Everything below concerns Neurotrophic factor. We keep the language plain, cite what the science says, and separate well-supported claims from open questions.
Updated 2026-08-01. Numbers and descriptions here follow the published literature rather than marketing material.
Proposed mechanisms centre on the GABAergic system. Animal and tissue studies report changes in GABA-A receptor expression and reduced activity of GABA transaminase, the enzyme that degrades GABA. Effects on monoamine turnover, including serotonin and dopamine pathways, are also described, and a separate line of work links the peptide to increased expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in hippocampal tissue. Most of these findings come from rodent models and cell preparations. How the individual observations combine into a single coherent mode of action is not settled.
Pharmacokinetic data are sparse and largely derived from animal work. After intranasal administration the peptide appears in plasma within minutes, and reported half-lives are short, on the order of minutes to tens of minutes. Degradation proceeds through ordinary proteolytic cleavage into constituent amino acids and smaller fragments. Direct evidence that intact Selank reaches brain tissue in meaningful amounts is limited, and the extent of blood-brain barrier penetration is debated. Some authors argue that fragments, not the parent peptide, carry much of the observed activity.
Published clinical work is concentrated in Russian-language journals and generally involves small samples without independent replication. Systematic reviews in English note the shortage of randomised, placebo-controlled trials and the difficulty of verifying methods from translated reports. Outcome measures vary between studies, which complicates pooling of results. Interest in the compound as a cognitive or anxiolytic agent therefore rests on a thinner evidence base than the volume of citations suggests. Replication in well-powered trials with preregistered endpoints would be needed before firm conclusions about efficacy can be drawn.
Selank is a synthetic heptapeptide developed in Russia during the 1990s. Researchers at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences designed it as a stabilized analog of tuftsin, a naturally occurring immunomodulatory tetrapeptide. The compound has been studied primarily for its reported anxiolytic and nootropic effects. It remains largely unknown in Western pharmacology and is not approved as a medicine by major regulators such as the FDA or the EMA.
The primary structure of Selank is Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro, corresponding to the molecular formula C33H57N11O9 and a monoisotopic mass of roughly 751.9 daltons. The N-terminal threonine and the arginine residue in the fourth position are shared with tuftsin, which carries the sequence Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg. The three additional residues at the C-terminus, Pro-Gly-Pro, extend the chain and are associated with greater resistance to enzymatic degradation. This extension also separates Selank from the shorter parent peptide.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Primary route studied | Intranasal | Also examined parenterally in animal work |
| Reported plasma half-life | Minutes to tens of minutes | Values vary widely between reports |
| Main model systems | Rodent behavioural and cell assays | Human trials are few and small |
| Principal proposed targets | GABA-A receptor, GABA transaminase | Monoamine and neurotrophic pathways also reported |
| Evidence grade | Preliminary | Limited independent replication |
Laboratory work relies on standard behavioral paradigms. Rodents are tested in the elevated plus maze, open field, and passive avoidance tasks, with outcomes compared against diazepam or vehicle controls. Intranasal dosing is used most often because it bypasses first-pass metabolism, though intraperitoneal and intravenous routes also appear in published protocols. Biochemical endpoints include tissue BDNF concentrations, cytokine levels, and monoamine metabolites. Human data are limited to small Russian trials reporting reduced anxiety scores; most were not prospectively registered, and few employed independent outcome assessment.
Measuring peptide exposure inside the brain is technically difficult. Selank is degraded rapidly in plasma, and assays must separate intact peptide from fragments, which favors targeted mass spectrometry over immunoassays alone. Reported half-lives are short, on the order of minutes, so effects observed hours later are attributed to downstream signaling rather than to the parent compound. Blood-brain barrier permeability is debated and rarely quantified directly. Gaps include absent dose-response characterization, inconsistent reporting of purity, and almost no pharmacokinetic data from human participants.
Clinical evidence comes mainly from small studies conducted in Russia, several of which were open-label or lacked robust blinding. Reported outcomes include lower anxiety scores, changes in attention measures, and effects on asthenic states following illness. Sample sizes are typically in the tens of participants, and independent replication outside the region is scarce. Reviews published in English generally note the limited methodological quality of the underlying trials. Whether the compound produces clinically meaningful effects under rigorous conditions remains unresolved.
