Selank | L-threonyl-L-lysyl-L-prolyl-L-arginyl-L-prolylglycyl-L-Proline
Chemical Structure of Semax (Pro-gly-pro-acth (4-7))
What is Selank?
Selank is a russian nootropic medicine often used for social anxiety, which can be administered as nasal drops or as a nasal spray. Its properties are essentially anxiolytic, meaning it calms down the user which can lead to nootropic benefits. For example greater calm and ability to deal with stressful events1Uchakina ON;Uchakin PN;Miasoedov NF;Andreeva LA;Shcherbenko VE;Mezentseva MV;Gabaeva MV;Sokolov OIu;Zozulia AA;Ershov FI (2018). [Immunomodulatory Effects of Selank in Patients With Anxiety-Asthenic Disorders]. Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova, [online] 108(5). Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18577961-immunomodulatory-effects-of-selank-in-patients-with-anxiety-asthenic-disorders/ [Accessed 23 Jan. 2020]. .
Selank is a peptide analog of the naturally occuring human peptide tuftin, which has an important role in stimulating the human immune system.
What does it do?
Selank has anti-depressant properties2Sarkisova KIu;Kozlovskiĭ II;Kozlovskaia MM (2011). [Effects of Heptapeptide Selank on Genetically-Based and Situation-Provoked Symptoms of Depression in Behavior in WAG/Rij and Wistar Rats, and in BALB/c Mice]. Zhurnal vysshei nervnoi deiatelnosti imeni I P Pavlova, [online] 58(2). Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18661785-effects-of-heptapeptide-selank-on-genetically-based-and-situation-provoked-symptoms-of-depression-in-behavior-in-wagrij-and-wistar-rats-and-in-balbc-mice/ [Accessed 23 Jan. 2020]. and it is is thought to be beneficial to sufferers of depression and anehedonia (a lack of enjoyment characterised by reduced engagement).
In Russia it is principally marketed towards sufferers of:
- Neurasthenia (poorly defined condition, symptoms of irritability, fatigue and emotional disturbance.
- Stress and the effects of stress
- Anxiety especially in relation to big life changes
History and Legal Status
Selank is available in Russia, Ukraine and other eastern bloc nations but it is not approved for use by the FDA in the United States, or in the UK. Even so, it has a high safety profile and has been researched extensively.
The research begun after the discovery that its natural analogue Tuftsin, had anxiolytic properties in 1995. It concluded in 2009, when the drug was released for sale and is still stocked in Russian and Ukrainian pharmacies.
Despite its extensive safety profile and purported benefits it is not allowed to be sold for human use. It is only allowed to be sold for ‘research purposes’ in the UK and the United States. This is also partly because many of the trials and studies are in Russian, and were not conducted by US labs.
Where to Buy Selank?
Selank unboxed, including instructions, pipette and vial of Selank 0.15%
We like cosmic nootropic – Semax can degrade if not shipped at the correct temperatures. Cosmic Nootropic typically ship their orders with a non-harmful preservative and it arrives within the time-frame for an order to be viable. For more information check out their page, although we will be posting a review soon- watch this space!
Other sellers are available, but as a rule we will only recommend sellers we have actually ordered from and one of our authors has tried themselves.
Selank Peptide Benefits
Anxiolytic – relieves stress and anxiousness in patients suffering from emotional disturbances
Is an adaptogen, it improves the functioning of the immune system during stressful conditions and helps the body to better cope with stressful change.
Withdrawals, for example cannabis or tobacco withdrawals which can come with waves of anxiety.
Besides boosting the immunological system, and being antiviral it may also be involved in slowing tumor growth, as it affects tumor necrosis factor (TNF)3https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19882898.
- Focusing – improves focus by eliminating anxious symptoms
Possible Selank Side Effects
- Irritation of nasal mucosal membranes can occur, especially in frequent users. Avoid combining this with other nasal sprays or using it after insulfating… anything.
- Rare alergic reactions could occur, although we could not find any accounts trawling the web. As with any nootropic or medicine, consult with your doctor before use.
- Selank has effects similar to low doses of tranquilisers, but with none of the associated side effects! 4https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4757669/
- As with any nootropic or medicine, starting at a very low dose and working your way up is not only safer, and cheaper but also comes with a lower risk of activating side effects, Selank is often sold at 0.15% concentrations and is highly tolerated even at doses 500 x the ones sold.
- The makers recommend not taking this drug if you are pregnant or have known or suspected medical conditions or are using other nasal medicaitons.
Selank Dosage
Selank is sold as a 0.15% formulation, usually in units of 3 ml. The typical dosage is 3 to four drops in each nostril, 1-3 times a day.
Wait at least 15 minutes before re-dosing.
Selank vs Semax
Selank is an anxiolytic russian nootropic peptide, which can also help with focus. Semax is more for focus, and some anecdotal reports even suggest it can increase anxiety.
Stacking Selank
Selank is an especially interesting nootropic, because it has anti anxiety and anti depressant properties but unlike most of the drugs that treat these conditions, is supposedly not addictive1Wikipedia Contributors (2019). Selank. [online] Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selank [Accessed 23 Jan. 2020]. .
As such, selank can be paired either with nootropics that could cause anxious responses such as amphetamines, modafinil, or caffeine to list only a few examples.
Footnotes
More footnotes are available on the websites listed in our additional resources. For selank, we only picked a few to cover our main bases, partly because a lot of the literature covering Selank is in Russian.
- Sarkisova KIu;Kozlovskiĭ II;Kozlovskaia MM (2011). [Effects of Heptapeptide Selank on Genetically-Based and Situation-Provoked Symptoms of Depression in Behavior in WAG/Rij and Wistar Rats, and in BALB/c Mice]. Zhurnal vysshei nervnoi deiatelnosti imeni I P Pavlova, [online] 58(2). Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18661785-effects-of-heptapeptide-selank-on-genetically-based-and-situation-provoked-symptoms-of-depression-in-behavior-in-wagrij-and-wistar-rats-and-in-balbc-mice/ [Accessed 23 Jan. 2020].
- Wikipedia Contributors (2019). Selank. [online] Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selank [Accessed 23 Jan. 2020].
- Uchakina ON;Uchakin PN;Miasoedov NF;Andreeva LA;Shcherbenko VE;Mezentseva MV;Gabaeva MV;Sokolov OIu;Zozulia AA;Ershov FI (2018). [Immunomodulatory Effects of Selank in Patients With Anxiety-Asthenic Disorders]. Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova, [online] 108(5). Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18577961-immunomodulatory-effects-of-selank-in-patients-with-anxiety-asthenic-disorders/ [Accessed 23 Jan. 2020].
- Volkova, A., Shadrina, M., Kolomin, T., Andreeva, L., Limborska, S., Myasoedov, N. and Slominsky, P. (2016). Selank Administration Affects the Expression of Some Genes Involved in GABAergic Neurotransmission. Frontiers in Pharmacology, [online] 7. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4757669/ [Accessed 23 Jan. 2020].
- Ershov, F.I., Uchakin, P.N., Uchakina, O.N., Mezentseva, M.V., Alekseeva, L.A. and Miasoedov, N.F. (2009). Antiviral activity of immunomodulator Selank in experimental influenza infection. Voprosy virusologii, [online] 54(5), pp.19–24. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19882898 [Accessed 27 Jan. 2020].
Secondary Sources and other Resources:
cosmicnootropic.com/collections/top-products/products/selank
Selank Reddit Reports:
Selank is amazing at stabilizing mood from Nootropics