Neuro & cognitive

Selank

Also called TP-7, selank acetate, Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro

Selank is a short lab-made peptide developed in Russia as an anti-anxiety medicine. It is based on tuftsin, a small fragment of an immune protein, with three extra amino acids added to make it last longer. It is sold as a nasal medicine in Russia, but it is not approved in the US or Europe.

Early human dataSome small human studies exist; evidence is limited.

All printable flashcards

Drawn from its published sequence: 7 residues, one bead each.

Overview

How it works

Proposed, not established. Russian lab studies suggest Selank slows enzymes that break down enkephalins (the body's own opioid-like peptides) in human serum, and animal studies report changes in brain serotonin/monoamine levels and in BDNF expression in the rat hippocampus. A small clinical study linked improvement in anxiety with changes in blood enkephalin breakdown. How these effects translate to people is not well established.

What research shows

Randomized comparative study (Russia, 2008; n=62) in generalized anxiety disorder and neurasthenia: Selank (n=30) showed anxiety relief similar to the benzodiazepine medazepam (n=32), and was also reported to reduce fatigue-type symptoms ⁴.
Lab study: Selank (and Semax) inhibited enkephalin-degrading enzymes in human serum (Kost et al., 2001) ⁵.
Rat study: intranasal Selank changed BDNF expression in the hippocampus (Inozemtseva et al., 2008) ⁷.
Most research comes from a small number of Russian groups and is published largely in Russian-language journals; independent replication is limited.

Doses studied in people

The published human study abstracts reviewed do not report doses; doses circulating online are not from verified trial data.

Read this first: these are the amounts given to participants in published studies or written on official prescribing labels, reported for reference. They are not recommendations. Trial doses were chosen for specific patients under medical supervision, and a dose that is safe in one person can be harmful in another.

Weekly protocol

How the schedule looks week by week. Each chart says where it comes from: a prescribing label, a clinical trial, or a protocol commonly reported online.

Commonly reported intranasal course

Commonly reported, not studied

One week

D1D2D3D4D5D6D7

Three times daily · Nasal spray or drops

Dose by week

300 mcg per dose (900 mcg/day)wk 1–2

Course: 14 days
Note: Based on the Russian 0.15% nasal drop regimen. Other guides list 250–900 mcg per dose, 2–3 times daily, for 14–30 days followed by an equal break.
Source: PeptideDosages.com: Selank (5 mg) dosage protocol
Also: Peptide Protocol Wiki: Selank dosing protocols

Reference only, not a recommendation. Charts marked "commonly reported" describe what public sources say people use. They have not been tested in trials, and their safety and effect are unknown. Label and trial schedules were set for specific patients under medical supervision. Use the calculator only to understand the arithmetic.

Vial math

Many research vials hold 5 or 10 mg of powder. This table shows how much ends up in each mark on a U-100 insulin syringe for common amounts of added liquid. It is arithmetic only, not a dose.

Vial	Liquid added	Concentration	Per unit (0.01 mL)
5 mg	1 mL	5 mg/mL	50 mcg	Open in calculator
5 mg	2 mL	2.5 mg/mL	25 mcg	Open in calculator
5 mg	3 mL	1.67 mg/mL	16.7 mcg	Open in calculator
10 mg	1 mL	10 mg/mL	100 mcg	Open in calculator
10 mg	2 mL	5 mg/mL	50 mcg	Open in calculator
10 mg	3 mL	3.33 mg/mL	33.3 mcg	Open in calculator

More sizes: all vial sizes · How this works: Syringes and units · Reconstitution guide.

Safety

No large Western safety studies; long-term safety is unknown.
The 2008 comparative trial abstract does not report serious adverse events, but the study was small (n=62) ⁴.
Unregulated 'research' products may vary in purity and content.

Report side effects of any drug or product to the FDA through MedWatch. For a possible poisoning in the US, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.

Legal status

FDA: Not FDA-approved.
Compounding: Listed by FDA under 'bulk drug substances nominated but withdrawn' (page current as of 04/22/2026); not under evaluation for the 503A bulks list and not among the peptides reviewed at the July 2026 PCAC meeting ¹².
Sports (WADA): Not named on the 2026 List. Because it is marketed in Russia, whether S0 (non-approved substances, prohibited at all times) applies is unclear — confirm with your anti-doping organization ³.
Other: Marketed as a nasal medicine in Russia and Ukraine (per secondary sources; registration date unverified).

Rules change often. See Legal status of peptides for how these categories work.

History

Developed at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences. It is marketed as a nasal preparation in Russia and Ukraine; the exact Russian registration year could not be verified from a primary source in this review. A nomination to compound it in the US was later withdrawn.

Common questions

Is Selank FDA-approved or legal to compound?

No. It is not FDA-approved, and FDA lists its compounding nomination as withdrawn, so it is not under evaluation for pharmacy compounding ¹².

What does the research show?

The main human study was a small 2008 Russian trial of 62 people with anxiety, where Selank relieved anxiety about as well as the drug medazepam ⁴. Most other work is lab and rat studies from a few Russian groups ⁵⁷.

What doses were studied in people?

The published human study abstracts reviewed do not report doses ⁴. Doses seen online are not from verified trial data.

Is Selank safe?

The 2008 trial abstract did not report serious side effects, but the study was small ⁴. There are no large Western safety studies, so long-term safety is unknown.

Is Selank banned in sport?

It is not named on WADA's 2026 list ³. Because it is marketed in Russia, it is unclear whether the S0 rule for non-approved substances applies, so athletes should check with their anti-doping organization ³.

How does Selank compare with Semax?

Both are short Russian-developed peptides, and a 2001 lab study found both slowed enzymes in human blood that break down enkephalins, the body's own opioid-like peptides ⁵. Selank is built on tuftsin, a small fragment of an immune protein ⁶.

Related compounds

Neuro & cognitiveEarly human dataFlashcard

Semax

ACTH(4-7)-Pro-Gly-Pro · Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro

Semax is a lab-made peptide built from a small piece of the stress hormone ACTH, with three amino acids added so it lasts longer.

Neuro & cognitiveEarly human dataFlashcard

DSIP (delta sleep-inducing peptide)

emideltide · delta sleep-inducing peptide

DSIP is a small peptide first found in the 1970s in the blood of sleeping rabbits and named for its supposed ability to bring on deep sleep.

Sources

Last reviewed 2026-10-25 · How we research · Found an error? See our corrections policy.