This is a working overview of certificate of analysis, written for readers who want more than a one-paragraph summary but less than a textbook.
Reviewed 2026-03-02. Anything still debated is marked as such rather than presented as settled.
Published clinical evidence is limited. Most controlled trials were conducted in Russia, enrolled modest numbers of participants, and appeared in Russian-language journals, which restricts independent verification. Reported outcomes include lower anxiety scores, improved attention and memory measures, and changes in fatigue ratings. Reviews written in English note methodological limitations such as small samples and inconsistent endpoints. Whether the compound produces clinically meaningful benefit relative to established anxiolytics is therefore an open question rather than an established finding.
Selank is a synthetic heptapeptide with the sequence Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro. It was designed at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences as a structural analogue of tuftsin, a naturally occurring tetrapeptide fragment of the immunoglobulin heavy chain. The added Pro-Gly-Pro tail was intended to slow enzymatic degradation and extend biological activity. In Russia it is registered as an anxiolytic nasal preparation, while regulators elsewhere have not approved it for clinical use.
Proposed mechanisms centre on modulation of the GABAergic system, with reports of altered expression of genes related to GABA-A receptor subunits and changed monoamine turnover. Some studies describe inhibition of enkephalinase, the enzyme that degrades endogenous enkephalins, which may prolong opioid peptide signalling. Effects on brain-derived neurotrophic factor and on cytokine expression have also been reported. These findings come largely from animal models and small human studies, and the precise primary target remains unresolved.
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.
Selank is a synthetic heptapeptide with the sequence Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro. Its four N-terminal residues reproduce tuftsin, a tetrapeptide fragment of the immunoglobulin heavy chain, while the C-terminal Pro-Gly-Pro extension is a synthetic addition. The peptide has a molecular mass near 752 daltons and carries a net positive charge at physiological pH because of the arginine and lysine side chains. Published indexes list it under the name Selank and the sequence abbreviation TKPRPGP. Solid-phase peptide synthesis is the standard production route for research quantities.
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.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Molecular formula | C33H57N11O9 | Free peptide form |
| Molecular mass | About 751.9 Da | Calculated average mass |
| Amino acid sequence | Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro | Single-letter form TKPRPGP |
| Structural basis | Tuftsin analogue | Extended version of a natural tetrapeptide |
| Development origin | Russian Academy of Sciences | Work carried out from the 1980s onward |
Reported pharmacological effects center on reduced anxiety-like behavior in animal models and on measures of memory and learning. Proposed contributing mechanisms include modulation of GABAergic signaling, shifts in monoamine turnover, and changes in the activity of enzymes that degrade neuropeptides. Effects on the expression of genes linked to neuroplasticity have also been described. No single molecular target is widely accepted, and whether the behavioral findings arise from one pathway or several remains an open question.
Selank is a synthetic heptapeptide with the sequence Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro. It was designed as a stabilized analogue of tuftsin, a naturally occurring tetrapeptide fragment derived from the immunoglobulin heavy chain. The additional Pro-Gly-Pro segment at the carboxyl terminus is intended to slow enzymatic cleavage. The compound is usually described in the literature as a synthetic peptide with anxiolytic and cognitive-related activity, a label that reflects a research context rather than an approved therapeutic category.
Most published work on selank originates from a small number of research groups in the Russian Federation. A large share of that record appears in Russian-language journals, which limits access for readers who rely on English-indexed databases. Independent replication by laboratories outside the original research network is sparse in publicly available sources. This concentration of origin and language is a frequently noted feature when the compound is summarized in broader reviews of synthetic peptides.
The primary structure of Selank is Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro, corresponding to the molecular formula C33H57N11O9 and a monoisotopic mass of roughly 751.9 daltons. The N-terminal threonine and the arginine residue in the fourth position are shared with tuftsin, which carries the sequence Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg. The three additional residues at the C-terminus, Pro-Gly-Pro, extend the chain and are associated with greater resistance to enzymatic degradation. This extension also separates Selank from the shorter parent peptide.
