This is a working overview of tuftsin, written for readers who want more than a one-paragraph summary but less than a textbook.
This page was last updated on 2026-03-16 and is reviewed periodically as new material appears.
Selank is a synthetic heptapeptide developed in Russia. Its sequence is Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro, a seven-residue chain built around the natural tetrapeptide tuftsin. Researchers at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences first described the compound in the mid-1990s. The design combined the tuftsin core with an added Pro-Gly-Pro tail, a modification intended to extend the molecule's stability in biological fluids. Published work on the peptide has appeared mainly in Russian-language journals.
Reported activity for Selank centers on anxiolytic and nootropic effects. Russian clinical reports describe use in anxiety and in cognitive or attention-related complaints. Most of this evidence comes from studies conducted by the same research groups that developed the peptide. Independent replication in other countries remains limited, and no major Western regulatory agency has approved the compound for any indication. The gap between local reports and external verification is a recurring point in discussions of the peptide.
Purity assessment relies mainly on reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. Because the peptide lacks a strong chromophore, detection often uses backbone absorbance near 214 nm. Identity is confirmed by mass spectrometry, typically electrospray ionization or matrix-assisted laser desorption, comparing the measured mass against the expected value. Amino acid analysis can verify composition after acid hydrolysis. Diastereomer content and residual counterions are reported less often, although both can influence biological assays.
Lyophilized material is generally stable for extended periods when kept dry at or below minus twenty degrees Celsius. Working solutions are less stable, and common practice is to aliquot and freeze them so that repeated freeze-thaw cycles are avoided. Aqueous solutions are sensitive to pH extremes and to microbial growth, so short-term storage at refrigerator temperature is typical. Oxidation and hydrolysis are the principal degradation routes. Reconstitution with sterile water or a mild buffer is standard, and solutions should be protected from light.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical class | Synthetic heptapeptide | Modeled on tuftsin |
| Amino acid sequence | Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro | Seven residues |
| Approximate molecular mass | Around 750 Da | Depends on counter-ion and hydration |
| Common forms | Lyophilized powder | Also described as aqueous solution |
| Primary origin of research | Russian laboratories | Mid-1990s onward |
Most published work on selank originates from a small number of research groups in the Russian Federation. A large share of that record appears in Russian-language journals, which limits access for readers who rely on English-indexed databases. Independent replication by laboratories outside the original research network is sparse in publicly available sources. This concentration of origin and language is a frequently noted feature when the compound is summarized in broader reviews of synthetic peptides.
Reported pharmacological effects center on reduced anxiety-like behavior in animal models and on measures of memory and learning. Proposed contributing mechanisms include modulation of GABAergic signaling, shifts in monoamine turnover, and changes in the activity of enzymes that degrade neuropeptides. Effects on the expression of genes linked to neuroplasticity have also been described. No single molecular target is widely accepted, and whether the behavioral findings arise from one pathway or several remains an open question.
Characterization of Selank in a laboratory setting relies on standard peptide methods. Reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography separates the target from related impurities and provides a purity figure, commonly reported as 95 percent or higher. Mass spectrometry, typically electrospray ionization or matrix-assisted laser desorption, confirms the molecular mass and helps detect truncation or modification. Amino acid analysis can verify composition when a sequence-level check is needed. These techniques together establish identity and purity for a given lot.
Lyophilized Selank, the dry powder form, is generally stored frozen at minus 20 degrees Celsius or colder for long-term keeping. The solid is hygroscopic and should stay sealed, dry, and protected from light. Once dissolved, the peptide is less stable and is usually held refrigerated at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius for short periods. Repeated freezing and thawing is avoided because it can promote aggregation and loss of activity. Buffers and pH choice also affect how long a solution remains usable.
Solubility behavior is a practical concern for handling. Selank dissolves readily in water and in common aqueous buffers, which simplifies preparation of working solutions. The choice of solvent, ionic strength, and pH can influence aggregation over time, particularly at higher concentrations. Aqueous solutions are typically sterile-filtered before use. Because stability depends on several variables, storage and handling notes should be treated as general guidance rather than fixed rules, and specific values are best confirmed against a certificate of analysis for each batch.
