Peptides
Selank
What is it?
Selank is a synthetic seven-amino-acid peptide based on tuftsin, a small fragment associated with the immune system. Researchers extended that fragment to improve its stability. Interest centers on anxiety relief, feeling calmer, and coping with stress. [1]
Research includes treatment of diagnosed anxiety conditions as well as laboratory experiments. Those questions differ from improving everyday stress tolerance in healthy adults.
How does it work?
A leading hypothesis involves GABA, a messenger that helps regulate nerve-cell activity. A rat experiment found that Selank changed the activity of several genes involved in neurotransmission. The pattern partly resembled the response to GABA. This supports investigation of that pathway; it does not establish exactly how Selank acts in a human brain or guarantee a calming effect. [1]
Other research has examined the breakdown of enkephalins, the body's own signaling peptides. These biological observations can help develop explanations, but symptom improvement must still be measured in controlled human trials. [2]
Why is it used for anxiety and calm?
A 2008 study compared Selank in 30 patients with medazepam, a benzodiazepine, in 32 patients with generalized anxiety disorder or neurasthenia. The authors reported similar anxiety effects and an additional improvement in fatigue-related symptoms with Selank. There was no placebo group, and the accessible abstract gives little detail about the size of the changes or trial procedures. [2]
A 2014 open-label, randomized study compared Selank and phenazepam in 60 adults with anxiety-spectrum disorders. After 14 days, the reported anxiety-score reduction was 26.3% with Selank versus 55% with phenazepam. Selank's improvement was better maintained a week after treatment ended, and tolerability favored Selank. These results do not mean the two medicines were equally effective on every measure. [3]
That second trial was small, unblinded, and supported partly by Selank's manufacturer. Positive findings deserve attention, but expectations and other biases remain possible. Treating a diagnosed anxiety disorder also differs from improving calm or resilience in someone without one. [3]
Safety and product quality
Selank has been used clinically in Russia, but the short trials cannot settle long-term safety or dependence risk. Nasal dryness was reported in the 2014 study. FDA flags potential immune-reaction risks from aggregation and peptide-related impurities in compounded Selank acetate, along with inadequate human safety information. Selank is not an FDA-approved medicine. [3,4]
ANECDOTAL DOSE
How much?
FORM & SCHEDULE
What it refers to
subcutaneous, once daily
Selank is not FDA-approved. Long-term safety is uncertain, and FDA flags immune-reaction and product-quality concerns.
100–300 mcg — anecdotal dose: Jay Campbell cites Dr. William Seeds’ practice guide for this amount of unmodified Selank by subcutaneous injection once daily. The same guide describes a separate intranasal amount; routes and formulations are not interchangeable. [5]
Read detailed dosing notes
An effective, safe dose for everyday stress has not been established. The small anxiety-disorder studies do not validate this practice amount for healthy adults or for NA-Selank analogs. Product quality and long-term safety remain uncertain. [2–5]
Sources & further reading
- Volkova et al. (2016). Selank administration affects genes involved in GABAergic neurotransmission (opens in a new tab)www.frontiersin.org
- Zozulia et al. (2008). Selank in generalized anxiety disorders and neurasthenia (opens in a new tab)pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Medvedev et al. (2014). Selank and phenazepam in anxiety disorders (opens in a new tab)www.mediasphera.ru
- FDA. Bulk drug substances that may present significant safety risks (opens in a new tab)www.fda.gov
- Jay Campbell. Selank Anxiety Peptide: Dosage, Nootropic Benefits & Risks (opens in a new tab)jaycampbell.com