- What it is: A synthetic heptapeptide built on the tuftsin fragment with a Pro-Gly-Pro tail.
- Research areas: anxiety and neurasthenia, nootropic (thinking and focus) effects, and how it acts on the GABA calming system.
- Evidence level: Thin and mostly Russian-language. The human studies are small, and there are no large, independent Western trials confirming them.
- The short version: Most Selank research is small and published in Russian, and the exact pathway is still an open question. The leading idea points at the brain’s GABA calming system. The human case is not settled, and this is a research summary, not a reason to use anything.
What it is
Selank is a synthetic seven-amino-acid peptide. It is tuftsin, a natural four-amino-acid peptide (Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg), with three more amino acids (Pro-Gly-Pro) added to the end. It was developed at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow, with the Zakusov Institute of Pharmacology.
Specs at a glance. Reference values for the compound named on the label, from PubChem or KEGG. They describe the compound, not a measurement of the vial you receive. Molecular weight is the free base (the peptide alone, without a salt). Synthetic peptides are usually supplied as a salt such as acetate or TFA, and the salt in this vial has not been confirmed.
| Compound | Selank |
|---|---|
| Sequence | TKPRPGP (Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro) |
| Molecular formula | C33H57N11O9 |
| Molecular weight | 751.87 g/mol (average, free base) |
| CAS number | 129954-34-3 |
| Reference record | PubChem CID 11765600 |
| Form | Lyophilized (freeze-dried) powder in one sealed vial |
| Vial size | 10 mg per vial |
| Storage (dry powder) | -20°C or colder, long term. Keep the vial sealed and away from light. |
| Lab report | Janoshik Analytical, August 2026. Ordered by the supplier, not by Etched Research. The report carries no lot number, so it is not matched to the vial you receive. Results on this page ↓ · All lab reports → |
What the evidence is
Most of the Selank evidence is small Russian work. The two human studies below enrolled adults with anxiety disorders, compared Selank with a benzodiazepine, report no placebo group in their abstracts, and were published in Russian. The rest is rat, cell and blood-sample work. There are no large independent trials outside Russia.
| Study | Type | Who or what | What was given | What it measured | What it found |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zozulya et al., Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, 2001 | Lab, human blood samples | Blood plasma from people with anxiety and phobic disorders | Selank added to plasma at a range of strengths | How fast plasma enzymes broke down enkephalin, one of the body’s own opioid-like signals | Selank slowed the breakdown, more at higher strengths (50% inhibition at 15 µM), and more strongly than two known enzyme inhibitors, bacitracin and puromycin |
| Zozulia et al., Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova, 2008 | Human, compared with medazepam, no placebo reported, in Russian | 62 adults with generalized anxiety disorder and neurasthenia (30 on Selank, 32 on medazepam) | Not stated in the abstract | Anxiety rating scales (Hamilton, Zung, CGI) and blood enkephalin activity | The anti-anxiety effect was similar in both groups. The Selank group also showed less fatigue and a mild stimulant effect. Blood enkephalin half-life rose on Selank, mostly in the generalized anxiety patients |
| Medvedev et al., Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova, 2014 | Human, compared with phenazepam, no placebo reported, in Russian | 60 adults with phobic anxiety and somatoform disorders | Not stated in the abstract | Anxiety, tolerability and quality of life | The authors report an anti-anxiety effect that lasted a week after the last dose, a mild nootropic effect and better quality of life. The abstract gives no numbers and does not say how Selank compared with phenazepam |
| Kasian et al., Behavioural Neurology, 2017 | Animal | 48 rats, half put through 14 days of mild stress, 6 per group | 300 µg/kg daily for 14 days, alone or with diazepam | Anxiety behavior in a maze test | Without stress, every group scored more anxious after 14 days of dosing, the Selank group least (not statistically significant). Under stress, rats given Selank plus diazepam scored the same as before the stress |
| Filatova et al., Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2017 | Cell | Human neuroblastoma cells (IMR-32) in a lab dish | 1 nmol per well for 1 hour, alone or with GABA or olanzapine | Activity of 84 genes tied to the GABA system | Selank alone changed none of the 84 genes. Added with GABA, it almost fully cancelled the gene changes GABA caused |
| Kolik et al., Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, 2019 | Animal | 9-month-old rats, some given alcohol as their only drink for 30 weeks | 0.3 mg/kg daily for 7 days | An object-recognition memory test and BDNF (a nerve growth signal) in the brain | Better memory scores in rats not given alcohol. In the alcohol rats, Selank prevented the memory drop during withdrawal and the rise in BDNF that alcohol caused |
Last reviewed 2026-09-24. All six studies come from Russian research groups. The mechanism work, the regulatory status and what none of it establishes are on the full research summary →
Lab reference
Janoshik Analytical tested Selank 10mg from supplier stock on 19 August 2026. One vial measured 99.955% purity and 12.49 mg of Selank against the 10 mg label. See it on the lab reference page →
What that report does not cover: it is a reference test of the compound from supplier stock, not a test of the vial in your order. It names no batch, so it cannot be matched to a lot. It did not test for endotoxin, sterility or heavy metals.
Storage and shipping
Ships as lyophilized powder in a sealed vial. Store the powder frozen at -20°C. US addresses only. Shipping costs and cutoff times →
Questions about Selank
Is there human data?
A little. The two human studies above enrolled 62 and 60 adults with anxiety disorders, compared Selank with a benzodiazepine rather than a placebo, and were published in Russian. The rest of the table is rat, cell and blood-sample work. There are no large independent trials outside Russia.
How is Selank different from Semax?
Both are seven-amino-acid peptides from the same Moscow institute, and both end in the same Pro-Gly-Pro tail. The starting pieces differ. Selank is built on tuftsin, a small immune peptide. Semax is built on a fragment of the hormone ACTH. Etched Research also carries Semax 10mg.
Is Selank an approved drug?
Not in the US. It is listed as a registered drug in Russia. Etched Research sells Selank as a research compound for laboratory use only. It is not for human use.
Where can I buy Selank for research?
Etched Research sells Selank on this page as a 10mg vial of lyophilized powder, for laboratory research use only, shipped to US addresses. Where an independent laboratory report exists for a compound, the measurements are published on the lab reference page, including the compounds we hold no report for.
Is there a lab report for Selank?
Yes. Janoshik Analytical tested Selank 10mg from supplier stock on 19 August 2026: 12.49 mg of Selank against the 10 mg label, and 99.955% purity. The Lab reference section above says what that report does and does not cover.
Shipping, eligibility and what comes in the box: store FAQ →
For research use only. Not for human consumption.
