Selank
Selank — evidence, the tuftsin story & status

Class: peptide
Synonyms: Selank
TP-7 (Tuftsin-Proline-Glycine-Proline)
a tuftsin analog
sequence Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro (TKPRPGP) (MW ~752 Da). INCI: none
Function tags: anxiolytic (approved: GAD)
neuro / cognitive (secondary)
immunomodulatory (research context)
Overall evidence grade: B
WADA prohibited: no
Last updated: 2026-07-04

In brief: Selank is a synthetic analog of the immune peptide tuftsin, developed in Russia (same institute and lead investigator as Semax) and approved there as a prescription anxiolytic for generalized anxiety disorder. Its defining feature is anxiety relief without sedation, tolerance, or dependence — a profile no Western-approved anxiolytic achieves cleanly. But its evidence is predominantly Russian and not independently replicated to Western standards, and it is not FDA/EMA approved. It is the anxiety-focused counterpart to Semax (#41), the cognition-focused one.

## Identity a synthetic **heptapeptide** (7 amino acids, < 40 aa → peptide) — the endogenous immune peptide **tuftsin** (Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg) extended with a **C-terminal Pro-Gly-Pro** tail for metabolic stability. (Note the same **Pro-Gly-Pro stabilisation trick used in Semax** — a signature of this Russian peptide programme.) ## Development & history - Engineered in the **1990s at the Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences** — the **same institute as Semax**, with **Nikolai F. Myasoedov** as a principal investigator for both. The design took the immune tetrapeptide **tuftsin** and stabilised it into the heptapeptide Selank.
- **Approved in Russia** as a prescription **anxiolytic** (and nootropic) for **generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)** and neurasthenia, given intranasally. Its "an immune peptide became an anxiolytic" origin is genuinely part of its identity — the tuftsin heritage is why it also carries immunomodulatory/antiviral activity. ## Mechanism (as proposed) Selank does not act through a single receptor. It is proposed to **allosterically modulate GABA-A** receptors **without binding the benzodiazepine site** (hence anxiolysis without the sedation/dependence of benzodiazepines), **inhibit enkephalinase** (prolonging endogenous enkephalins — the same enzyme family Semax engages), **modulate serotonin metabolism**, **upregulate hippocampal BDNF**, and **regulate inflammatory cytokines** (its tuftsin-derived immune arm). This multi-target profile is offered as the explanation for anxiety relief without single-target trade-offs.

Evidence grades by outcome:
outcome: Generalized anxiety disorder (on-label in Russia)
grade: C
base: Russian RCTs — anxiolytic efficacy compared to benzodiazepines (e.g. medazepam), without sedation
effect: Meaningful anxiety reduction
caveat: Strongest use, but Russian-only, no Western replication; methodology varies from FDA/EMA standards
outcome: Anxiolytic mechanism (GABA / enkephalin / BDNF)
grade: B
base: Preclinical (rodent) + Russian mechanistic work
effect: Multi-target, well-characterised
caveat: Animal/mechanistic; human translation is Russian-only
outcome: Cognitive / nootropic (secondary)
grade: D
base: Extrapolated + limited data
effect: Secondary to anxiolysis
caveat: Weaker than the anxiety use; often a downstream effect of reduced anxiety
outcome: Immune / antiviral (tuftsin heritage)
grade: C
base: Preclinical (cytokine regulation; antiviral fragments)
effect: Suggestive
caveat: Preclinical; from its tuftsin origin
outcome: General "stress / focus" (biohacker use)
grade: D
base: Extrapolated
effect: Suggestive
caveat: Not the approved use
outcome: Safety
base: Approved drug (Russia), broad clinical use
effect: Notably clean
caveat: No sedation, tolerance, or dependence — a genuine advantage over benzodiazepines; long-term / Western data limited

Legal status:
region: EU
status: Not approved
note: Not approved; not eligible for magistral/officinal compounding.
region: US
status: Not FDA-approved (gray-market)
note: Not FDA-approved. Gray-market / research-chemical use; its compounding status falls within the ongoing 2023–2026 FDA peptide review — confirm current status.
region: INT
status: Approval limited to Russia/CIS
note: Approval limited to Russia/CIS.

Cosmetic claims:

Note: Reference entry — not sold here. Like Semax (#41), Selank is an approved prescription drug in Russia — the anxiety-focused sibling to Semax's cognition focus. Credit its real standing; flag that its evidence is Russian and not independently replicated. No dosing published here.

Sources:
(Institute of Molecular Genetics, RAS — Selank development; Myasoedov and colleagues; Russian regulatory registration.)
(Russian clinical trials of Selank in generalized anxiety disorder / neurasthenia — efficacy vs benzodiazepines; cite specific trials before publishing.)
Agniullin YaV, Myasoedov NF, et al. (Selank effects on the hippocampal transcription profile — mechanism.)
Tuftsin / immunomodulation literature (for the antiviral/cytokine arm).