If you have been reading about Neurotrophic factor and want a single page that covers the useful parts, this is it: definitions, context, how it is studied, and the questions that come up repeatedly.
Last reviewed on 2026-07-02. Where a claim depends on a specific study, the study is described rather than over-claimed.
Purity assessment relies mainly on reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. Because the peptide lacks a strong chromophore, detection often uses backbone absorbance near 214 nm. Identity is confirmed by mass spectrometry, typically electrospray ionization or matrix-assisted laser desorption, comparing the measured mass against the expected value. Amino acid analysis can verify composition after acid hydrolysis. Diastereomer content and residual counterions are reported less often, although both can influence biological assays.
Lyophilized material is generally stable for extended periods when kept dry at or below minus twenty degrees Celsius. Working solutions are less stable, and common practice is to aliquot and freeze them so that repeated freeze-thaw cycles are avoided. Aqueous solutions are sensitive to pH extremes and to microbial growth, so short-term storage at refrigerator temperature is typical. Oxidation and hydrolysis are the principal degradation routes. Reconstitution with sterile water or a mild buffer is standard, and solutions should be protected from light.
Selank is a hydrophilic peptide and dissolves readily in water and in aqueous buffers. The lyophilised powder is typically a white to off-white solid. Because short peptides are prone to hydrolysis and oxidation, handling benefits from limiting exposure to heat, moisture and strong light. Working solutions are commonly prepared in sterile water or saline, and repeated freeze-thaw cycles are avoided to reduce aggregation and loss of activity. These practices reflect general laboratory convention rather than published stability specifications.
Dry powder is normally held at -20 degrees Celsius or lower, in a sealed container with desiccant and protection from light. Reconstituted solutions are usually kept at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius for short periods and frozen for longer ones. Proline residues at several positions are generally associated with some resistance to peptidase attack, but chemical stability still declines at neutral to alkaline pH and at elevated temperature. Exact shelf-life figures are product-specific and are not standardised across suppliers.
Identity and purity are usually assessed by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, with mass spectrometry used to confirm molecular mass and sequence information. Amino acid analysis and peptide mapping may supplement these methods. Certified reference standards are scarce, and many commercial lots are sold as research chemicals without a pharmacopoeial monograph. Regulatory treatment differs by country: Selank is a registered prescription medicine in Russia, while in the European Union and the United States it is not an approved drug and may fall under research-chemical or unapproved-product frameworks.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Typical purity report | 95% or higher by HPLC | Area percentage at 214 nm |
| Identity confirmation | Mass spectrometry | Electrospray or MALDI |
| Powder storage | -20 C, desiccated | Protect from light |
| Solution storage | 2-8 C short term | Freeze aliquots for longer |
| Quality document | Certificate of analysis | States method and value |
Selank is a synthetic heptapeptide with the sequence Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro, written TKPRPGP in one-letter notation. Its structure consists of the immunomodulatory tetrapeptide tuftsin, Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg, extended at the carboxyl terminus by a Pro-Gly-Pro segment. The molecular formula is commonly given as C33H57N11O9, corresponding to a monoisotopic mass near 751.4 Da and an average molecular mass near 751.9 Da. All seven residues are proteinogenic amino acids, and the molecule carries no modified side chains or non-natural linkages.
The compound was designed at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences during the 1980s and 1990s. The stated design goal was to retain the immunomodulatory and central nervous system activity attributed to tuftsin while improving resistance to enzymatic breakdown. Adding a proline-rich tail to the short parent peptide was a deliberate strategy, because proline residues restrict the conformations available to many peptidases. The same laboratory produced Semax, an ACTH fragment analog, and both compounds were developed in parallel as short, enzymatically stabilized peptides intended for intranasal use.
Development took place at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, where a series of short peptides were designed in the 1980s and 1990s. Selank was selected from variants of tuftsin that showed resistance to plasma peptidases. Russian regulatory approval covers it as an anxiolytic agent given intranasally. Outside that market the compound is normally handled as a research chemical rather than a medicine, and no widely recognised international pharmacopoeial monograph exists. The name Selank is a coined trade designation rather than a systematic chemical name.