Proposed mechanisms center on modulation of the GABA system, but no single molecular target has been confirmed. Rodent studies report changes in GABA-A receptor expression and in the turnover of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine in several brain regions. Increases in brain-derived neurotrophic factor and its receptor have also been described after repeated administration. These findings come largely from animal models, and the degree to which they describe human neurochemistry remains an open question. The mechanism is best characterized as multi-system and not fully resolved.
Pharmacokinetic data are limited. Like most short peptides, Selank is vulnerable to plasma and tissue peptidases, and its measured half-life in circulation is short, on a minutes scale. The Pro-Gly-Pro tail slows this degradation but does not eliminate it. Intranasal administration is the route described in most reports, with absorption through the nasal mucosa and a hypothesized path into the central nervous system that avoids the blood-brain barrier. Direct measurements of human brain exposure are unavailable, so distribution claims rest on inference from animal work.
Animal studies have examined behaviour in tests of anxiety, memory retention and stress response, and several report changes in neurotrophic or neurotransmitter-related markers. The human evidence base is much smaller, consisting mainly of short trials conducted in Russia with limited reporting in English-language journals. Sample sizes are modest and outcome measures vary between studies, so the findings are best described as preliminary. Independent replication under modern trial standards has not been widely reported.
Outside its country of origin the compound is generally handled as a research chemical rather than an approved medicine. No regulatory approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration or the European Medicines Agency has been granted for human use. Identity and purity are normally checked by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, with mass spectrometry used to confirm the molecular mass. Lyophilised material is stored cold and desiccated, and repeated freeze-thaw cycles are avoided.
Biting the fingers and lips is a definitive feature of Lesch–Nyhan syndrome; in other syndromes associated with self-injury, the behaviors usually consist of head banging and nonspecific self-mutilation, but not biting of the cheeks, lips and fingers. Lesch–Nyhan syndrome ought to be clearly considered only when self-injurious behavior takes place in conjunction with hyperuricemia and neurological dysfunction.
On 1 March, the PAF conducted airstrikes in Kabul with locals reporting hearing sounds of explosions and gunfire in several parts of Kabul, including Darulaman, and areas near the airport and Kārte Naw. According to residents, Pakistani fighter aircraft began patrolling and conducting intermittent strikes at about 20:30 local time on 28 February; explosions and gunfire were reported until about 06:00 the following morning. Residents also report hearing sound of explosions and gunfire around Shash Darak neighborhood. Shash Darak is home to several Afghan government and intelligence facilities, including Directorate 40 of the Taliban's intelligence service and offices of the Urban Development Ministry. Afghanistan's Ministry of Defense said that air-defense fire had been directed at Pakistani aircraft over Kabul and advised residents not to be alarmed. Later that day, the PAF carried out airstrikes on Bagram Airfield. According to local Afghan sources, the airstrikes were carried out by at least three aircraft, with several explosions being heard. Taliban officials claimed Pakistan's fighter jets attempted to bomb the base but were repelled by anti-aircraft fire and that no damage was sustained. However, satellite imagery published by The New York Times showed a hangar and two warehouses at the base had been destroyed. Pakistani officials later confirmed the strike on Bagram and said it also destroyed military supplies and an unknown number of Black Hawks, C-130 and Super Tucanos on the airfield.
