Selank is a synthetic analog of the natural immunopeptide tuftsin, and used clinically in Russia for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. It may reduce anxiety by modulating neurotransmitters and influencing the gene expression of neural receptors. Selank has additional potential to improve learning and memory, reduce pain and stress, and act as a mood stabilizer.
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Selank is a synthetic compound designed to mimic the endogenous tetrapeptide tuftsin, but with an added three-amino acid elongation that makes it more stable and longer-acting [1].
It has primarily been studied for its anti-anxiety properties. Three notable human experiments documented the following effects of Selank administration [2, 3, 4]:
More Selank data gathered from animals studies indicates that the peptide may also [5, 6, 7]:
No notable side effects have been reported during Selank studies that were definitively correlated with the peptide treatment. However, studies to date have been over short time periods with no known longitudinal studies or follow-ups to determine the long-term effects of Selank usage.
While the United States Food and Drug Administration has not reviewed nor approved Selank for human use, qualified researchers may purchase this purported nootropic for laboratory experimentation.
Selank shows potential for a range of medical applications. Below are a few of the purported benefits of Selank.
Benzodiazepines are drugs utilized for their anxiety- and pain-relieving effects, which occur via enhancement of the inhibitory action of GABA by allosteric modulation of the GABA receptors [8]. Selank has been shown to work similarly to benzodiazepines like diazepam and phenazepam, although without their same side effects and addiction potential [9].
Even if Selank cannot completely supplant benzodiazepine treatment for some people, there is evidence that the peptide can augment the action of phenazepam, which is used to treat anxiety disorders.
When researchers administered Selank concurrently with phenazepam to human volunteers with anxiety spectrum disorders, the patients experienced all the expected benefits of phenazepam—yet the drug’s usual adverse effects, like memory loss and sleepiness, were significantly decreased by the addition of Selank [10].
Selank, like tuftsin, exerts immunomodulatory effects by influencing the receptors on monocytes, leukocytes, and macrophages. But Selank also acts in the central nervous system pathway to regulate cytokines and cellular immune responses, thus increasing resistance to viruses [11].
When a rat study compared the effectiveness of Selank to the antiviral drug recombinant interferon-α (IFN-α) for the treatment of an influenza virus, Selank outperformed IFN-α at suppressing the reproduction of the virus in vitro, especially when administered prophylactically. In vivo, the prophylactic use of Selank improved the survival rate of animal subjects that had been infected with the same virus [12].
Selank is a purported nootropic, or cognitive-enhancing substance, which has also shown its potential to prevent or reverse damage to the brain caused by a variety of injuries.
Notably, Selank appears to offer a degree of protection against memory impairment resulting from elevated levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus and frontal cortex due to alcohol misuse.
In a study involving rats subjected to a 30-week alcohol consumption regimen, those administered Selank alongside alcohol demonstrated enhanced performance in object recognition tasks, a lack of memory and attention deficits, and no elevation in BDNF levels, unlike the untreated rats [7].
Selank is not an approved drug outside of Russia and the CIS, so researchers need to approach it with caution. Nevertheless, studies conducted thus far have reported minimal adverse effects when administering Selank to either human or animal subjects.
To date, there are no confirmed Selank-related side effects that have been validated in human studies.
Results from studies on the synergistic effects of Selank when used with these medications showed that Selank actually improved the desired outcomes of therapy while reducing the other drugs’ side effects [9, 10].
Independent researchers occasionally report unwanted symptoms when administering Selank, though not necessarily related to Selank itself. Here is a list of some of these complaints:
These side effects are likely due to the route of administration, which would typically be a nasal spray or subcutaneously
Again, data on the side effects related to Selank administration is sparse. The lack of data on adverse events could be attributed to a number of reasons, including:
The frequency of Selank side effects is low and the severity of any reported side effects has been mild.
Researchers may take the following steps to minimize the possibility of adverse effects during Selank administration:
There are two scientifically-backed routes of administration for Selank:
Intranasally via a spray or dropper, or subcutaneously. We’ll briefly summarize both routes.
Intranasal administration is the preferred efficacious delivery route for Selank [13].