Enzymatic stability motivates the extra three residues at the carboxyl end. Native tuftsin is cleaved quickly by circulating aminopeptidases and carboxypeptidases, which limits its duration of action and its usefulness as a tool compound. Extending the chain with proline-rich segments is a common design tactic because proline constrains the backbone and slows proteolysis. The same Pro-Gly-Pro motif appears in other Russian-developed peptides of the era. Whether the full seven-residue chain is required for activity, or whether it acts mainly as a prodrug releasing tuftsin, remains unresolved.
Proposed mechanisms center on modulation of the GABA system, but no single molecular target has been confirmed. Rodent studies report changes in GABA-A receptor expression and in the turnover of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine in several brain regions. Increases in brain-derived neurotrophic factor and its receptor have also been described after repeated administration. These findings come largely from animal models, and the degree to which they describe human neurochemistry remains an open question. The mechanism is best characterized as multi-system and not fully resolved.
Pharmacokinetic data are limited. Like most short peptides, Selank is vulnerable to plasma and tissue peptidases, and its measured half-life in circulation is short, on a minutes scale. The Pro-Gly-Pro tail slows this degradation but does not eliminate it. Intranasal administration is the route described in most reports, with absorption through the nasal mucosa and a hypothesized path into the central nervous system that avoids the blood-brain barrier. Direct measurements of human brain exposure are unavailable, so distribution claims rest on inference from animal work.
Clinical evidence comes mainly from small studies conducted in Russia, several of which were open-label or lacked robust blinding. Reported outcomes include lower anxiety scores, changes in attention measures, and effects on asthenic states following illness. Sample sizes are typically in the tens of participants, and independent replication outside the region is scarce. Reviews published in English generally note the limited methodological quality of the underlying trials. Whether the compound produces clinically meaningful effects under rigorous conditions remains unresolved.
Proposed mechanisms centre on the GABAergic system. Animal and tissue studies report changes in GABA-A receptor expression and reduced activity of GABA transaminase, the enzyme that degrades GABA. Effects on monoamine turnover, including serotonin and dopamine pathways, are also described, and a separate line of work links the peptide to increased expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in hippocampal tissue. Most of these findings come from rodent models and cell preparations. How the individual observations combine into a single coherent mode of action is not settled.
Pharmacokinetic data are sparse and largely derived from animal work. After intranasal administration the peptide appears in plasma within minutes, and reported half-lives are short, on the order of minutes to tens of minutes. Degradation proceeds through ordinary proteolytic cleavage into constituent amino acids and smaller fragments. Direct evidence that intact Selank reaches brain tissue in meaningful amounts is limited, and the extent of blood-brain barrier penetration is debated. Some authors argue that fragments, not the parent peptide, carry much of the observed activity.
Published clinical work is concentrated in Russian-language journals and generally involves small samples without independent replication. Systematic reviews in English note the shortage of randomised, placebo-controlled trials and the difficulty of verifying methods from translated reports. Outcome measures vary between studies, which complicates pooling of results. Interest in the compound as a cognitive or anxiolytic agent therefore rests on a thinner evidence base than the volume of citations suggests. Replication in well-powered trials with preregistered endpoints would be needed before firm conclusions about efficacy can be drawn.
Prostaglandins are found in most tissues and organs. They are produced by almost all nucleated cells. They are autocrine and paracrine lipid mediators that act upon platelets, endothelium, uterine and mast cells. They are synthesized in the cell from the fatty acid arachidonic acid. Arachidonic acid is created from diacylglycerol via phospholipase-A2, then brought to either the cyclooxygenase pathway or the lipoxygenase pathway. The cyclooxygenase pathway produces thromboxane, prostacyclin and prostaglandin D, E and F. Alternatively, the lipoxygenase enzyme pathway is active in leukocytes and in macrophages and synthesizes leukotrienes.
=== Self-amputation === In some rare cases when a person has become trapped in a deserted place, with no means of communication or hope of rescue, the victim has amputated their own limb. The most notable case of this is Aron Ralston, a hiker who amputated his own right forearm after it was pinned by a boulder in a hiking accident and he was unable to free himself for over five days. Body integrity dysphoria is a rare condition in which an individual feels compelled to remove one or more of their body parts, usually a limb. In some cases, that individual may take drastic measures to remove the offending appendages, either by causing irreparable damage to the limb so that medical intervention cannot save the limb, or by causing the limb to be severed.
