Selank
Threonyl-lysyl-prolyl-arginyl-prolyl-glycyl-proline · TP-7 · Selank 0.15% · Tuftsin-PGP
Russian anxiolytic heptapeptide used for anxiety without benzo sedation or dependence.
Typical dose
300 mcg
2x daily (Russian trials used 3x daily)
Range
150–900
mcg
Half-life
—
see Dosing
Evidence
Early human
Intranasal · Subcutaneous
What it is
Selank is a synthetic heptapeptide built at the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Moscow by taking tuftsin (the immune-active tetrapeptide Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg) and bolting a Pro-Gly-Pro tail onto the C-terminus. That tail is the whole trick: it blocks the aminopeptidases that would otherwise chew the parent peptide up in seconds, and it improves passage into the brain.
It has been registered in Russia since 2009 as a 0.15% intranasal solution for generalised anxiety disorder and neurasthenia. Russian trials reported anxiolytic efficacy in the same range as medazepam and phenazepam without sedation, tolerance or a withdrawal syndrome. Those trials are small, mostly from one research group, and have never been replicated in a Western regulatory-grade study.
In practice people use it as a take-the-edge-off compound rather than a stimulant: reduced anxiety and rumination, slightly better focus under stress, no cognitive dulling. It is not a benzodiazepine substitute for anyone physically dependent, and it will not touch a panic disorder on its own.
Effects tend to be subtle and stack over a two-week course rather than hitting hard on day one. People expecting an acute hit usually conclude it does nothing.
How it works
Selank's clearest documented action is inhibition of enkephalin-degrading enzymes, which raises endogenous enkephalin tone — a plausible route to anxiolysis that does not involve direct receptor agonism. It also shifts expression of GABA-A receptor subunits and GABA-transporter genes in rodent brain, which is why its effects overlap with benzodiazepines without the receptor binding that drives tolerance and dependence.
Secondary effects include modulation of monoamine turnover, changes in BDNF expression, and immune-modulating activity inherited from the tuftsin fragment (interleukin-6 and interferon-related). The exact contribution of each pathway to the subjective effect has not been pinned down.
Dosing
The registered Russian 0.15% product is dosed at 300-900 mcg per administration (4-12 drops), three times a day, giving a daily total of 900-2,700 mcg over a 10-14 day course. The 300 mcg x 3 = 900 mcg/day figure usually quoted is the bottom of that range, not the ceiling. Injection offers no advantage over intranasal here, and the peptide is cleared by plasma and mucosal peptidases within minutes either way.
Reconstitution calculator
Pre-loaded with Selank’s vial size, water volume and typical dose. Change anything.
Typical: 300 mcg · range 150–900
Draw to
12 u
0.12 mL · 300 mcg
Concentration
2.5 mg/mL
25 mcg per unit
Doses per vial
16.7
Vial lasts
8 days
Draw to 12 units on the barrel.
Once mixed
Refrigerated at 2-8 °C, used within 3-4 weeks. Nasal spray bottles kept at room temperature degrade faster — keep the working bottle cold between uses.
2 mL of bacteriostatic water into a 5 mg vial gives 2,500 mcg/mL, so a 300 mcg dose is 0.12 mL. Aim the water down the vial wall and swirl — do not shake. Many people transfer the reconstituted solution into a metered nasal spray bottle; check the bottle's per-actuation volume before assuming a dose.
Storage
Before mixing
Freezer at -20 °C for long-term storage (24+ months); stable in a fridge for months and survives ambient shipping.
After mixing
Refrigerated at 2-8 °C, used within 3-4 weeks. Nasal spray bottles kept at room temperature degrade faster — keep the working bottle cold between uses.
Reported benefits
- ▪Reduces anxiety and rumination without sedation or cognitive blunting
- ▪No tolerance, dependence or withdrawal reported across Russian trial data
- ▪Modestly improves attention and working memory under stress rather than at baseline
- ▪Raises endogenous enkephalin tone via enkephalinase inhibition
- ▪Anecdotally useful as support during a benzodiazepine or alcohol taper
- ▪Stacks cleanly with stimulating nootropics to blunt their anxiety edge
Side effects
- ▪Nasal burning, irritation and runny nose — the most common complaint
- ▪Bitter taste draining down the back of the throat
- ▪Mild headache in the first few days
- ▪Transient fatigue or emotional flatness at higher daily totals
- ▪Occasional low mood on stopping after long continuous use
- ▪No long-term human safety data beyond 14-30 day Russian courses
Do not use if
- ▪Pregnancy and breastfeeding — no data
- ▪Physical benzodiazepine dependence — Selank does not prevent withdrawal and should not replace a supervised taper
- ▪Caution alongside opioids, given the enkephalinase inhibition and unstudied interaction
- ▪Active autoimmune disease, given the tuftsin-derived immune modulation
Evidence level — Early human
Small or early-phase human studies only.
Registered as a prescription intranasal drug in Russia; not FDA-approved and sold elsewhere as a research chemical.
Commonly run with
Selank FAQ
Is Selank actually as good as a benzo?+
No. Russian trials reported comparable scores on anxiety rating scales versus medazepam and phenazepam, but those were small and largely unblinded. Practically it takes the edge off background anxiety over a couple of weeks; it will not abort a panic attack the way a benzodiazepine does.
Intranasal or injected?+
Intranasal. Rodent work puts intranasal bioavailability very high and it is the route used in every registered Russian protocol. Subcutaneous injection works but adds needles for no measurable benefit, since the peptide is degraded within minutes either way.
What is N-Acetyl Selank Amidate?+
It is a chemically modified analogue with an acetylated N-terminus and amidated C-terminus, sold as being more stable and more potent per microgram. It is a different molecule with essentially no published data of its own, so dose figures for Selank do not transfer to it directly.
How long before it does anything?+
Most people notice the anxiolytic effect within an hour of the first dose but describe it as subtle. The more reliable effect builds over 5-14 days of consistent dosing, which matches the gene-expression timescale seen in animal work.
Do I need to cycle it?+
Trial protocols ran 14 days and stopped. There is no tolerance mechanism that forces a break, but there is also no safety data past about a month, so 2-4 week courses with a break is the conservative default.
References
- 1.Peptide-based Anxiolytics: The Molecular Aspects of Heptapeptide Selank Biological Activity — Protein and Peptide Letters (2018) PMID 30255741
- 2.Selank Administration Affects the Expression of Some Genes Involved in GABAergic Neurotransmission — Frontiers in Pharmacology (2016) PMID 26924987
- 3.Peptide Selank Enhances the Effect of Diazepam in Reducing Anxiety in Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress Conditions in Rats — Behavioural Neurology (2017) PMID 28280289
- 4.Functional Connectomic Approach to Studying Selank and Semax Effects — Doklady Biological Sciences (2020) PMID 32342318
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