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Anxiolytic Peptide

Selank

Also known as: Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro

A synthetic heptapeptide derived from tuftsin, developed in Russia and studied for anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) effects in both animal models and a Russian human clinical trial.

Educational content, not advice. Compiled from information publicly available on the internet; it may contain inaccuracies and was not written or reviewed by medical professionals. Use it as a starting point for your own research, verify against primary sources, and see our full disclaimer.

Overview

Selank is a synthetic heptapeptide derived from tuftsin, an endogenous immunomodulatory peptide, developed by researchers at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences. It has primarily been studied as an anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) agent, with a published human trial comparing it to a benzodiazepine (medazepam) in patients with generalized anxiety disorder and neurasthenia.

Proposed Mechanism of Action

The cited literature attributes Selank's anxiolytic effects to inhibition of enkephalin-degrading enzymes (extending the activity of endogenous opioid peptides) and modulation of GABAergic signaling, distinguishing its proposed mechanism from classical benzodiazepines.

Research Context

The 2008 human trial (Zozulia et al.) enrolled 62 patients with generalized anxiety disorder and neurasthenia and reported anxiolytic efficacy comparable to medazepam, with additional benefit on neurasthenia symptoms; note this study was published in a Russian-language journal, which limits independent international review relative to English-language publications. The 2014 rat study (Kolik et al.) demonstrated that a single 0.3 mg/kg intraperitoneal dose eliminated withdrawal-induced anxiety behaviors in alcohol-dependent rats.

Limitations of the Current Evidence

  • The primary human efficacy study is published in Russian and has not, to our knowledge, been independently replicated in an English-language, peer-reviewed international journal — treat it as a signal worth following up on primary sources, not as settled evidence.
  • As with Semax, most of the foundational Selank literature originates from a small number of affiliated Russian research institutions.

Research-Setting Dosing (as reported in literature)

RouteRange (as reported)FrequencyNotes
Intraperitoneal injection0.3–0.3 mg/kgSingle doseRat alcohol-withdrawal model (Kolik et al., 2014); eliminated withdrawal-induced anxiety-like behavior in elevated-plus-maze and social-interaction tests in that model.

Figures above are extracted directly from the cited preclinical/research literature. They describe what researchers administered to study subjects (frequently animal models) — they are not human dosing recommendations and are not medical advice.

Cited Studies

  • 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, Kost NV, Gabaeva MV, Sokolov OYu, Serebriakova EV, Siranchieva OA, Andriushenko AV, Telesheva ES, Siuniakov SA, Smulevich AB, Miasoedov NF, Seredenin SB · Zhurnal Nevrologii i Psikhiatrii Imeni S.S. Korsakova · 2008

    Human clinical trial (62 patients, published in Russian)View source →

  • Efficacy of peptide anxiolytic selank during modeling of withdrawal syndrome in rats with stable alcoholic motivation

    Kolik LG, Nadorova AV, Kozlovskaya MM · Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine · 2014

    Animal study (rat)View source →

Last updated August 1, 2026