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Slk2.5

Selank Research

Mostly mechanism / observational

9 peer-reviewed studies

What the evidence says

Mostly mechanism / observational

Most Selank studies are mechanism or observational rather than RCTs that measure a clinical effect — keep findings provisional.

Most evidence is from mixed-quality randomised trials published 2008–2021 with a typical study size of 52 participants.

Based on 9 studies · 2 RCTs · 52 total participants

Confidence

Low confidence

By outcome

Anxiety & stressAnxiolytic activity is consistent in rodent models; human support is limited to small, mostly Russian studies, including an add-on trial in anxiety disorders · Days to weeks (small studies)
Mostly mechanism / observational6 studies
Cognitive function
Mostly mechanism / observational3 studies
Immune support
Too few graded studies2 studies

Steady research

1 study in the last 5 years

200820142021

1RCT2015

Medvedev VE, Tereshchenko ON, Kost NV, Ter-Israelyan AY, Gushanskaya EV, Chobanu IK · Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova (2015)

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2RCT2008

Zozulia AA, Neznamov GG, Siuniakov TS, Kost NV, Gabaeva MV, Sokolov OIu · Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova (2008)

3Review2021

In plain English: Phenibut and selank are poorly studied Russian drugs with GABAergic mechanisms that are inexplicably sold to US consumers as dietary supplements.

Doyno CR, White CM. · Journal of Clinical Pharmacology (2021)

Independent (US) pharmacology review of GABA-receptor-acting sedative-hypnotics, including selank
Characterizes selank as poorly studied and notes it is sold to US consumers as a dietary supplement despite lacking that regulatory basis
Frames selank's mechanism as GABAergic alongside other CNS-depressant agents of abuse concern

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4Open-Labeln=52 · small study2020

In plain English: Post hoc analysis allowed us to define both general and specific effects of Selank and Semax on FC between the right amygdala and the right temporal cortex for the first time.

Panikratova YR, Lebedeva IS, Sokolov OY, Rumshiskaya AD, Kupriyanov DA, Kost NV. · Doklady biological sciences (2020)

Resting-state fMRI in 52 healthy participants, comparing intranasal selank, semax and placebo before and 5 and 20 min after injection
Focused on the amygdala (anxiety regulation) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (executive function)
Reported between-group and between-condition differences in functional connectivity between the right amygdala and right temporal regions

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5In Vitro2018

In plain English: We hypothesized and showed that one of Selank anti-anxiety molecular mechanisms can be associated with subtype selective concentration-dependent allosteric modulation of GABA receptors.

Vyunova TV, Andreeva L, Shevchenko K, Myasoedov N. · Protein and Peptide Letters (2018)

Mechanistic review/study using radioligand-receptor binding to probe selank's anxiolytic mechanism
Reports selank acts as a positive allosteric modulator of [3H]GABA binding
Selank could block the modulatory activity of diazepam and olanzapine, suggesting partially overlapping but distinct binding sites

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6Animal2019

In plain English: Selank produced a cognitive-stimulating effect in 9 months rats not exposed to ethanol and prevented the formation of ethanol-induced memory and attention disturbances developing during alcohol withdrawal.

Kolik LG, Nadorova AV, Antipova TA, Kruglov SV, Kudrin VS, Durnev AD. · Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine (2019)

Rat study of selank (0.3 mg/kg/day, 7 days, intraperitoneal) on memory and BDNF after long-term ethanol exposure
Object-recognition cognitive benefit and prevention of ethanol-withdrawal memory/attention deficits
Selank prevented ethanol-induced rise in BDNF in hippocampus and frontal cortex, implicating a neurotrophin mechanism

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7Animal2016

In plain English: The anxiolytic and nootropic efficiency of selank administered via both routes was observed only in BALB/c mice, which were characterized by initially higher levels of anxiety.

Vasil'eva EV, Kondrakhin EA, Salimov RM, Kovalev GI. · Eksperimental'naia i klinicheskaia farmakologiia (2016)

Compared intranasal vs intraperitoneal selank (300 μg/kg/day, 5 days) in two mouse strains using the elevated-plus-maze
Anxiolytic/nootropic effect appeared only in the high-anxiety BALB/c strain, not the low-anxiety C57BL/6 strain
Intraperitoneal selank increased frontal-cortex GABA-receptor binding; intranasal selank instead increased NMDA-receptor (MK-801) binding — route-dependent neurochemistry

8Animal2014

In plain English: Selank and its short fragment Gly-Pro influence the expression of genes that mediate different types of immune responses, thereby maintaining the balance of the immune system.

Kolomin T, Morozova M, Volkova A, Shadrina M, Andreeva L, Slominsky P. · Molecular Immunology (2014)

Studied selank and its fragment Gly-Pro on inflammation-related gene expression (C3, Casp1, Il2rg, Xcr1) in mouse spleen after a single 100 μg/kg dose
Found rapid, time-dependent changes in immune-gene expression, with the Gly-Pro fragment largely reproducing selank's profile
Supports the tuftsin-derived immunomodulatory rationale for selank

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9Animal2012

In plain English: The data obtained reveal a new target for selank in CNS and indicate significance of the activity of enkephalin-opioid system in individual sensitivity to selank.

Kozlovskii II, Andreeva LA, Kozlovskaia MM, Nadorova AV, Kolik LG. · Eksperimental'naia i klinicheskaia farmakologiia (2012)

Mouse open-field study of selank's anxiolytic effect under naloxone (opioid blockade) in high- and low-anxiety inbred strains
Selank (0.25 mg/kg i.p.) showed anxiolytic activity in high-anxiety BALB/C mice but not C57BL/6 mice
Naloxone pretreatment altered sensitivity to selank, implicating the enkephalin-opioid system in its effect

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Selank Research

Mostly mechanism / observational

[Optimization of the treatment of anxiety disorders with selank].

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

Sedative-Hypnotic Agents That Impact Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid Receptors: Focus on Flunitrazepam, Gamma-Hydroxybutyric Acid, Phenibut, and Selank.

Functional Connectomic Approach to Studying Selank and Semax Effects.

Peptide-based Anxiolytics: The Molecular Aspects of Heptapeptide Selank Biological Activity.

Selank, Peptide Analogue of Tuftsin, Protects Against Ethanol-Induced Memory Impairment by Regulating of BDNF Content in the Hippocampus and Prefrontal Cortex in Rats.

Comparison of pharmacological effects of heptapeptide Selank after intranasal and intraperitoneal administration to BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice.

The temporary dynamics of inflammation-related genes expression under tuftsin analog Selank action.

[The role of opioid system in peculiarities of anti-anxiety effect of peptide anxiolytic selank].