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Selank (SLK-10): Anxiolytic Peptide Research and Cognitive-Modulation Studies

A research overview of the tuftsin-derived heptapeptide Selank, its proposed enkephalinase-inhibition mechanism, and the anxiolytic, stress-model, and human neuroimaging research domains it has been studied in.

SLK-10
All content on this page is for laboratory and academic reference only. This compound is supplied under a Research Use Only framework for in vitro and preclinical investigation by qualified personnel. Nothing on this page is clinical guidance, and it should not be interpreted as instructions for use in humans or animals.

Key Takeaways

  • Selank is a synthetic heptapeptide (Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro) derived from tuftsin, extended with a Pro-Gly-Pro sequence for metabolic stability.[2]
  • A proposed mechanism involves inhibition of enkephalin-degrading enzymes (enkephalinases), reported to preserve endogenous enkephalin levels in plasma.[1]
  • A clinical study comparing Selank to the benzodiazepine medazepam in generalized anxiety disorder and neurasthenia reported similar anxiolytic effects, with additional antiasthenic and psychostimulant effects noted for Selank.[2]
  • In a chronic mild stress rat model, Selank was reported to enhance the anxiolytic effect of diazepam when administered together.[4]
  • A human resting-state fMRI study examined functional brain connectivity changes following Selank and Semax administration.[4]

What It Is

Selank is a synthetic heptapeptide with the sequence Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro, developed by extending tuftsin — a naturally occurring immune-signaling tetrapeptide — with a C-terminal Pro-Gly-Pro sequence to improve metabolic stability. Like Semax, it was developed within a Russian neuropharmacology research program, and has been studied primarily in anxiolytic and cognitive-modulation research contexts, distinct from tuftsin's original immunological research role.[2]

Mechanism & Pathway

The mechanism most reported for Selank involves inhibition of enkephalinases — enzymes responsible for breaking down endogenous enkephalins, the body's own opioid-like signaling peptides. In vitro work reported Selank dose-dependently inhibiting enzymatic hydrolysis of plasma enkephalin, proposed as the mechanistic basis for its studied anxiolytic activity by preserving endogenous enkephalin tone.[1] Separately, Selank has been described in the literature as a positive allosteric modulator relevant to GABA signaling and as having effects on BDNF expression, positioning it within a broader neuromodulatory research profile alongside its enkephalinase-inhibition mechanism.

Research Domains

  • Enzymatic mechanism research — in vitro studies report Selank inhibiting enkephalin-degrading enzymes in plasma, proposed as central to its anxiolytic research profile.[1]
  • Clinical anxiolytic research — a clinical study in patients with generalized anxiety disorder and neurasthenia compared Selank to the benzodiazepine medazepam, reporting similar anxiolytic effects with additional antiasthenic and psychostimulant effects for Selank.[2]
  • Chronic stress model research — an unpredictable chronic mild stress rat model reported Selank enhanced the anxiety-reducing effect of diazepam when the two were administered together.[4]
  • Human neuroimaging research — a resting-state fMRI study in healthy human subjects examined functional brain connectivity changes following Selank and Semax administration.[4]

Comparative Notes

Selank is frequently discussed alongside Semax, another ACTH/tuftsin-lineage heptapeptide from the same Russian neuropharmacology research tradition, and the two have been jointly studied in human neuroimaging research.[4] Selank's literature emphasizes anxiolytic and enkephalinase-inhibition mechanisms, while Semax's literature emphasizes BDNF-linked neuroprotective and cognitive-recovery research — see the SMX-10 product page for the related compound.

SLK-10 product page →

Certificate of Analysis: What to Look For

A Certificate of Analysis for an SLK-10 research vial should report, at minimum: confirmed amino acid sequence (typically via mass spectrometry) and net peptide content. Vials should be stored lyophilized at -20°C, protected from light, consistent with handling guidance for the other lyophilized peptides in this catalog.

References

  1. Zozulya AA, Kost NV, Sokolov OYu, Gabaeva MV, Grivennikov IA, Andreeva LN, Zolotarev YA, Ivanov SV, Andryushchenko AV, Myasoedov NF, Smulevich AB (2001). The inhibitory effect of Selank on enkephalin-degrading enzymes as a possible mechanism of its anxiolytic activity. Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine. PMID: 11550013
  2. Zozulia AA, Neznamov GG, Siuniakov TS, Kost NV, Gabaeva MV, Sokolov OIu, Serebriakova EV, Siranchieva OA, Andriushenko AV, Telesheva ES, Siuniakov SA, Smulevich AB, Miasoedov NF, Seredenin SB (2008). Efficacy and possible mechanisms of action of a new peptide anxiolytic selank in the therapy of generalized anxiety disorders and neurasthenia. Zhurnal Nevrologii i Psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova. PMID: 18454096
  3. Kasian A, Kolomin T, Andreeva L, Bondarenko E, Myasoedov N, Slominsky P, Shadrina M (2017). Peptide Selank Enhances the Effect of Diazepam in Reducing Anxiety in Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress Conditions in Rats. Behavioural Neurology. PMID: 28280289
  4. Panikratova YaR, Lebedeva IS, Sokolov OYu, Rumshiskaya AD, Kupriyanov DA, Kost NV, Myasoedov NF (2020). Functional Connectomic Approach to Studying Selank and Semax Effects. Doklady Biological Sciences. PMID: 32342318

FAQ

Selank is a synthetic heptapeptide derived by extending tuftsin, a naturally occurring immune-signaling tetrapeptide, with a stability-enhancing Pro-Gly-Pro sequence.[2]

Research centers on inhibition of enkephalin-degrading enzymes, proposed to preserve endogenous enkephalin levels and underlie Selank's studied anxiolytic activity.[1]

Yes. A clinical study compared Selank to the benzodiazepine medazepam in generalized anxiety disorder and neurasthenia, reporting similar anxiolytic effects.[2]

The two are related heptapeptides from the same Russian neuropharmacology research lineage, jointly studied in human neuroimaging research, though their literature emphasizes different research domains (anxiolytic/enkephalinase-inhibition for Selank, BDNF-linked neuroprotection for Semax).[4]

A COA for an SLK-10 research vial should report confirmed amino acid sequence and net peptide content, consistent with the documentation standard used across this catalog.

No. SLK-10 is supplied strictly under a Research Use Only framework for laboratory and preclinical investigation, and none of the studies referenced here involve clinical administration guidance outside their own regulated trial protocols.

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