=== Antimicrobial packaging === Antimicrobial packaging is designed to inhibit pathogenic or spoilage microorganisms on a product surface or within the package environment. Antimicrobial compounds may be incorporated into films and coatings, immobilised on a package surface, released into the package headspace, or contained in pads, labels, and separate emitters. Studied agents include organic acids, plant-derived compounds, enzymes, bacteriocins, metal ions, nanoparticles, and synthetic antimicrobial substances. The performance of antimicrobial packaging depends on the target microorganism, active-agent concentration, release rate, temperature, food composition, storage period, and contact between the package and the product. Absorbent pads used with meat, poultry, seafood, and fresh produce can combine liquid absorption with antimicrobial substances or freshness indicators.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
=== Sara Dhadwal === Sara Dhadwal (Priyanga Burford) is the president of Pierpoint London in series 1, and oversees its new hire program. Firm and principled, she initially clashes with Gus Sackey when he castigates her for promoting Pierpoint's cutthroat culture, which he blames for the death of his colleague Hari Dhar. However, Sara gradually becomes more in favor of culture change at the company; she views Eric as the primary embodiment of Pierpoint's toxicity, and fires him after Harper reports Eric locking her in a conference room to berate her. She also tries to become a more supportive figure to Gus, but he grows increasingly disillusioned with the firm, and purposely sabotages his interview on reduction-in-force (RIF) day. The same day, Pierpoint's global head of FICC, Bill Adler, offers Harper a chance to retract her complaint against Eric to bring him back to the firm; Sara takes her aside and tries talking her out of it, telling her she has the power to fundamentally change the culture of Pierpoint. Harper, however, rebuffs Sara for seeing her as a victim, and agrees to have Eric rehired.
== Occurrence == Carotenoids are essential for animal health and functioning, but animals cannot produce them. Animals obtain carotenoids from their diet, with herbivores sourcing them from plants or algae, and carnivores, in turn, sourcing them from herbivores. Meso-zeaxanthin is not present in plants, except for marine species. Originally, it was suggested that meso-zeaxanthin present in humans and other vertebrates was non-dietary in origin, instead being biosynthesized in the macula (the central part of the retina) from retinal lutein (another xanthophyll carotenoid found in the human diet); this work has since been refuted. Consistent with work by Maoka et al. in 1986, Nolan et al. showed that meso-zeaxanthin is present in the skin of trout, sardine and salmon, and in the flesh of trout. In a subsequent publication, Nolan's group detected and quantified the three stereoisomers of zeaxanthin, including meso-zeaxanthin, in the flesh of two different trout species, which was the first report of concentrations of meso-zeaxanthin in habitually consumed food. Prior to this research, a publication from Khachick et al. (2002) reported that liver from Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) and frog plasma contain meso-zeaxanthin. Meso-zeaxanthin may be generated from other carotenoids consumed by animals, as carotenoids can be interconverted for functional reasons. For example, it has been suggested that meso-zeaxanthin of trout integuments is derived from astaxanthin, and meso-zeaxanthin in primates is derived at least in part from lutein.
Space manufacturing or In-space manufacturing (ISM in short) is the fabrication, assembly or integration of tangible goods beyond Earth's atmosphere (or more generally, outside a planetary atmosphere), involving the transformation of raw or recycled materials into components, products, or infrastructure in space, where the manufacturing process is executed either by humans or automated systems by taking advantage of the unique characteristics of space. Synonyms of Space/In-space manufacturing are In-orbit manufacturing (since most production capabilities are limited to low Earth orbit), Off-Earth manufacturing, Space-based manufacturing, Orbital manufacturing, In-situ manufacturing, In-space fabrication, In-space production, etc. In-space manufacturing is a part of the broader activity of in-space servicing, assembly and manufacturing (ISAM) and is related to in situ resource utilization (ISRU). Three major domains of In-space manufacturing are ISM for space (space-for-space) where products remain in space, ISM for Earth (space-for-Earth) where goods with improved properties produced in outer-space microgravity are transported back to Earth, and ISM for surface where goods are produced on or sent to surfaces of celestial bodies like the Moon, Mars, and asteroids.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
== Preparation of azide == The aforementioned conversion to acyl azide has been carried out multifariously; Bergmann utilized methyl ester and hydrazide, whereas more recent attempts have designed methods such as: nitrosylation of N-formylaminoacyl hydrazide and subsequent substitution by sodium azide, reaction of a carboxylic acid with diphenyl phosphorazidate, triethylamine, and a hydroxyl component, and reaction between TMS azide and the anhydride of an amino acid.