== External links == Countercurrent multiplier animation from Colorado University. Research about elephant seals using countercurrent heat exchange to keep heat from leaving their body while breathing out, during hibernation. Patent for a snow mask with a removable countercurrent exchange module which keeps the warmth from leaving the mask when breathing out.
Schiller (1969), lawyer, co-founder of Boies Schiller Flexner LLP Eric Eisner (1970), lawyer, former president of The Geffen Company and founder of the Young Eisner Scholars program William Barr (1971), attorney general of the United States Arthur Engoron (1971), judge presiding over the New York civil investigation of The Trump Organization Arthur Helton (1971), lawyer, refugee advocate Gerard E. Lynch (1972), judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York Gary Stephen Katzmann (1973), judge on the United States Court of International Trade Robert Katzmann (1973), judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit Eric Holder (1973), United States attorney general under Barack Obama, deputy attorney general under Bill Clinton, United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia Jonathan Cuneo (1974), lawyer, founding partner of Cuneo Gilbert & LaDuca, LLP Abbe Lowell (1974), partner at Chadbourne & Parke, chief minority counsel during the Impeachment of Bill Clinton Jeffrey L. Kessler (1975), co-chairman of Winston & Strawn; former global litigation chair at Dewey & LeBoeuf Douglas Letter (1975), general counsel to the United States House of Representatives since 2018 J. Richard Cohen (1976), former president of the Southern Poverty Law Center Joseph A. Greenaway Jr.
MedPlus Health Services is an Indian pharmacy retail chain, headquartered in Hyderabad. MedPlus is the second largest pharmacy chain in India, operating over 5,500+ pharmacy stores across 800+ cities, as of 2026. MedPlus sells prescription and OTC medicines, FMCG products, vitamins and other nutrition supplements, and opticals. It also offers clinical laboratory services and physician consultation services in Hyderabad, Vijayawada and Bangalore. The company owns and runs ePharmacy and an online clinical lab service.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
To lower the risk of stroke and systemic embolism in people with atrial fibrillation who have risk factors that may lead to a stroke. The prevention of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in patients who have undergone knee or hip replacement surgery. Treatment of both DVT and pulmonary embolism (PE). For extended treatment to reduce risk of recurring venous thrombosis events (VTE) after initial therapy in patients with high risk of recurrence, such as patients with active cancer or those with unprovoked VTE. In the EU, apixaban is indicated for the prevention of venous thromboembolic events (VTE) in adults who have undergone elective hip or knee replacement surgery, the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in adults with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) with one or more risk factors, for the treatment of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism in adults, and for the prevention of recurrent DVT and PE in adults.
Curcumin, which shows positive results in most drug discovery assays, is regarded as a false lead that medicinal chemists include among "pan-assay interference compounds". This attracts undue experimental attention while failing to advance as viable therapeutic or drug leads, although some derivatives of curcumin such as EF-24 have been well-studied. Factors that limit the bioactivity of curcumin or its analogs include chemical instability, water insolubility, absence of potent and selective target activity, low bioavailability, limited tissue distribution, and extensive metabolism. Very little curcumin escapes the GI tract and most is excreted in feces unchanged. If curcumin enters plasma in reasonable amounts, there is a high risk of toxicity since it is promiscuous, and interacts with several proteins known to increase the risk of adverse effects, including hERG, cytochrome P450s, and glutathione S-transferase.
There are methods available to safely reuse human feces in agriculture as per the "multiple barrier concept" described by the World Health Organization in 2006. The approach to "close the loop" between human excreta (sanitation) and agriculture is also called ecological sanitation. It may involve certain types of dry toilets such as urine-diversion dry toilets or composting toilets.
