N-Acetyl Selank
Also known as: N-Acetyl Selank, NA-Selank, Acetyl Selank
An N-terminally acetylated form of Selank, the Russian anxiolytic peptide derived from tuftsin. Unlike its Semax counterpart, the acetylated form of Selank has no dedicated published literature of its own -- every finding below comes from the parent peptide.
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Mechanism of Action
N-Acetyl Selank shares the Selank core: a heptapeptide formed by extending the immune tetrapeptide tuftsin (Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg) with a Pro-Gly-Pro tail, giving Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro. That tail was itself added to slow enzymatic degradation of tuftsin, so this analog represents a second layer of stabilization on the same idea. The parent peptide's anxiolytic activity is attributed principally to inhibition of enkephalin-degrading enzymes, which preserves endogenous enkephalin tone; the original clinical-biological work found that patients with generalized anxiety and neurasthenia had shortened leu-enkephalin half-life correlating with symptom severity (Zozulya et al., 2001). Selank additionally modulates GABAergic signaling without binding the benzodiazepine site, which is the usual explanation for anxiolysis without sedation or dependence, influences serotonin metabolism, and raises hippocampal BDNF expression. It retains immunomodulatory activity consistent with its tuftsin origin. The acetylation is intended to cap the N-terminus against aminopeptidase cleavage, but note that no published study has measured that effect for Selank specifically.
- Half-life
- Not characterized for the acetylated form. Parent Selank is short-lived in plasma with central effects persisting for hours; the Pro-Gly-Pro tail already extends the tuftsin core's stability, and N-terminal acetylation is intended to extend it further.
- Administration Routes
- intranasal, subcutaneous
- Research Status
- Research Chemical
Reported Benefits
- Parent compound produces anxiolysis without sedation or dependence
- Parent compound performed comparably to a benzodiazepine in a Russian trial, with added antiasthenic effect
- Parent compound raises hippocampal BDNF and modulates serotonin metabolism
- Retains the immunomodulatory character of tuftsin
- Acetylation is intended to extend resistance to enzymatic breakdown
Potential Side Effects
- Mild nasal irritation (intranasal use)
- Occasional fatigue or lightheadedness
- Rare paradoxical restlessness
- No published human safety data specific to the acetylated form
- Not approved by the FDA or EMA
Common Dosing
For research use only and not personal medical advice. No approved dosing exists for the acetylated form and no human study has established one. Russian clinical references for the parent peptide cite roughly 200-400 mcg intranasally two to three times daily; research-chemical sources for the acetylated form generally reuse that range, which is an assumption rather than a finding.
The dosing information above is aggregated from research literature and anecdotal community reports for educational purposes only. It is not a recommendation, prescription, or medical advice. Peptides are sold as research chemicals only and are not intended for human use.
Contraindications
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding
- Concurrent benzodiazepine or sedative therapy without clinical supervision
- Not approved for human use outside of certain countries
- No analog-specific human safety data to draw on
N-Acetyl Semax
An N-terminally acetylated form of Semax, modified to resist enzymatic breakdown. The acetylation itself is documented, but nearly all of the neurotrophic and clinical research that motivates interest in this compound was performed on unmodified Semax.
Semax
A synthetic peptide derived from ACTH(4-10) developed in Russia and used there for cognitive enhancement, stroke recovery, and neuroprotection. Often used intranasally.
Selank
A synthetic analog of the immunomodulatory peptide tuftsin developed in Russia for anxiety reduction and cognitive support without the sedation or dependence of benzodiazepines.
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The inhibitory effect of Selank on enkephalin-degrading enzymes as a possible mechanism of its anxiolytic activity
2001
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[Efficacy and possible mechanisms of action of a new peptide anxiolytic selank in the therapy of generalized anxiety disorders and neurasthenia]
2008
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[A comparison of the anxiolytic effect and tolerability of selank and phenazepam in the treatment of anxiety disorders]
2014
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Peptide-based Anxiolytics: The Molecular Aspects of Heptapeptide Selank Biological Activity
2018