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Selank: quick citable summary
Selank is listed by PeptaHub as a cognitive peptide with a research only legal-status classification. The page summarizes mechanism, research context, common routes, safety notes, and references for writers and AI answer engines.
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What is Selank?
Selank is a heptapeptide analog of tuftsin that modulates BDNF expression and GABAergic signaling to produce anxiolytic effects without sedation or dependence. It is approved in Russia as a nasal spray for anxiety and is not FDA-approved.
Overview
Selank is a synthetic peptide developed at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences. It is a heptapeptide analog of the immunomodulatory peptide tuftsin with an added Pro-Gly-Pro sequence for stability. It is approved in Russia as a nasal spray for anxiety and cognitive enhancement. It is notable for its anxiolytic effects without sedation or addiction potential.
Mechanism of action
Selank modulates the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and affects the balance of T-helper cell cytokines. It influences the GABAergic system (similar to benzodiazepines but without sedation or dependence), modulates serotonin and dopamine metabolism, and enhances enkephalin stability. The immunomodulatory effects come from its tuftsin backbone, which stimulates phagocytosis.
Reported study ranges
| Purpose | Route | Reported range | Frequency | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| anxiety / cognitive enhancement | nasal | 250–500 mcg | 2-3x daily | Nasal spray is the most common route. Can also be administered subcutaneously. Cycles of 2-4 weeks with 1-2 week breaks. |
Reported ranges are for research context only. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before using any peptide.
Convert Selank research-range units
Need to convert mg to mcg, dose volume, or U-100 syringe units? The Selank dose calculator is preloaded with these ranges, or use the general dose unit converter.
Research summary
The main clinical study (Zozulia et al., 2008) compared selank in 30 patients with generalized anxiety disorder or neurasthenia against medazepam in 32 patients. The anxiolytic effects of the two drugs were similar, and selank additionally showed antiasthenic and psychostimulant effects. Treatment raised serum leu-enkephalin half-life, which was reduced at baseline in these patients. In rats, a single dose of selank changed the expression of 45 of 84 neurotransmission-related genes at 1 hour and 22 at 3 hours in frontal cortex (Volkova et al., Front Pharmacol 2016), and receptor-binding work shows selank acts as a positive allosteric modulator of GABA binding (Vyunova et al., Protein Pept Lett 2018). Selank is approved in Russia as an anxiolytic nasal spray. Western replication is absent and the human evidence base is small.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Evidence grading
Each claimed benefit is graded by the strength of available evidence. Grades reflect study quality, not effect size.
Strong = multiple RCTs · Moderate = limited trials or observational · Preliminary = animal or in vitro only · Insufficient = anecdotal or no published data
Side effects
Side effects vary by individual. This is not an exhaustive list. Report unusual symptoms to a healthcare professional.
Common stacks
Peptides commonly paired with Selank for synergistic effects.
Legal status
Approved in Russia as an anxiolytic nasal spray. Not FDA-approved. Available as a research peptide in the US. No regulatory scheduling.
Sourcing & access
Research compound
Selank is classified as a research compound. Regulatory status varies by jurisdiction. Always verify current legal status and source from vendors providing third-party certificates of analysis (COA).
Frequently asked questions
Selank is a synthetic heptapeptide analog of the immunomodulatory peptide tuftsin, with an added Pro-Gly-Pro sequence for stability. It was developed at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences and is approved in Russia as a nasal spray for anxiety and cognitive enhancement.
Selank modulates brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression and influences the GABAergic system similarly to benzodiazepines but without sedation or dependence. It also modulates serotonin and dopamine metabolism, enhances enkephalin stability, and stimulates phagocytosis via its tuftsin backbone.
Selank is approved in Russia as an anxiolytic nasal spray. It is not FDA-approved in the United States, is sold as a research peptide, and is not on any drug schedule.
The most common protocol uses 250 to 500 mcg intranasally 2 to 3 times daily, in cycles of 2 to 4 weeks with 1 to 2 week breaks. Subcutaneous administration is also reported in research protocols.
In the main Russian clinical study, selank's anxiolytic effect was similar to the benzodiazepine medazepam, and selank also had antiasthenic and psychostimulant effects rather than sedative ones. Rat gene-expression work found selank altered the expression of 45 of 84 neurotransmission-related genes within an hour of dosing, and receptor-binding studies indicate it acts as a positive allosteric modulator at GABA receptors rather than as a direct agonist. No withdrawal syndrome has been reported after discontinuation, though no dedicated dependence-liability trial has been published.
Reported side effects are generally mild and include transient fatigue, nasal irritation from the nasal spray route, and rare headache. No serious adverse events have been documented in Russian clinical trials, and unlike benzodiazepines there is no observed cognitive impairment, dependence potential, or withdrawal syndrome after discontinuation of standard cycles.
Selank has a plasma half-life of approximately 5 to 10 minutes, making it pharmacokinetically very short. Despite this, subjective and measured effects persist for hours because the peptide triggers downstream changes in BDNF expression, GABAergic gene transcription, and enkephalin stability rather than relying on sustained parent-compound receptor occupancy.
Research references
- Efficacy and possible mechanisms of action of a new peptide anxiolytic selank in the therapy of generalized anxiety disorders and neurastheniaPubMed
- Peptide Selank Enhances the Effect of Diazepam in Reducing Anxiety in Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress Conditions in RatsPubMed
- Peptide-based Anxiolytics: The Molecular Aspects of Heptapeptide Selank Biological ActivityPubMed
- Selank Administration Affects the Expression of Some Genes Involved in GABAergic NeurotransmissionPubMed
- Efficacy of peptide anxiolytic selank during modeling of withdrawal syndrome in rats with stable alcoholic motivationPubMed
- Optimization of the treatment of anxiety disorders with selankPubMed