Naming conventions place Selank in the same research family as Semax, another Russian-developed peptide investigated for cognitive effects. The two compounds share a lineage but differ in sequence and in the biological systems proposed as their targets. Semax descends from ACTH fragments, whereas Selank descends from tuftsin. Publications sometimes identify Selank by its full peptide sequence or by laboratory codes rather than one uniform trade name. Because replication outside Russia is limited, reports on its properties are best read alongside the study design and the purity of the material tested.
Selank is a synthetic heptapeptide developed in Russia during the 1990s. Researchers at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences designed it as a stabilized analog of tuftsin, a naturally occurring immunomodulatory tetrapeptide. The compound has been studied primarily for its reported anxiolytic and nootropic effects. It remains largely unknown in Western pharmacology and is not approved as a medicine by major regulators such as the FDA or the EMA.
Regulatory status differs sharply by region. Selank holds a Russian marketing authorization, where it is supplied mainly as nasal drops, while authorities elsewhere have not approved it for medical use. Material sold internationally is therefore usually labeled as a research chemical rather than a medicine. Peer-reviewed publications come predominantly from Russian laboratories, and sample sizes are generally small. Whether the compound produces comparable effects under independent, well-controlled replication remains an open question that the broader literature has not settled.
Selank is a synthetic heptapeptide developed in Russia as a structural analogue of tuftsin, a naturally occurring immunomodulatory tetrapeptide. Its sequence, Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro, keeps the tuftsin core at the N-terminus and appends a Pro-Gly-Pro tail. Researchers at the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Moscow synthesized the compound during the 1990s while searching for peptides with combined anxiolytic and immunomodulatory activity. The added tail was intended to resist enzymatic cleavage and prolong the molecule's presence in circulation.
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.
Regulatory treatment varies by jurisdiction. In Russia the compound is a registered prescription product, while in the European Union and the United States it is generally handled as a research chemical without a marketing authorization. Suppliers therefore operate outside pharmaceutical oversight, and buyers rely on supplier documentation for purity and identity claims. Chain of custody and third-party testing are the main verification tools. Analysts note that the absence of a pharmacopoeial monograph for research-grade material limits standardization across vendors.
Like all protein-rich foods, spirulina contains the essential amino acid phenylalanine (2.6–4.1 g/100 g), which should be avoided by people who have phenylketonuria, a rare genetic disorder that prevents the body from metabolizing phenylalanine. Microcystins have various potential toxicity, especially to children and pregnant women, including liver damage, shock, and death. In 2024, a literature review on the allergic properties of spirulina was published. It was noted that to date (by July 2023), there have been 5 cases of allergy to spirulina, with 4 out of 5 cases resulting in anaphylaxis according to the classification from the World Allergy Organization's Anaphylaxis Guidance of 2020. Based on their research findings, instances of spirulina allergy are infrequently reported or identified. Klamath Lake AFA Collaborative Inter-Governmental Scientific Research Institute Chlorella
Various signalling pathways, as FGF, WNT and TGF-β pathways, regulate the processes involved in embryogenesis. FGF (Fibroblast Growth Factor) ligands bind to receptors tyrosine kinase, FGFR (Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptors), and form a stable complex with co-receptors HSPG (Heparan Sulphate Proteoglycans) that will promote autophosphorylation of the intracellular domain of FGFR and consequent activation of four main pathways: MAPK/ERK, PI3K, PLCγ and JAK/STAT.
