Selank is a synthetic heptapeptide based on the immunomodulatory peptide tuftsin, developed in Russia as an anxiolytic — an anti-anxiety agent — designed to act without the sedation or dependence associated with conventional options.
Mechanism under investigation
Research associates Selank with modulation of GABAergic and serotonergic signaling, changes in BDNF expression, and effects on immune mediators such as interleukins — a mix of neurological and immunological activity that distinguishes it from classical anxiolytics.
Research applications
- Anxiety and stress-resilience behavioral models.
- Cognition and attention.
- Neuro-immune signaling.
Clinical outlook
Like Semax, Selank is used clinically in Russia as a registered anxiolytic, with a human-research record concentrated in Russian literature. The translational goal for researchers elsewhere is clear: to confirm its anxiolytic and cognitive effects under internationally registered, placebo-controlled conditions. Its non-sedating mechanism is what keeps it of interest as a research tool in anxiety and stress biology.
References
- Functional Connectomic Approach to Studying Selank and Semax Effects
- Selank, a Peptide Analog of Tuftsin, Attenuates Aversive Signs of Morphine Withdrawal in Rats
- Peptide Selank Enhances the Effect of Diazepam in Reducing Anxiety in Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress Conditions in Rats
- Peptide-based Anxiolytics: The Molecular Aspects of Heptapeptide Selank Biological Activity
- Selank, Peptide Analogue of Tuftsin, Protects Against Ethanol-Induced Memory Impairment by Regulating of BDNF Content in the Hippocampus and Prefrontal Cortex in Rats
