This is a working overview of heptapeptide, written for readers who want more than a one-paragraph summary but less than a textbook.
Reviewed 2026-03-05. Anything still debated is marked as such rather than presented as settled.
The compound was designed at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences during the 1980s and 1990s. The stated design goal was to retain the immunomodulatory and central nervous system activity attributed to tuftsin while improving resistance to enzymatic breakdown. Adding a proline-rich tail to the short parent peptide was a deliberate strategy, because proline residues restrict the conformations available to many peptidases. The same laboratory produced Semax, an ACTH fragment analog, and both compounds were developed in parallel as short, enzymatically stabilized peptides intended for intranasal use.
Selank is not a naturally occurring peptide and has no known endogenous counterpart in human physiology. Russian-language sources frequently call it TP-7, while English-language sources use the name Selank almost exclusively. Database indexing is uneven, partly because early reports appeared in regional journals that are not widely cataloged. Some summaries describe the material as a tuftsin analog and others as a synthetic heptapeptide; the labels overlap rather than conflict. Citing the primary sequence resolves ambiguity more reliably than the research or trade name alone.
Selank is a synthetic heptapeptide with the sequence Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro, written TKPRPGP in one-letter notation. Its structure consists of the immunomodulatory tetrapeptide tuftsin, Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg, extended at the carboxyl terminus by a Pro-Gly-Pro segment. The molecular formula is commonly given as C33H57N11O9, corresponding to a monoisotopic mass near 751.4 Da and an average molecular mass near 751.9 Da. All seven residues are proteinogenic amino acids, and the molecule carries no modified side chains or non-natural linkages.
Regulatory status differs sharply by region. Selank holds a Russian marketing authorization, where it is supplied mainly as nasal drops, while authorities elsewhere have not approved it for medical use. Material sold internationally is therefore usually labeled as a research chemical rather than a medicine. Peer-reviewed publications come predominantly from Russian laboratories, and sample sizes are generally small. Whether the compound produces comparable effects under independent, well-controlled replication remains an open question that the broader literature has not settled.
Selank is a synthetic heptapeptide developed in Russia as a structural analogue of tuftsin, a naturally occurring immunomodulatory tetrapeptide. Its sequence, Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro, keeps the tuftsin core at the N-terminus and appends a Pro-Gly-Pro tail. Researchers at the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Moscow synthesized the compound during the 1990s while searching for peptides with combined anxiolytic and immunomodulatory activity. The added tail was intended to resist enzymatic cleavage and prolong the molecule's presence in circulation.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Peptide sequence | Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro | Seven residues; tuftsin plus a Pro-Gly-Pro tail |
| Molecular formula | C33H57N11O9 | Commonly reported value for the free peptide |
| Monoisotopic mass | Roughly 751.4 Da | Average molecular mass near 751.9 Da |
| Appearance | White to off-white powder | Typically supplied as a lyophilized solid |
| Solubility class | Freely soluble in water | Also dissolves in saline and other polar solvents |
Once dissolved, the peptide is markedly less stable than the dry powder. Aqueous solutions are subject to backbone hydrolysis and to microbial growth when they are handled without sterile technique. Buffered solutions near neutral pH are common for short-term laboratory work, while acidic conditions are sometimes used to improve solubility. Analytical laboratories generally prepare working solutions fresh rather than storing them, and a residual water film left in a reopened vial can seed degradation even when the container appears dry.
Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography is the standard technique for estimating peptide purity. The result is a peak-area percentage, which describes how much of the detected material elutes as the main peak in one run. Mass spectrometry confirms the molecular mass and can reveal truncated, adducted, or otherwise modified species. Amino acid analysis or tandem mass spectrometry can address sequence fidelity when identity is in doubt. None of these measurements, taken alone, establishes that a sample is fit for any specific purpose.
Selank is a synthetic heptapeptide with the sequence Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro. Its four N-terminal residues reproduce tuftsin, a tetrapeptide fragment of the immunoglobulin heavy chain, while the C-terminal Pro-Gly-Pro extension is a synthetic addition. The peptide has a molecular mass near 752 daltons and carries a net positive charge at physiological pH because of the arginine and lysine side chains. Published indexes list it under the name Selank and the sequence abbreviation TKPRPGP. Solid-phase peptide synthesis is the standard production route for research quantities.
Development took place at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, where a series of short peptides were designed in the 1980s and 1990s. Selank was selected from variants of tuftsin that showed resistance to plasma peptidases. Russian regulatory approval covers it as an anxiolytic agent given intranasally. Outside that market the compound is normally handled as a research chemical rather than a medicine, and no widely recognised international pharmacopoeial monograph exists. The name Selank is a coined trade designation rather than a systematic chemical name.
Reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection near 214 nanometres is the standard purity method. Mass spectrometry, typically electrospray ionisation, confirms identity through the expected mass-to-charge pattern. Amino acid analysis can verify composition independently. Chiral purity requires separate techniques such as derivatisation followed by chromatographic separation, and such data are rarely reported for research-grade material.
Quantification in biological matrices relies on liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry with stable-isotope internal standards. Low plasma concentrations and adsorption to container surfaces both complicate measurement. Solid-phase extraction is often needed to reduce matrix interference before injection. Reported limits of quantification differ widely between laboratories, which makes direct comparison of pharmacokinetic results difficult and limits meta-analysis.
Peptide bonds are vulnerable to protease attack, and Selank is no exception. Measured half-life in serum is short, on the order of minutes in several reports, which explains why intranasal administration is the common route described in the literature. Absorption across the nasal mucosa partially bypasses first-pass hepatic metabolism. Quantitative data on human bioavailability remain limited and are difficult to compare across studies.
Published work on this peptide almost always uses intranasal delivery, with drops or a spray applied to the nasal mucosa. Some animal experiments have used subcutaneous or intraperitoneal injection, and a smaller number have compared routes directly. Oral administration is not a focus of the literature, because short peptides of this size are broken down by digestive enzymes and cross intestinal barriers poorly. How much of an intranasal dose reaches the bloodstream intact in humans remains an open question.
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.
=== Elastin and keratin === Elastin is a fibrous protein common in various soft tissues, like skin, blood vessels and lung tissue. Each monomer connects with each other, forming a 3D network, with ability to endure over 200% strain before deformation. Keratin is a structural protein mainly found in hair, nails, hooves, horns, quills. Basically keratin is formed by polypeptide chains, which coil into α-helices with sulfur cross-links or bond into β-sheets linked by hydrogen bonding. β-keratin, which is tougher than α-conformation, is more common in birds and reptiles.
=== Extracellular vesicles === In 2016, Huleihel et al., reported the presence of DNA, RNA, and Matrix-bound nanovesicles (MBVs) within ECM bioscaffolds. MBVs shape and size were found to be consistent with previously described exosomes. MBVs cargo includes different protein molecules, lipids, DNA, fragments, and miRNAs. Similar to ECM bioscaffolds, MBVs can modify the activation state of macrophages and alter different cellular properties such as; proliferation, migration and cell cycle. MBVs are now believed to be an integral and functional key component of ECM bioscaffolds.
== Decay and capture products == A 135Xe atom that does not capture a neutron undergoes beta decay to 135Cs, one of the 7 long-lived fission products, while a 135Xe that does capture a neutron becomes almost-stable 136Xe. The probability of capturing a neutron before decay varies with the neutron flux, which itself depends on the kind of reactor, fuel enrichment and power level; and the 135Cs / 136Xe ratio switches its predominant branch very near usual reactor conditions. Estimates of the proportion of 135Xe during steady-state reactor operation that captures a neutron include 90%, 39%–91% and "essentially all". For instance, in a (somewhat high) neutron flux of 1014 n·cm−2·s−1, the xenon cross section of σ = 2.65×10−18 cm2 (2.65×106 barn) would lead to a capture probability of 2.65×10−4 s−1, which corresponds to a half-life of about one hour. Compared to the 9.14 hour half-life of 135Xe, this nearly ten-to-one ratio means that under such conditions, essentially all 135Xe would capture a neutron before decay. But if the neutron flux is lowered to one-tenth of this value, like in CANDU reactors, the ratio would be 50-50, and half the 135Xe would decay to 135Cs before neutron capture. 136Xe from neutron capture ends up as part of the eventual stable fission xenon which also includes 134Xe, 132Xe, and 131Xe produced by fission and beta decay rather than neutron capture. Nuclei of 133Xe, 137Xe, and 135Xe that have not captured a neutron all beta decay to isotopes of caesium.
Three doctors' groups, the Endocrine Society, the American Diabetes Association and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, urged patients to continue to take the drug as it would be much worse to stop all treatment, despite any associated risk, but that patients could consult their doctors and begin a switch to a different drug if they or their doctors find concern. The American Heart Association said in a statement in June 2010: " ...the reports deserves serious consideration, and patients with diabetes who are 65 years of age or older and being treated with rosiglitazone should discuss the findings with their prescribing physician....". "For patients with diabetes, the most serious consequences are heart disease and stroke, and the risk of suffering from them is significantly increased when diabetes is present. As in most situations, patients should not change or stop medications without consulting their healthcare provider."