Esophageal varices are swollen twisted branches of the azygous vein in the lower third of the esophagus. These blood vessels anastomose (join up) with those of the portal vein when portal hypertension develops. These blood vessels are engorged more than normal, and in the worst cases may partially obstruct the esophagus. These blood vessels develop as part of a collateral circulation that occurs to drain blood from the abdomen as a result of portal hypertension, usually as a result of liver diseases such as cirrhosis. This collateral circulation occurs because the lower part of the esophagus drains into the left gastric vein, which is a branch of the portal vein. Because of the extensive venous plexus that exists between this vein and other veins, if portal hypertension occurs, the direction of blood drainage in this vein may reverse, with blood draining from the portal venous system, through the plexus. Veins in the plexus may engorge and lead to varices. Esophageal varices often do not have symptoms until they rupture. A ruptured varix is considered a medical emergency because varices can bleed a lot. A bleeding varix may cause a person to vomit blood, or suffer shock. To deal with a ruptured varix, a band may be placed around the bleeding blood vessel, or a small amount of a clotting agent may be injected near the bleed. A surgeon may also try to use a small inflatable balloon to apply pressure to stop the wound. IV fluids and blood products may be given in order to prevent hypovolemia from excess blood loss.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Stark Law is a set of United States federal laws that prohibit physician self-referral, specifically a referral by a physician of a Medicare or Medicaid patient to an entity for the provision of designated health services ("DHS") if the physician (or an immediate family member) has a financial relationship with that entity. The term "referral" means "the request by a physician for the item or service" for Medicare Part B services and "the request or establishment of a plan of care by a physician which includes the provision of the designated health service" for all other services. DHS includes "clinical laboratory services"; "physical therapy services"; "occupational therapy services"; "radiology services, including magnetic resonance imaging, computerized axial tomography scans, and ultrasound services"; "radiation therapy services and supplies"; "durable medical equipment and supplies"; "parenteral and enteral nutrients, equipment, and supplies"; "prosthetics, orthotics, and prosthetic devices and supplies"; "home health services"; "outpatient prescription drugs"; "inpatient and outpatient hospital services"; and "outpatient speech-language pathology services." A "financial relationship" includes ownership, investment interest, and compensation arrangements. The Stark Law contains several exceptions, including physician services, in-office ancillary services, ownership in publicly traded securities and mutual funds, rental of office space and equipment, and bona fide employment relationship.
Nielsen, Brenner and Janda also used the Kerr approach for implementing the DNA encoding In the latest period of time there were important advancements in DNA sequencing. The next generation techniques make it possible to sequence large number of samples in parallel that is very important in screening of DNA encoded libraries. There was another innovation that contributed to the success of DNA encoding. In 2000, Halpin and Harbury omitted the solid support in the split-mix synthesis of the DNA encoded combinatorial libraries and replaced it by the encoding DNA oligomers. In solid phase split and pool synthesis, the number of components of libraries can't exceed the number of the beads of the support. By the novel approach of the authors, this restraint was eliminated and made it possible to prepare new compounds in practically unlimited number. The Danish company Nuevolution, for example, synthesized a DNA encoded library containing 40 trillion! components The DNA encoded libraries are soluble and s posit ible to apply the efficient affinity binding in screening. Some authors use the acronym DEL for DNA encoded combinatorial libraries, while others use DECL. The latter seems better since in this name, the combinatorial nature of these libraries is clearly expressed. Sev Sal types of DNA encoded combinatorial libraries had been introduced and described in the first decade of the present millennium. These libraries are very successfully applied in drug research.
=== Potential interactions === Several adverse interactions with drugs have been documented, both prescription and nonprescription, including, but not limited to: anticonvulsants, alcohol, anxiolytics (central nervous system depressants such as benzodiazepines), antipsychotics, levodopa, diuretics, and drugs metabolized by CYP450 in the liver. A few notable potential drug interactions are:
== January 16, 1982 (Saturday) == The United Kingdom and Vatican City established diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level for the first time. In the state of Kerala in India, 24 people were killed in the sinking of an overcrowded boat as it was crossing Sasthamcotta Lake in poor weather, followed by a sinking of a boat that had come to the survivors' rescue."41 years since the Sasthamkotta Lake disaster", www.madhyamam.com (in Malayalam) Random drawings were held by FIFA at the Palacio de Congresos (Madrid) in Madrid for the grouping of the 24 teams that had qualified for the 1982 FIFA World Cup to be held in Spain starting on June 13. Of the 24 teams, divided by lot into six 4-team groups, 14 were UEFA members from Europe, 4 were CONMEBOL members from South America, 2 were CONCACAF teams from Central America, two from Africa, one (New Zealand) from Oceania and one (Kuwait) from the Middle East. National teams appearing for the first time in the World Cup were Honduras, New Zealand, Algeria, Cameroon and Kuwait. Born: Birgitte Hjort Sørensen, Danish stage, film and television actress known as co-star of the political drama series Borgen; in Hillerød Died: Marcel Francisci, 62, French businessman and smuggler accused of being the mastermind of the French Connection narcotics trafficking network, was shot to death in Paris as he was preparing to get into his car. Mahmud Yunus, 82, Indonesian Muslim preacher and author of 75 theological books
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
=== Neuronal membrane === The brain preferentially uses choline to synthesize acetylcholine. This limits the amount of choline available to synthesize phosphatidylcholine. When the availability of choline is low or the need for acetylcholine increases, phospholipids containing choline can be catabolized from neuronal membranes. These phospholipids include sphingomyelin and phosphatidylcholine. Supplementation with citicoline can increase the amount of choline available for acetylcholine synthesis and aid in rebuilding membrane phospholipid stores after depletion. Citicoline decreases phospholipase stimulation. This can lower levels of hydroxyl radicals produced after an ischemia and prevent cardiolipin from being catabolized by phospholipase A2. It can also work to restore cardiolipin levels in the inner mitochondrial membrane.
