This is a working overview of heptapeptide, written for readers who want more than a one-paragraph summary but less than a textbook.
This page was last updated on 2025-11-04 and is reviewed periodically as new material appears.
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.
Selank is a synthetic heptapeptide developed in Russia. Its sequence is Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro, a seven-residue chain built around the natural tetrapeptide tuftsin. Researchers at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences first described the compound in the mid-1990s. The design combined the tuftsin core with an added Pro-Gly-Pro tail, a modification intended to extend the molecule's stability in biological fluids. Published work on the peptide has appeared mainly in Russian-language journals.
Reported activity for Selank centers on anxiolytic and nootropic effects. Russian clinical reports describe use in anxiety and in cognitive or attention-related complaints. Most of this evidence comes from studies conducted by the same research groups that developed the peptide. Independent replication in other countries remains limited, and no major Western regulatory agency has approved the compound for any indication. The gap between local reports and external verification is a recurring point in discussions of the peptide.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Route studied | Intranasal | Predominant route in published reports |
| Circulation stability | Short, minutes scale | Peptidases cleave it; the tail slows the process |
| Analytical method | RP-HPLC with mass spectrometry | Used for identity and purity assessment |
| Reported outcome domains | Anxiety and cognitive measures | Derived from small, mostly regional trials |
| Regulatory status | Marketed in Russia | Availability outside that market is limited |
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.
Lyophilized selank is normally supplied as a dry powder and is considered stable for extended periods when kept cold and dry. Moisture uptake is the main practical threat, because absorbed water promotes both hydrolysis and aggregation in the solid state. Vials are usually warmed to room temperature before opening so that condensation does not form on the powder. Supplier documentation commonly specifies -20 °C for routine storage, with -80 °C used for material intended to be archived for years.
Once dissolved, the peptide is markedly less stable than the dry powder. Aqueous solutions are subject to backbone hydrolysis and to microbial growth when they are handled without sterile technique. Buffered solutions near neutral pH are common for short-term laboratory work, while acidic conditions are sometimes used to improve solubility. Analytical laboratories generally prepare working solutions fresh rather than storing them, and a residual water film left in a reopened vial can seed degradation even when the container appears dry.
{\displaystyle {\begin{aligned}{\frac {\mathrm {d} N_{A}}{\mathrm {d} t}}&=-\left({\frac {\mathrm {d} N_{B}}{\mathrm {d} t}}+{\frac {\mathrm {d} N_{C}}{\mathrm {d} t}}\right)\\-\lambda N_{A}&=-N_{A}\left(\lambda _{B}+\lambda _{C}\right)\\\end{aligned}}}
Main reactor Ethylene oxide scrubber Ethylene oxide de-sorber Stripping and distillation column CO2 scrubber and CO2 de-scrubber Main Reactor: The main reactor consists of thousands of catalyst tubes in bundles. These tubes are generally 6 to 15 m (20 to 50 ft) long with an inner diameter of 20 to 50 mm (0.8 to 2.0 in). The catalyst packed in these tubes is in the form of spheres or rings of diameter 3 to 10 mm (0.12 to 0.39 in). The operating conditions of 200–300 °C (390–570 °F) with a pressure of 1–3 MPa (150–440 psi) prevail in the reactor. To maintain this temperature, the cooling system of the reactor plays a vital role. With the aging of the catalyst, its selectivity decreases and it produces more exothermic side products of CO2. Ethylene oxide scrubber: After the gaseous stream from the main reactor, containing ethylene oxide (1–2%) and CO2 (5%), is cooled, it is then passed to the ethylene oxide scrubber. Here, water is used as the scrubbing media which scrubs away majority of ethylene oxide along with some amounts of CO2, N2, CH2=CH2, CH4 and aldehydes (introduced by the recycle stream). Also, a small proportion of the gas leaving the ethylene oxide scrubber (0.1–0.2%) is removed continuously (combusted) to prevent the buildup of inert compounds (N2, Ar, and C2H6), which are introduced as impurities with the reactants. Ethylene oxide de-sorber: The aqueous stream resulting from the above scrubbing process is then sent to the ethylene oxide de-sorber.