The bill, if passed, would have allowed Congress, by a concurrent resolution, to require an 11-member commission to conduct an examination of the president and report the findings. In April 2017, forensic psychiatrist Bandy X. Lee hosted a meeting at Yale University medical school regarding the ethics of discussing Trump's mental health. In October 2017, Lee published The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump, containing essays from 27 psychologists, psychiatrists, and mental health professionals on the "clear and present danger" that Trump's mental health poses to the "nation and individual well being". They argued that the president's issues affected the mental health of the United States population, and that he placed the country at grave risk of war because of his pathological traits. They asserted that Trump exhibited narcissistic personality disorder, "extreme present hedonism", and bullying. Carlos Lozada, writing for The Washington Post, considered these conclusions "compelling", but also noted that the book contributors were writing from their own political perspectives and that other mental health professionals held differing views. Lee and others contended that Trump's presidency represented an emergency allowing, or even requiring, psychiatrists to make an exception to the APA's Goldwater rule, which holds that it is unethical for members of the APA to give professional opinions about public figures without having examined them in person and without having obtained their consent.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
== Clinical trials == The drug is currently under development by AbbVie. Navitoclax is used as mono-therapy as well as in combination with chemotherapies (paclitaxel, docetaxel, gemcitabine, and irinotecan), olaparib, erlotinib, venetoclax, and rituximab in advanced hematological malignancies (in both pediatric and adult patients) and solid tumors including ovarian cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer. Additionally, an ongoing global multi-center, randomized, open-label, phase 3 study evaluating efficacy and safety of navitoclax in combination with ruxolitinib versus best available therapy in adult patients with relapsed/refractory myelofibrosis was initiated on 31 August 2020. The study is expected to conclude in 2026.
=== Other films about Soviet Union–United States fears and rivalry === The Third Man (1949) – A major subplot deals with the refugee status of a Czechoslovak woman, and the Russian attempts to deport her back to Czechoslovakia. The Russians Are Coming the Russians Are Coming (1966) – A film about a Soviet submarine that accidentally runs aground near a small New England town. Russian Roulette (1975) – A film starring George Segal about a Canadian Mounty attempting to stop a KGB plot to assassinate a Soviet premier in Vancouver. Telefon (1977) – A film starring Charles Bronson and Donald Pleasence about the net of deep-cover sleeper agents in the US who are being activated by the deserted KGB agent. The Return of Godzilla (1984) — In the 16th installment of the Toho Godzilla franchise, a Soviet nuclear submarine is destroyed by the titular creature, causing tensions between the Soviet Union & America until it is proven by the Japanese government that Godzilla was responsible for its destruction. Later in the movie, a Russian nuclear missile is accidentally fired at Godzilla from a space satellite until an American missile detonates it in the stratosphere long before it can strike Godzilla in Tokyo. Rocky IV (1985) – In this installment of the Rocky saga, Rocky Balboa has to fight Ivan Drago, an extremely powerful boxer from the Soviet Union. Spies Like Us (1985) – A comedy film starring Dan Aykroyd and Chevy Chase as decoy agents send to infiltrate the Soviet Union.
== History == Vegetable soup dates to ancient history. A 5th-century Roman cookbook included a recipe for "a forerunner of onion soup." Broth is mentioned by approximately the year 1000 and potage by the 1400s. Clifford Wright has stated that cabbage soup was important in medieval Italian cuisine. In central Appalachia, vegetable soup, also referred to as winter vegetable soup and country soup, is a traditional staple food and common dish during the months of December–February among Appalachian highlanders.
== June 20, 1915 (Sunday) == The town of South Omaha, Nebraska was annexed by the larger city of Omaha, adding 40,000 residents to the city's population. Born: Terence Young, British film director, directed the James Bond films Dr. No, From Russia with Love and Thunderball; as Stewart Terence Herbert Young, in Shanghai International Settlement, Republic of China (present-day Shanghai, China) (d. 1994)
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
The sequence is Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro, written TKPRPGP in one-letter code. It combines the tetrapeptide tuftsin with a carboxyl-terminal Pro-Gly-Pro extension. This full sequence identifies the molecule more precisely than the research name.
No peptide with this exact sequence has been identified as an endogenous substance. It is a laboratory-designed analog of tuftsin, a naturally occurring immunomodulatory tetrapeptide. The Pro-Gly-Pro extension has no known natural source.
Proline introduces conformational constraints that make a peptide less accessible to common peptidases. This is a standard stabilization strategy in peptide design. The added residues also increase the distance between the active tuftsin portion and typical cleavage sites.
Selank is a synthetic seven-amino-acid peptide modeled on tuftsin, a fragment of the immunoglobulin G heavy chain. It was designed in Russia to combine anxiolytic and immunomodulatory properties in one molecule.