ABC transporters utilize the energy of ATP binding and hydrolysis to transport various substrates across cellular membranes. They are divided into three main functional categories. In prokaryotes, importers mediate the uptake of nutrients into the cell. The substrates that can be transported include ions, amino acids, peptides, sugars, and other molecules that are mostly hydrophilic. The membrane-spanning region of the ABC transporter protects hydrophilic substrates from the lipids of the membrane bilayer thus providing a pathway across the cell membrane. Eukaryotes do not possess any importers. Exporters or effluxers, which are present both in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, function as pumps that extrude toxins and drugs out of the cell. In gram-negative bacteria, exporters transport lipids and some polysaccharides from the cytoplasm to the periplasm. The third subgroup of ABC proteins do not function as transporters, but are rather involved in translation and DNA repair processes.
Different 2A peptides have different peptide-bond-skipping efficiencies, with T2A and P2A being the most efficient and F2A the least efficient. Therefore, up to 50% of F2A-linked proteins can in fact be produced as a fusion protein, which might cause some unpredictable outcomes, including a gain of function. One study reported that 2A sites cause the ribosome to fall off approximately 60% of the time, and that, together with ribosome read-through of about 10% for P2A and T2A, this results in reducing expression of the downstream peptide chain by about 70%. However, the level of drop-off detected in this study varied widely depending on the exact construct used, with some constructs showing little evidence of drop-off; furthermore, within a tri-cistronic transcript it reported a higher level of ribosome drop-off after one 2A sequence than after two 2As combined, which is at odds with a linear model of translation. IRES Recombinant DNA
ADAM (A Database of Anti-Microbial peptides) Archived 2015-06-17 at the Wayback Machine at ntou.edu.tw AntiFP Prediction of antifungal peptides AntiMPmod Prediction of antimicrobial potential of modified peptides Antimicrobial+Cationic+Peptides at the U.S. National Library of Medicine Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) AntiTbPred Prediction of anti-tuberculosis peptides Antimicrobial Peptide Database Archived 2011-07-20 at the Wayback Machine at University of Nebraska Medical Center Antimicrobial Peptide Scanner Deep Learning based AMP prediction server AntiTbPdb Anti Tubercular Peptide Database BioPD[link removed] at Peking University Health Science Center CAMP:Collection of Anti-Microbial Peptides at National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health (NIRRH) DBAASP - Database of Antimicrobial Activity and Structure of Peptides] LAMP at Fudan University PeptideLocator Prediction of functional peptides, including antimicrobial peptides, in a protein sequence PeptideRanker Bioactive peptide, including antimicrobial peptide, prediction modlAMP Python package for computational work with antimicrobial peptides, including sequence handling, -design, -prediction, descriptor calculation and plotting
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
1-Ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide (EDC, EDAC or EDCI) is a water-soluble carbodiimide usually handled as the hydrochloride, which is a white solid. It is typically employed in the 4.0-6.0 pH range. It is generally used as a carboxyl activating agent for the coupling of primary amines to yield amide bonds. While other carbodiimides like dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC) or diisopropylcarbodiimide (DIC) are also employed for this purpose, EDC has the advantage that the urea byproduct formed (often challenging to remove in the case of DCC or DIC) can be washed away from the amide product using dilute acid. Additionally, EDC can also be used to activate phosphate groups in order to form phosphomonoesters and phosphodiesters. Common uses for this carbodiimide include peptide synthesis, protein crosslinking to nucleic acids, but also in the preparation of immunoconjugates. EDC is often used in combination with N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) for the immobilisation of large biomolecules. Recent work has also used EDC to assess the structure state of uracil nucleobases in RNA.
The oral bioavailability of acetylcysteine is relatively low due to extensive first-pass metabolism in the gut wall and liver. It ranges between 6% and 10%. Intravenous administration of acetylcysteine bypasses the first-pass metabolism, resulting in higher bioavailability compared to oral administration. Intravenous administration of acetylcysteine ensures nearly 100% bioavailability as it directly enters the bloodstream. Acetylcysteine is extensively liver metabolized, CYP450 minimal. After a single IV administration, urine excretion is 30% at 0.11 L/hr/kg, with a half-life of 5.6 hours. Acetylcysteine is the N-acetyl derivative of the amino acid L-cysteine and is a precursor in the formation of the antioxidant glutathione in the body. The thiol (sulfhydryl) group confers antioxidant effects and is able to reduce free radicals. Nitroglycerin interacts moderately with NAC, possibly resulting in hypotension and nitroglycerin-induced headache. Intravenous NAC can cause rate-related anaphylactoid reaction, usually mild.
