Selank Research Standard

Selank (CAS 129954-34-3) is a synthetic heptapeptide built on the endogenous immunopeptide tuftsin, supplied as a 5 mg lyophilized powder in a 3 mL vial. Its published pharmacology spans two areas that are usually studied separately: neurotrophin regulation and immune gene expression.

Mechanism of Action & Research Context

Like the other peptides in this lineage, Selank has no established receptor target and its documented effects are measured as changes in expression.

• It normalises BDNF rather than raising it. The direction matters and is easy to get backwards. In rats given 10% ethanol as their sole fluid for 30 weeks, Selank (0.3 mg/kg/day for 7 days) prevented the ethanol-induced increase in BDNF content in hippocampus and frontal cortex, while preventing memory and attention disturbances during withdrawal. It also produced a cognitive-stimulating effect in non-ethanol-exposed animals. So the compound moves BDNF toward baseline in a perturbed system rather than pushing it up unconditionally.^[1]

• Immune gene expression. A single dose significantly changed expression of chemokine, cytokine and receptor genes in mouse spleen at 6 and 24 hours.^[2]

• A two-residue pharmacophore. Most of those mRNA-level changes were reproduced by Gly-Pro alone, identified as the Selank pharmacophore and the minimum fragment carrying antiviral activity. A dipeptide accounting for the majority of a heptapeptide’s transcriptional signature is a genuinely useful structure-activity result, and a cheap control arm.^[2]

• Built from tuftsin. The parent is an endogenous immunopeptide, which is why the immune and neuro readouts sit side by side in this literature rather than in separate fields.^[1,2]

Research Applications

Primary fields of laboratory investigation include:

• BDNF quantification in hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, in perturbed and unperturbed animals.^[1]

• Chemokine and cytokine gene expression panels in spleen at multiple timepoints.^[2]

• Fragment structure-activity work comparing full peptide against Gly-Pro.^[2]

• Object recognition and attention paradigms paired with molecular endpoints.^[1]

Analytical Documentation

Purity and identity vary by manufacturing lot. Kimera Chems does not publish a single fixed purity figure for this item; refer to the batch-specific Certificate of Analysis (COA) issued for the lot received, which reflects third-party analytical testing for that lot.’

Storage & Handling

Store at controlled room temperature, sealed and protected from light.

Storage guidance is a house recommendation. Analytical documentation is per-lot release testing.