The deal was to constitute a reverse merger, whereby Allergan acquired Pfizer, with the new company then changing its name to "Pfizer, plc". On April 6, 2016, Pfizer and Allergan terminated the merger agreement after the Obama administration and the United States Department of the Treasury introduced new laws intended to limit corporate inversions (the extent to which companies could move their headquarters overseas in order to reduce the amount of taxes they pay). In June 2016, the company acquired Anacor Pharmaceuticals for $5.2 billion, expanding its portfolio in both inflammation and immunology drugs areas. In August 2016, the company made a $40 million bid for the assets of BIND Therapeutics, which was in bankruptcy. The same month, the company acquired Bamboo Therapeutics for $645 million, expanding its gene therapy offerings. In September 2016, the company acquired cancer drug-maker Medivation for $14 billion. In October 2016, the company licensed the anti-CTLA4 monoclonal antibody, ONC-392, from OncoImmune. In November 2016, Pfizer funded a $3,435,600 study with the CDC Foundation to research "screen-and-treat" strategies for cryptococcal disease in Botswana. In December 2016, Pfizer acquired AstraZeneca's small-molecule antibiotics business for $1.575 billion. In January 2018, Pfizer announced that it would end its work on research into treatments for Alzheimer's disease and Parkinsonism (a symptom of Parkinson's disease and other conditions). The company said about 300 researchers would lose their jobs.
Non-pathogenic organisms can become pathogenic given specific conditions, and even the most virulent organism requires certain circumstances to cause a compromising infection. Some colonizing bacteria, such as Corynebacteria sp. and Viridans streptococci, prevent the adhesion and colonization of pathogenic bacteria and thus have a symbiotic relationship with the host, preventing infection and speeding wound healing.
Someone with a good memory of the conversation once told me how Lord Carrington, then one of the "mediators" of the incipient post-Yugoslavia war, came to the conclusion that Slobodan Milosevic was a highly dangerous man. Well-disposed toward Serbia (as the British establishment has always been), Carrington told the late dictator that he understood Serb concerns about significant Serbian minorities in Bosnia and Croatia. But why did Milosevic also insist on exclusive control over Kosovo, where the Albanian population was approximately 90 percent? "That," replied Milosevic coldly, "is for historical reasons." It's a shame, in retrospect, that it took us so long to diagnose the pathology of Serbia's combination of arrogance and self-pity, in which what is theirs is theirs and what is anybody else's is negotiable. After the war, Hitchens supported Kosovo's independence and criticized the burning of the US Embassy in Belgrade as a response to it:
== MD Curriculum == In August 2023, the UNC School of Medicine launched the second version of its Translational Education at Carolina (TEC) curriculum, known as TEC 2.0. The original TEC curriculum, first implemented in 2014, is designed to integrate basic science courses with longitudinal patient care, allowing students to gain clinical experience earlier than in traditional curricula. It consists of three key phases through which medical students progress.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Reports describe modulation of GABA signalling, changes in monoamine turnover and effects on neurotrophic factor expression. These observations come mainly from animal and cell studies. A single unifying mechanism has not been demonstrated.
The peptide enters plasma rapidly and is broken down by ordinary proteases into amino acids and shorter fragments. Reported half-lives are short. Whether meaningful amounts of the intact molecule reach the brain is an open question.
Most clinical reports are small, published in Russian and not independently replicated. English-language reviews highlight the absence of large randomised trials. Conclusions about efficacy should be treated as provisional.
Selank is a synthetic heptapeptide designed as a stabilized analog of the natural tetrapeptide tuftsin. It has been investigated mainly for anxiolytic and cognitive effects. It is not an approved pharmaceutical in most countries.