Selank nasal spray represents an easy way to administer the peptide without the need for injections. Insufflated Selank rapidly penetrates the blood-brain barrier and almost immediately works in the central nervous system. The downside to nasal administration is rapid metabolism of the peptide, which may necessitate multiple doses throughout the day.
Selank administered in nasal spray form acts slightly differently than when administered as injections. For example, one study on mice found that intranasal Selank increased the binding sites for NMDA without affecting GABA receptors while injected Selank did the opposite, even though both routes resulted in similar anxiolytic and nootropic outcomes [14].
Selank injections into fat tissue may have a slower and more sustained action in the body [14]. This route of administration is preferred by researchers who may seek a more systemic effect and/or wish to administer a lower, single dose compared to the intranasal route.
Here is a table summarizing the pros and cons of both methods:
| Selank Nasal Spray | Selank Injections | |
| Pros | easy to administer | effective at low doses |
| no needles or reconstitution required | effects last longer than nasally administered Selank | |
| convenient | ||
| Cons | short-acting | injection-related risks (infection, pain/swelling, etc.) |
| potential for sinus/nasal irritation | less convenient and more time-consuming to prepare | |
| larger dose needed compared injectable Selank | may be unsuitable for some research subjects |
When deciding on which form of Selank to purchase, researchers must consider the goals of their experimentation, their own comfort level administering Selank, and the comfort level of subjects with the different types of administration.
Researchers are well-advised to source their Selank from a vendor that guarantees purity and quality.
Unfortunately, Selank purchased online may contain contaminants or impurities. This is why professionals should always buy their peptides from a vendor that sources their materials from accredited facilities and uses in-house and/or third-party testing to verify product purity.
Some common contaminants or impurities that can be found in low-purity peptides may include:
Some of the most reliable testing methods used to assess the purity and quality of pharmaceuticals are high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry
[15, 16].
Our recommended vendors for Selank employ independent third-party laboratories to conduct the above assessments and provide a detailed Certificate of Analysis for each compound they sell.
At Peptideinfo.net, our team is constantly on top of the peptide market and are aware of the best places to buy research chemicals online.
We recommend two trusted Selank suppliers based on product type:
Research Peptide is our retailer of choice for Selank nasal spray. Here is why we trust this company to provide consumers with legitimate products:
By now you’re aware that if you wish to conduct Selank research you’ll need to choose between a nasal spray formulation and injections.
Here is a recap of the differences between the two routes to help inform your decision:
Absorption and Bioavailability: Intranasal administration of Selank is the faster-acting method of delivery [13]. Although nasal spray will produce speedy results, the body’s rapid metabolism of Selank means that you may need to dose the peptide throughout the day.
Subcutaneous Selank injection is associated with excellent bioavailability [13]. When injected into adipose tissue, a low dose of Selank will release steadily into the subject’s system for subtler, longer-lasting effects [14].
Safety: Most reported side effects of Selank have been related to the chosen route of administration. Reports of side effects have been rare. Some nasal spray users have complained of sinus pain, headaches, and hoarseness. Some injected subjects felt pain where they were injected, experienced bruising or swelling, or had skin flushing and nausea.
Cost and Accessibility: If we look at the cost difference between our two preferred vendors, it is slightly more economical to purchase and use the injectable form of Selank. However, Selank nasal spray could be more accessible for a variety of reasons, and bypasses the need for reconstitution while increasing compliance.
If researchers opt to order lyophilized Selank powder for injection, they will also need certain supplies:
This list is not comprehensive.
When it comes to reconstituting peptides, bacteriostatic water is considered superior to all other solvents. This is due to the presence of benzyl alcohol, a preservative in bacteriostatic water that helps prevent bacterial contamination and thereby extends the dissolved peptide’s shelf life [19].
Selank is a tuftsin analog with reported anxiolytic, antiviral, immunomodulatory, and nootropic effects.
More human studies on Selank must be conducted to establish its long-term safety. However, the research published to date indicates that Selank is well-tolerated and has few notable adverse effects in short-term studies.
Selank cannot be administered as a sublingual or oral treatment but has high bioavailability via nasal spray and subcutaneously.
Whether a researchers chooses to experiment with Selank nasal spray or injectable Selank, do make sure the vendor holds itself and its manufacturing partners to the highest of standards.
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