== Treatment == Treatment depends on the type of amyloidosis that is present. Treatment with high dose melphalan, a chemotherapy agent, followed by stem cell transplantation has shown promise in early studies and is recommended for stage I and II AL amyloidosis. However, only 20–25% of people are eligible for stem cell transplant. Chemotherapy treatment including cyclophosphamide-bortezomib-dexamethasone-daratumumab (Dara-Cybord) is currently the recommended treatment option for people with AL Amyloidosis not eligible for transplant. In AA, symptoms may improve if the underlying condition is treated. In people who have inflammation caused by AA amyloidosis, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha inhibitors such as infliximab and etanercept are used for an average duration of 20 months. If TNF-alpha inhibitors are not effective, Interleukin-1 inhibitors (e.g., anakinra, canakinumab, rilonacept) and interleukin-6 inhibitors (e.g., tocilizumab) may be considered. Management of ATTR amyloidosis will depend on its classification as wild type or variant. Both may be treated with tafamidis, a low toxicity oral agent that prevents destabilization of correctly folded protein. Studies showed tafamidis reduced mortality and hospitalization due to heart failure. Previously, for variant ATTR amyloidosis, liver transplant was the only effective treatment. New therapies include diflunisal, inotersen, and patisiran. Diflunisal binds to misfolded mutant TTR protein to prevent its buildup, like how tafamidis works.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
=== Legal status === Bulevirtide was approved for medical use in the European Union in July 2020, in Canada in August 2025, and in the United States in May 2026. The US Food and Drug Administration granted the application for bulevirtide priority review, breakthrough therapy, and orphan drug designations.
==== Growth & reproduction ==== In the nematode C. elegans, artificial depletion of serotonin or the increase of octopamine cues behavior typical of a low-food environment: C. elegans becomes more active, and mating and egg-laying are suppressed, while the opposite occurs if serotonin is increased or octopamine is decreased in this animal. Serotonin is necessary for normal nematode male mating behavior, and the inclination to leave food to search for a mate. The serotonergic signaling used to adapt the worm's behaviour to fast changes in the environment affects insulin-like signaling and the TGF beta signaling pathway, which control long-term adaption. In the fruit fly insulin both regulates blood sugar as well as acting as a growth factor. Thus, in the fruit fly, serotonergic neurons regulate the adult body size by affecting insulin secretion. Serotonin has also been identified as the trigger for swarm behavior in locusts. In humans, though insulin regulates blood sugar and IGF regulates growth, serotonin controls the release of both hormones, modulating insulin release from the beta cells in the pancreas through serotonylation of GTPase signaling proteins. Exposure to SSRIs during pregnancy reduces fetal growth. Genetically altered C. elegans worms that lack serotonin have an increased reproductive lifespan, may become obese, and sometimes present with arrested development at a dormant larval state.
Developmentally, the endothelium arises in close contact with the hematopoietic system. This, and the existence of hemogenic endothelium, led to a belief and search for adult hemangioblast- or angioblast-like cells; cells which could give rise to functional vasculature in adults. The existence of endothelial progenitor cells has been posited since the mid-twentieth century, however their existence was not confirmed until the 1990s when Asahara et al. published the discovery of the first putative EPC. Recently, controversy has developed over the definition of true endothelial progenitors. Although bone marrow-derived cells do appear to localize to injured vessels and promote an angiogenic switch, other studies have suggested these cells do not contribute directly to the functional endothelium, instead acting via paracrine methods to provide support for the resident endothelial cells. While some other authors have contested these, and maintained that they are true EPCs, many investigators have begun to term these cells colony forming unit-Hill cells (CFU-Hill) or circulating angiogenic cells (CAC) instead (depending on the method of isolation), highlighting their role as hematopoietic myeloid cells involved in promoting new vessel growth. Molecular genetic analysis of early outgrowth putative EPC populations suggests they do indeed have monocyte-like expression patterns, and support the existence of a separate population of progenitors, the late outgrowth, or endothelial colony forming cell (ECFC).
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Selank is a synthetic peptide made of seven amino acids. It is modeled on tuftsin, a natural tetrapeptide, with an added three-residue tail. It is not a small-molecule drug.
It originates from research in Russia, associated with the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The first descriptions date to the mid-1990s. Most published studies come from Russian laboratories.
No, Selank itself does not occur naturally. Its backbone is based on tuftsin, which is produced in the body, but the seven-residue version is a synthetic construct. It is supplied as a manufactured peptide.
Purity is usually reported as an HPLC area percentage, most often measured at 214 nm. Identity is confirmed separately by mass spectrometry. A certificate of analysis should state both the method and the observed value.