=== Medieval to early modern === Anatomy developed little from classical times until the sixteenth century; as the historian Marie Boas writes, "Progress in anatomy before the sixteenth century is as mysteriously slow as its development after 1500 is startlingly rapid". Between 1275 and 1326, the anatomists Mondino de Luzzi, Alessandro Achillini and Antonio Benivieni at Bologna carried out the first systematic human dissections since ancient times. Mondino's Anatomy of 1316 was the first textbook in the medieval rediscovery of human anatomy. It describes the body in the order followed in Mondino's dissections, starting with the abdomen, thorax, head, and limbs. It was the standard anatomy textbook for the next century. Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) was trained in anatomy by Andrea del Verrocchio. He made use of his anatomical knowledge in his artwork, making many sketches of skeletal structures, muscles and organs of humans and other vertebrates that he dissected. Andreas Vesalius (1514–1564), professor of anatomy at the University of Padua, is considered the founder of modern human anatomy. Originally from Brabant, Vesalius published the influential book De humani corporis fabrica ("the structure of the human body"), a large format book in seven volumes, in 1543. The accurate and intricately detailed illustrations, often in allegorical poses against Italianate landscapes, are thought to have been made by the artist Jan van Calcar, a pupil of Titian.
Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is an aggressive cancer originating in the cortex (steroid hormone-producing tissue) of the adrenal gland. Adrenocortical carcinoma is remarkable for the many hormonal syndromes that can occur in patients with steroid hormone-producing ("functional") tumors, including Cushing's syndrome, Conn syndrome, virilization, and feminization. Adrenocortical carcinoma has often invaded nearby tissues or metastasized to distant organs at the time of diagnosis, and the overall 5-year survival rate is about 50%. Adrenocortical carcinoma is a rare tumor, with incidence of one to two per million population annually. It has a bimodal distribution by age, with cases clustering in children under 5 and in adults 30–40 years old. The widely used angiotensin-II-responsive steroid-producing cell line H295R was originally isolated from a tumor diagnosed as adrenocortical carcinoma. Adrenocortical carcinoma can occur at any age, with the highest incidence between 40 and 60 years of age. Women are more frequently affected (55 to 60%) than men (40 to 45%). Adrenocortical carcinomas usually occur sporadically in adults. However, they sometimes occur as part of hereditary syndromes, such as:
Prince August Wilhelm married his cousin Princess Alexandra Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg on 22 October 1908 at the Berliner Stadtschloss. The couple had planned to take up residence in Schönhausen Palace in Berlin, but changed their mind when his father, Kaiser Wilhelm, decided to leave his son the Villa Liegnitz in the Sanssouci Park. In 1912 their only child, Prince Alexander Ferdinand of Prussia, was born. Their Potsdam residence developed into a meeting place for artists and scholars. In the First World War, August Wilhelm was made district administrator (Landrat) of the district of Ruppin; his office and residence was now Schloss Rheinsberg. His personal adjutant Hans Georg von Mackensen played an important role in his life; the two had been close friends since August Wilhelm's youth. These "pronounced homophilic tendencies" contributed to the failure of his marriage to Princess Alexandra Victoria. The couple did not divorce while August Wilhelm's father, Kaiser Wilhelm II, was Emperor, owing to his opposition to the idea.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Purity is usually reported as an HPLC area percentage, most often measured at 214 nm. Identity is confirmed separately by mass spectrometry. A certificate of analysis should state both the method and the observed value.
Dry powder is kept frozen, desiccated, and shielded from light. Dissolved material is aliquoted and frozen to limit freeze-thaw cycles. Short-term refrigerated storage is common for working solutions.
Russia registers it as a prescription nasal product. Most other markets classify it as a research chemical with no approved medical use. Oversight of purity and labeling is consequently minimal in those markets.
Dry powder is normally held at -20 degrees Celsius or below in a sealed, light-protected container with desiccant. Brief room-temperature handling during weighing is generally tolerated. Storage instructions vary between suppliers, so the accompanying certificate of analysis should be followed.