Selank from Super Human Peptides UK is a synthetic heptapeptide. It is an elongated, stabilized analogue of the naturally occurring immunomodulatory peptide, Tuftsin. In laboratory research, Selank is heavily studied as a powerful anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) and nootropic agent.
Unlike traditional benzodiazepines that globally depress the central nervous system, researchers utilize Selank to investigate its unique ability to modulate the GABAergic system and inhibit the degradation of endogenous enkephalins without causing sedation, muscle relaxation, or cognitive blunting. Produced under GMP-compliant conditions and verified for 99% purity or higher, Selank is a premier model for exploring the intersection of neurobiology, stress-response mitigation, and psychoneuroimmunology.
- —Tuftsin Analogue: Derived from a natural immunomodulatory peptide to bridge immune and neurological research.
- —Non-Sedating Anxiolytic: Studied for anxiety reduction without the cognitive dulling associated with traditional depressants.
- —Enkephalinase Inhibitor: Prevents the breakdown of the brain's natural stress-buffering peptides (enkephalins).
- —High Purity: 99% purity or higher (verified by HPLC and MS analysis).
- —Quality Standard: GMP / ISO certified manufacturing.
- —Enkephalin Preservation: Studying the inhibition of enkephalin-degrading enzymes to prolong the half-life of endogenous mood-regulating peptides.
- —BDNF Expression: Researching the up-regulation of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in the hippocampus to support neurogenesis and memory consolidation.
- —GABAergic Modulation: Investigating how the peptide alters the allosteric modulation of GABA receptors under stress conditions.
- —Immunomodulation: Preclinical models exploring its Tuftsin-like ability to modulate Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and balance T-helper cell ratios during viral infections or immune stress.
- —Behavioral Despair and Anxiety: Evaluating the reduction of generalized anxiety and anhedonia in standard laboratory stress tests (e.g., elevated plus maze).
Selank was developed by the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The researchers initially sought to utilize Tuftsin for its immune-boosting properties but discovered that modifying the sequence (by adding a Pro-Gly-Pro sequence to the C-terminus) vastly improved its metabolic stability and unlocked profound neuro-psychotropic effects. Laboratory and clinical studies have demonstrated that Selank has a highly specific action profile.
Research by Kost et al. revealed that its primary mechanism of action involves binding to enkephalinases in the blood and brain, preventing them from destroying natural enkephalins. By maintaining high levels of these endogenous peptides, animal models exhibit a massive reduction in stress and anxiety parameters while actually showing improved performance in memory and learning tasks—a stark contrast to traditional anxiolytics.
- 1.Kost, N.V. et al., "Semax and selank inhibit the enkephalin-degrading enzymes from human serum," Peptides, 2001.
- 2.Seredenin, S.B. et al., "Anxiolytic action of the tuftsin analog selank in mice with different phenotypes of emotional-stress reaction," Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, 2008.
- 3.Uchakina, O.N. et al., "Immunomodulatory effects of selank in patients with anxiety-asthenic disorders," Zhurnal Nevrologii i Psikhiatrii Imeni S.S. Korsakova, 2008.
- 4.Inozemtseva, L.S. et al., "Effects of selank on the content of BDNF in the hippocampus and neocortex of rats in normal conditions and under stress," Neuroscience and Behavioral Physiology, 2021.
