Neurotrophic Research
Investigational
Selank
Also known as: TP-7, Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro
Synthetic heptapeptide analogue of tuftsin. Studied in neurotransmitter and BDNF-expression research.
Research overview
Selank is a synthetic seven-amino-acid peptide (Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro) developed by Russian researchers. It is built from tuftsin (Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg), a natural short peptide involved in immune signalling, with Pro-Gly-Pro added at the end.
Most of the research comes from a small number of Russian groups and is published largely in Russian journals. In rats it changed levels of BDNF (a nerve growth factor) in the hippocampus (Inozemtseva et al., 2008), and in mice it changed the activity of inflammation-related genes (Kolomin et al., 2011). In human blood samples it slowed the breakdown of enkephalins, the body's own opioid-like peptides (Zozulya et al., 2001). The main human study compared Selank with the drug medazepam in 62 patients with generalised anxiety disorder or neurasthenia and reported similar results for both, but it was small and not placebo-controlled (Zozulia et al., 2008). Independent placebo-controlled trials have not been published, and long-term safety is unknown. Supplied for laboratory research use only.
Mechanism of action
Selank's mechanism is not fully worked out. In human blood samples it inhibited the enzymes that break down enkephalins, the body's own opioid-like peptides (Zozulya et al., 2001). In rats it changed BDNF levels in the hippocampus, and in mice it changed the expression of inflammation-related genes. These findings come mainly from the Russian groups that developed it.