Selank: Tuftsin Analogue Research Guide (2026)
Last updated
Introduction (research-only scope)
Selank is a synthetic heptapeptide developed at the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Moscow as a stabilised analogue of tuftsin, a natural immunomodulatory fragment of immunoglobulin G. It is studied mainly in anxiety-behaviour and immune gene-expression models. This guide covers what it is, what the literature reports and how to verify research-grade material.
Research use only. The material described here is a laboratory reagent for in-vitro research by qualified professionals. It is not a medicine, supplement, cosmetic ingredient or veterinary product, is not for human or animal use, and nothing on this page is medical advice or a claim of effect in any person.
What is Selank?
Selank (molecular mass 751.89, CAS 129954-34-3) is tuftsin extended with a Pro-Gly-Pro tail that resists rapid enzymatic breakdown. The same stabilisation strategy produced Semax from a different parent fragment, which is why the two are usually discussed together; see Selank vs Semax. Peptra Labs supplies it as a lyophilised research reagent, 10 mg per vial.
How the reported mechanism works
GABAergic modulation
A 2018 review of its molecular pharmacology describes effects on GABA-A signalling and inhibition of enkephalin-degrading enzymes as the reported basis for its behavioural profile in animal models.
Immune gene expression
Two studies from the originating group, in 2011 and 2014, reported shifts in inflammation-related transcripts in mouse spleen after Selank administration, including the time course of those changes. That immune arm is what distinguishes Selank from purely neuroactive peptides.
What the published evidence covers
Selank is a registered medicine in Russia and carries a body of Russian-language clinical literature connected to that registration, plus a smaller international preclinical literature. The same reading caution applies as to every compound with this profile: much of the mechanistic work comes from laboratories connected to the originating institute, and independent replication outside that circle is the scarcest resource. There are no EU or US clinical trial programmes.
How to verify a Selank research peptide is real and pure
Two tests answer two different questions: mass spectrometry confirms identity (expected molecular mass 751.89), HPLC quantifies purity. Our specification is at least 98%. Check the batch number printed on your vial against the lab reports archive: where a batch has been tested, its report is published there and links to the testing laboratory’s own verification page. If your batch is not listed yet, ask us for its documentation before use; a “typical” certificate is not evidence for a specific vial. See how to read a certificate of analysis.
Storage and reconstitution
Store the lyophilised material sealed, dry and protected from light at 2 to 8 °C for routine laboratory use, colder for long-term archiving. After reconstitution with bacteriostatic water, keep refrigerated and use within the window your protocol defines; repeated freeze-thaw cycles degrade peptides. General handling for all our reagents is in the peptide storage protocol.
Regulatory status
Selank is a registered medicine in Russia, typically as a nasal formulation. It has no marketing authorisation in the European Union, the United Kingdom or the United States, and material supplied under a research-use framework is not that medicinal product. It is not named individually on the WADA Prohibited List, but section S0 covers substances without approval for human therapeutic use. Research-grade material supplied here is not a medicine and is for in-vitro laboratory use only. The wider framework, including anti-doping status, is described in the peptide risk profile.
Why labs choose our Selank
Batch-numbered vials, published reports where a batch has been tested, shipping from an EU warehouse with tracking (no customs inside the EU) and prices shown with VAT included. Product page: Selank 10 mg. Country-by-country sourcing questions are covered in the buyer guide Buy Selank in Europe.
References
- Kolomin T et al. Peptide-based Anxiolytics: The Molecular Aspects of Heptapeptide Selank Biological Activity. Protein Pept Lett. 2018. PubMed 30255741
- Kolomin T et al. Expression of inflammation-related genes in mouse spleen under tuftsin analog Selank. Regul Pept. 2011. PubMed 21609736
- Kolomin T et al. The temporary dynamics of inflammation-related genes expression under tuftsin analog Selank action. Mol Immunol. 2014. PubMed 24291245