The oral bioavailability of acetylcysteine is relatively low due to extensive first-pass metabolism in the gut wall and liver. It ranges between 6% and 10%. Intravenous administration of acetylcysteine bypasses the first-pass metabolism, resulting in higher bioavailability compared to oral administration. Intravenous administration of acetylcysteine ensures nearly 100% bioavailability as it directly enters the bloodstream. Acetylcysteine is extensively liver metabolized, CYP450 minimal. After a single IV administration, urine excretion is 30% at 0.11 L/hr/kg, with a half-life of 5.6 hours. Acetylcysteine is the N-acetyl derivative of the amino acid L-cysteine and is a precursor in the formation of the antioxidant glutathione in the body. The thiol (sulfhydryl) group confers antioxidant effects and is able to reduce free radicals. Nitroglycerin interacts moderately with NAC, possibly resulting in hypotension and nitroglycerin-induced headache. Intravenous NAC can cause rate-related anaphylactoid reaction, usually mild.
Waters was involved in mentorship of chemistry students from nontraditional and disadvantaged backgrounds as part of the American Chemical Society's Project SEED. She has advanced multiple campus groups encouraging women scholars in physical sciences. Waters mentored for TANDEMplusIDEA, the international mentoring program for female scientists from 2007 to 2009. Waters was on the board of directors for the Mesilla Chemistry Workshop held in July from 2006 to 2018. From 2011 to 2013, Waters was a UNC WOWS Scholar (Working on Women in Science). From 2013 to 2018, she was a Faculty Advisor for UNC WISE (Women in Science and Engineering, graduate student organization).
Anaerobic sulfide oxidation is performed by both phototrophs and chemotrophs. Green sulfur bacteria (GSB) and purple sulfur bacteria (PSB) perform anoxygenic photosynthesis fueled by sulfide oxidation. Some PSB can also perform aerobic sulfide oxidation in the presence of oxygen and can even grow chemoautotrophically under low light conditions. GSB lack this metabolic potential and have compensated by developing efficient light harvesting systems. PSB can be found in various environments ranging from hot sulfur springs and alkaline lakes to wastewater treatment plants. GSB populate stratified lakes with high reduced sulfur concentrations and can even grow in hydrothermal vents by using infra-red light to perform photosynthesis. Hydrothermal vents emit hydrogen sulfide that support the carbon fixation of chemolithotrophic bacteria that oxidize hydrogen sulfide with oxygen to produce elemental sulfur or sulfate. The chemical reactions are as follows:
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
It is a seven-amino-acid peptide, Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro, produced by chemical synthesis rather than extracted from biological tissue. Its design is based on tuftsin, a natural immunomodulatory tetrapeptide. The C-terminal Pro-Gly-Pro segment is a common stabilising motif in short regulatory peptides.
The core four residues correspond to tuftsin, which occurs naturally as part of immunoglobulin G. The full seven-residue sequence, however, is not a known endogenous peptide. It is a laboratory-designed analogue intended to combine tuftsin-like activity with greater resistance to breakdown.
No single receptor has been confirmed as the primary target. Reports describe involvement of the GABAergic system, interference with enkephalin degradation, and shifts in neurotrophic factor expression. Because these observations come from different models and assays, they have not yet been integrated into one accepted mechanism.
Selank is a seven-amino-acid peptide built from the tuftsin sequence plus a Pro-Gly-Pro tail. It is produced by chemical synthesis rather than extracted from a natural source. The free peptide is usually supplied as a lyophilised powder or in an aqueous formulation.