Selank: Research, Mechanism & Current Evidence

What is Selank?

Selank is a synthetic peptide of seven amino acids built around tuftsin, a naturally occurring immune-signalling fragment, with a stabilising tail added so it survives longer in the body.

It was developed at the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Russia and is registered there as an anxiolytic. It is not approved in the UK, EU or US.

What is Selank researched for?

Generalised anxiety is the primary research area, with particular attention to whether anxiety can be reduced without the sedation, memory impairment, tolerance and withdrawal associated with benzodiazepines.

Secondary areas include attention, stress resilience and immune signalling.

• Clinical trials show significant reduction in anxiety symptoms comparable to benzodiazepines but without sedation or amnesia.
• Research indicates effectiveness in PTSD treatment.
• Reduces anticipatory anxiety and performance stress.
• Improves memory consolidation and learning capacity.
• Enhanced sustained attention during demanding cognitive tasks.
• BDNF upregulation supports long-term brain health.
• Balances immune system function through cytokine regulation.
• Shows activity against influenza, HSV, and cytomegalovirus.
• Modulates inflammatory gene expression.

How does Selank work?

Selank has been reported to influence GABA signalling — the brain's main inhibitory system, and the same system benzodiazepines act on — but indirectly rather than by binding the benzodiazepine site.

It has also been reported to affect enkephalin breakdown, serotonin turnover and BDNF expression. No single mechanism is firmly established.

What does the research show?

Russian clinical studies report anxiety reduction comparable to benzodiazepine comparators without sedation. Animal studies support anxiolytic activity and report interaction with diazepam's effects.

As with Semax, independent replication outside Russia is limited.

Limitations of the current evidence

The comparison with benzodiazepines rests largely on studies from the same research tradition that developed the compound.

Modified variants marketed as N-acetyl Selank amidate have substantially less published evidence than Selank itself.

References

1. Selank Administration Affects the Expression of Some Genes Involved in GABAergic Neurotransmission

   Volkova A, Shadrina M, Kolomin T, et al. · Frontiers in pharmacology · 2016

   Rat frontal cortex study at 300mcg/kg showed modulation of 45 genes involved in neurotransmission at 1 hour post-administration; confirmed Selank acts as a positive allosteric modulator of GABA-A receptors.

   Animal study · PMID 26924987

2. [Efficacy and possible mechanisms of action of a new peptide anxiolytic selank in the therapy of generalized anxiety disorders and neurasthenia]

   Zozulia AA, Neznamov GG, Siuniakov TS, et al. · Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova · 2008

   62 patients with GAD and neurasthenia; anxiolytic effects comparable to medazepam, with additional antiasthenic and psychostimulant effects lasting up to one week post-administration.

   PMID 18454096

3. Intranasal administration of the peptide Selank regulates BDNF expression in the rat hippocampus in vivo

   Inozemtseva LS, Karpenko EA, Dolotov OV, et al. · Doklady biological sciences : proceedings of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Biological sciences sections · 2008

   Intranasal Selank regulates BDNF gene expression in the rat hippocampus in vivo, supporting its nootropic and neuroprotective properties.

   Animal study · PMID 18841804

4. [Experimental optimization of learning and memory processes by selank]

   Semenova TP, Kozlovskiĭ II, Zakharova NM, et al. · Eksperimental'naia i klinicheskaia farmakologiia · 2010

   Single injection of Selank activated serotonin metabolism in hypothalamus for 30 min to 2 hours and increased memory trace stability over 30 days.

   PMID 20919548

5. [A comparison of the anxiolytic effect and tolerability of selank and phenazepam in the treatment of anxiety disorders]

   Medvedev VE, Tereshchenko ON, Israelian AIu, et al. · Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova · 2014

   40 patients with anxiety disorders; combined Selank and phenazepam treatment decreased undesirable side-effects during treatment and after withdrawal.

   PMID 25176261

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