Selank
Synthetic tuftsin analog with anxiolytic activity independent of GABA-A binding; modulates expression of GABA-receptor subunits and BDNF, alters monoaminergic neurotransmission, and influences expression of enkephalin-related genes.
Selank is a synthetic heptapeptide derived from the natural immunoactive tetrapeptide tuftsin (Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg), extended with a Pro-Gly-Pro tail for stability — the same stabilization strategy used in Semax. Selank was developed at the Moscow Institute of Molecular Genetics primarily as a non-benzodiazepine anxiolytic.
Pharmacologically, Selank produces anxiolytic effects without binding GABA-A receptors directly. Instead, it appears to modulate GABA-A subunit gene expression (notably the α1, α2, and γ2 subunits), alter monoaminergic neurotransmission, and influence enkephalin metabolism via inhibition of leucine-enkephalin-degrading enzymes. Downstream effects include elevated BDNF expression in hippocampus and cortex and modest improvements in working memory and attention in behavioral assays.
Clinical trials in Russia have reported anxiolytic efficacy comparable to benzodiazepines without the dependence liability or sedation typical of that class. Selank is approved in Russia for generalized anxiety disorder; it is not approved by the FDA or EMA and is cataloged here for research reference.