David Held (27 August 1951 – 2 March 2019) was a British political scientist who specialised in political theory and international relations; author of over twenty five scholarly academic texts and monographs. Basil Henriques Muriel Gray FRSE (born 30 August 1958) is a Scottish author, broadcaster and journalist, of Jewish ancestry. Gray has been a columnist for many publications, including Time Out magazine, the Sunday Correspondent, the Sunday Mirror, and Bliss magazine, and writes regularly for the Sunday Herald. and The Guardian. Zoë Heller author (Jewish father), daughter of screenwriter Lukas Heller; her paternal grandfather was the political philosopher Hermann Heller. Her brother is screenwriter Bruno Heller. Her sister, Lucy Heller Chief Executive of education charity Ark Noreena Hertz (born 24 September 1967) author, hosted "MegaHertz: London Calling", on SiriusXM's Insight channel and ITV News Economics Editor; wife of Danny Cohen (television executive), who previously held posts as Director of BBC Television and Controller of BBC One; from 1996 to 1997 she worked on the Middle East peace process with Palestinians, Egyptians, Israelis and Jordanians; honorary professor at University College London; Guardian op-ed writer.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
The therapeutic window is the amount of a medication between the amount that gives an effect (effective dose) and the amount that gives more adverse effects than desired effects. For instance, medication with a small pharmaceutical window must be administered with care and control, e.g. by frequently measuring blood concentration of the drug, since it easily loses effects or gives adverse effects.
=== Imaging === According to guidelines from the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association Stroke Council, patients with TIA should have head imaging "within 24 hours of symptom onset, preferably with magnetic resonance imaging, including diffusion sequences". MRI is a better imaging modality for TIA than computed tomography (CT), as it is better able to pick up both new and old ischemic lesions than CT. CT, however, is more widely available and can be used particularly to rule out intracranial hemorrhage. Diffusion sequences can help further localize the area of ischemia and can serve as prognostic indicators. Presence of ischemic lesions on diffusion weighted imaging has been correlated with a higher risk of stroke after a TIA. Vessels in the head and neck may also be evaluated to look for atherosclerotic lesions that may benefit from interventions, such as carotid endarterectomy. The vasculature can be evaluated through the following imaging modalities: magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), CT angiography (CTA), and carotid ultrasonography/transcranial doppler ultrasonography. Carotid ultrasonography is often used to screen for carotid artery stenosis, as it is more readily available, is noninvasive, and does not expose the person being evaluated to radiation. However, all of the above imaging methods have variable sensitivities and specificities, making it important to supplement one of the imaging methods with another to help confirm the diagnosis (for example: screen for the disease with ultrasonography, and confirm with CTA).
The detector also marks the time of emergence, the retention time, which serves for initial identification of the component. More advanced detectors, provide also additional information, specific to the analyte's characteristics, such as UV-VIS spectrum or mass spectrum, which can provide insight on its structural features. These detectors are in common use, such as UV/Vis, photodiode array (PDA) / diode array detector and mass spectrometry detector. A digital microprocessor and user software control the HPLC instrument and provide data analysis. Some models of mechanical pumps in an HPLC instrument can mix multiple solvents together at a ratios changing in time, generating a composition gradient in the mobile phase. Newer HPLC instruments have a column oven that allows for adjusting the temperature at which the separation is performed. The sample mixture to be separated and analyzed is introduced, in a discrete small volume (typically microliters), into the stream of mobile phase percolating through the column. The components of the sample move through the column, each at a different velocity, which are a function of specific physical interactions with the adsorbent, the stationary phase. The velocity of each component depends on its chemical nature, on the nature of the stationary phase (inside the column) and on the composition of the mobile phase. The time at which a specific analyte elutes (emerges from the column) is called its retention time. The retention time, measured under particular conditions, is an identifying characteristic of a given analyte.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Reports describe effects on GABA-A receptor expression, monoamine turnover, and neurotrophic factor levels. These are proposed mechanisms drawn mainly from animal models. No single molecular target has been established.
Intranasal delivery is the route described in most published work. It is used because the peptide is degraded quickly once it reaches circulation. Direct evidence of brain penetration in humans is lacking.
Most trials are small, regionally concentrated, and often lack rigorous blinding or placebo control. Independent replication is limited. Reviews in English generally rate the evidence as preliminary.
Selank is a synthetic peptide made of seven amino acids. It is modeled on tuftsin, a natural tetrapeptide, with an added three-residue tail. It is not a small-molecule drug.