Nootropic
Selank Peptide
Also known as: TP-7, N-Acetyl Selank
What is Selank?
Selank is a seven-amino-acid peptide built from tuftsin, a natural immune-modulating peptide, with the same stabilising Pro-Gly-Pro tail used in Semax. It was developed in Russia, where it is registered as an anti-anxiety nasal drop.
It is often searched as a “peptide for anxiety”. The appeal is that, in Russian studies, it reduced anxiety without the sedation or dependence associated with benzodiazepines.
How Selank works
Selank appears to modulate the GABA system — rat studies show it changes expression of GABA-receptor genes and enhances the effect of diazepam. It also influences serotonin metabolism, inhibits enzymes that break down enkephalins (the body's own opioid peptides) and affects immune cytokines, consistent with its tuftsin origin.
What the research shows
- A Russian clinical study in generalised anxiety disorder and neurasthenia reported anxiolytic effects comparable to medazepam (a benzodiazepine) with fewer side effects.
- Rat studies show changes in GABAergic gene expression and potentiation of diazepam.
- Most evidence is published in Russian journals; independent Western replication is limited.
Compare: Semax vs Selank
Selank side effects
Russian clinical reports describe few side effects, mainly nasal irritation and occasional fatigue. No sedation or withdrawal syndrome was reported in those studies, but there are no large independent safety trials.
UK legal status
Selank is not licensed in the UK and is not a controlled drug. It may be sold only as a research chemical, not for human use.
More detail, including current UK research-vial prices: Selank UK guide. For the doses used in published studies and the reconstitution maths: Selank dosing in the literature.
Selank: frequently asked questions
What does Selank do?
Russian studies suggest it reduces anxiety by modulating GABA and serotonin systems, without sedation.
Is Selank a benzodiazepine?
No. It is a peptide. It appears to influence GABA signalling but is chemically and pharmacologically different.
Selank vs Semax?
Selank is studied mostly for anxiety; Semax for cognition and stroke. See the comparison.
Is Selank legal in the UK?
It is not controlled, but it is unlicensed and can be sold only for research.
References
- Zozulia AA, et al. Efficacy and possible mechanisms of action of a new peptide anxiolytic selank in the therapy of generalized anxiety disorders and neurasthenia. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova. 2008;108:38–48.
- Volkova A, et al. Selank administration affects the expression of some genes involved in GABAergic neurotransmission. Front Pharmacol. 2016;7:31.
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