Selank and Semax side by side
Selank and Semax are both indexed under Neuroactive peptides. Every cell below carries the record it came from, and an axis with no retrieved value reads Unknown rather than being filled by inference.
Summary
Both are short synthetic peptides from the same Russian research programme and both are indexed under the neuroactive class, but they are built on different parent sequences: Semax on the ACTH(4-10) fragment, Selank on tuftsin. The cited 2006 Brain Research paper reports Semax as an ACTH(4-10) analogue and the cited 2018 Protein and Peptide Letters review places Selank among peptide-based anxiolytics.
[1, 2, 3, 4]Side by side
| Axis | Selank | Semax |
|---|---|---|
| Reported mechanism | A tuftsin-family heptapeptide; the retrieved records report inhibition of enkephalin-degrading enzymes and effects on the expression of genes in GABAergic signalling.[8, 4] | Reported in the retrieved records to act on neurotrophin signalling, including BDNF and trkB expression; no single receptor target is established in the retrieved set.[1, 12] |
| Molecular formula | C33H57N11O9[5] | C37H51N9O10S[10] |
| Molecular weight | 751.9 g/mol[5] | 813.9 g/mol[10] |
| FDA application register | A query of the FDA Drugs@FDA application register on 2026-10-09 returned no application records for this compound name. This compound is not approved by the FDA for human use.[6] | A query of the FDA Drugs@FDA application register on 2026-10-09 returned no application records for this compound name. This compound is not approved by the FDA for human use.[11] |
Where the two literatures diverge
The retrieved mechanisms diverge: for Semax the cited records report neurotrophin signalling, BDNF and trkB expression, while for Selank they report inhibition of enkephalin-degrading enzymes and effects on GABAergic gene expression. One cited 2001 Bioorganicheskaia Khimiia paper studies both against enkephalin-degrading enzymes in human serum, which is the only point where the two literatures meet. Neither returned an FDA application record.
[1, 2, 3, 4]Where this page sits
Shared class: Neuroactive peptides.
All side-by-side pages: index.
Sources
- Semax, an analog of ACTH(4-10) with cognitive effects, regulates BDNF and trkB expression in the rat hippocampus. Brain research (2006). pmid:16996037
- Peptide-based Anxiolytics: The Molecular Aspects of Heptapeptide Selank Biological Activity. Protein and peptide letters (2018). pmid:30255741
- [Semax and selank inhibit the enkephalin-degrading enzymes from human serum]]. Bioorganicheskaia khimiia (2001). pmid:11443939
- GABA, Selank, and Olanzapine Affect the Expression of Genes Involved in GABAergic Neurotransmission in IMR-32 Cells. Frontiers in pharmacology (2017). pmid:28293190
- PubChem Compound Summary for CID 11765600, Selank. PubChem, National Library of Medicine (2026). pubchem:11765600
- Drugs@FDA application register query for this compound, no application records returned. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, openFDA drugsfda endpoint (2026). fda:selank
- Selank and short peptides of the tuftsin family in the regulation of adaptive behavior in stress. Neuroscience and behavioral physiology (2003). pmid:14969422
- The inhibitory effect of Selank on enkephalin-degrading enzymes as a possible mechanism of its anxiolytic activity. Bulletin of experimental biology and medicine (2001). pmid:11550013
- Sedative-Hypnotic Agents That Impact Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid Receptors: Focus on Flunitrazepam, Gamma-Hydroxybutyric Acid, Phenibut, and Selank. Journal of clinical pharmacology (2021). pmid:34396551
- PubChem Compound Summary for CID 9811102, ACTH (4-7), Pro-Gly-Pro-. PubChem, National Library of Medicine (2026). pubchem:9811102
- Drugs@FDA application register query for this compound, no application records returned. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, openFDA drugsfda endpoint (2026). fda:semax
- Rapid induction of neurotrophin mRNAs in rat glial cell cultures by Semax, an adrenocorticotropic hormone analog. Neuroscience letters (2001). pmid:11457573
- Semax and Pro-Gly-Pro activate the transcription of neurotrophins and their receptor genes after cerebral ischemia. Cellular and molecular neurobiology (2010). pmid:19633950
- The peptide semax affects the expression of genes related to the immune and vascular systems in rat brain focal ischemia: genome-wide transcriptional analysis. BMC genomics (2014). pmid:24661604
- Novel Insights into the Protective Properties of ACTH<sub>(4-7)</sub>PGP (Semax) Peptide at the Transcriptome Level Following Cerebral Ischaemia-Reperfusion in Rats. Genes (2020). pmid:32580520
- [A nootropic adrenocorticotropin analog 4-10-semax (l5 years experience in its design and study)]. Zhurnal vysshei nervnoi deiatelnosti imeni I P Pavlova (1997). pmid:9173745
On each stated value was matched to the record cited for it. That is record matching, not an appraisal of the research. Compiled and checked by: Peptide Monographs editorial desk. No qualified clinical reviewer.