Selank

Key points

• Selank is a seven amino acid peptide based on tuftsin, a natural fragment with a role in the immune system.
• In Russia a nasal form is an approved medicine for anxiety. It is not licensed in the UK.
• It is often described as the calming counterpart to Semax, which is more stimulating.
• Almost all the evidence is from animal studies, and good human data is limited.

Quick facts

What it is

Synthetic peptide, 7 amino acids (based on tuftsin)

Studied for

Anxiety, stress and memory

UK status

Not a licensed medicine; sold for research use

Elsewhere

A nasal form is an approved medicine in Russia

Human evidence

Very limited; mostly animal studies

How it works

Selank is thought to work gently on GABA, the brain's main calming signal, without forcing the receptors the way benzodiazepines do. It may also help preserve BDNF, a protein involved in nerve cell health and memory, and its tuftsin origin suggests some effect on the immune system. Most of this comes from animal work, so how much applies to people is unclear.

What the evidence shows

Nearly all the evidence is from animal studies, mainly in rats, covering anxiety, stress and memory. In one study its calming effect was compared with diazepam. What is missing is the human side: there are no large published randomised trials in people, no established dose, and no long term safety data.

What it does not settle

• There are no large human trials in the mainstream literature.
• There is no established human dose or safety profile.
• Whether the calming and memory effects seen in animals occur in healthy people is unknown.

Side effects

Common

• Animal studies report no clear dependence, withdrawal or heavy sedation at research doses.
• People using the nasal form sometimes report nasal irritation or mild tiredness, though these are not trial findings.

Less common but serious

• Human safety data is limited, so the gentle animal profile should not be assumed to hold in people.
• Because there is no UK licensed product, the dose, purity and contents of material bought online cannot be verified.

Report any suspected side effect through the MHRA Yellow Card scheme.

UK legal status and access

Selank has no UK marketing authorisation, so it is not a licensed medicine here and is not offered by registered clinics or pharmacies. The approved nasal medicine exists in Russia, not the UK. Products sold online are usually labelled for research use.

Common questions