — a short peptide studied in neuroprotection and CNS models, another compound in the neuropeptide-signalling category.
• Bacteriostatic water — the standard diluent used to reconstitute lyophilised research peptides.

See also: Semax vs Selank cognitive research and more neuropeptide signalling compounds.

Selank FAQ

Compliance note

Selank is supplied for laboratory research use only. It is not for human or veterinary use, and it is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. All findings referenced above are the results of specific published studies, not claims about this product.