Selank Ultimate Guide: Its Benefits, Dosages & Use Cases

*The below article and information are based on lab research data of Selank, this is not medical advice in any kind of shape or form.

Scientific discoveries? They happen when surprise findings meet the right team. The lab that discovered Selank — an anxiety-fighting peptide that’s neither addictive nor a sedative — wasn’t even looking for a mental health compound.

Dr Nikolai Myasoedov and Dr Igor Ashmarin just wanted to create a stable, synthetic version of the immune-boosting peptide Tuftsin. They succeeded, but their studies soon demonstrated another, more unexpected effect. The team from the Russian Institute of Molecular Genetics had accidentally created an entirely new class of anxiolytics.

Selank brings calm to racing minds, and it manages to do that without making people drowsy — but, just as intended, it also balances the immune system.

That opens some very interesting research doors. Chronic stress is a breeding ground for systemic inflammation, and it’s all too easy to get stuck in a cycle where anxiety makes you sick, and being sick makes you anxious. Selank tackles that nasty feedback loop from both ends at once.

Thanks to years of research, Selank is already approved for anxiety disorders in Russia. But the science is far from finished. Stroke and traumatic brain injury recovery are among the new research directions, and you might be surprised by the other potential applications, too.

A Brief History of Selank Peptide & How It Was Discovered

Nobody who pays any attention to peptide research can fail to notice that an unusually large number of brand-new compounds have come out of Russia (or the Soviet Union). Selank is one of a handful of internationally famous ones — along with, for instance, Semax, Epithalon, Cerebrolysin, and Thymalin.

That “pedigree” isn’t random. The idea that you can regulate different systems to optimize health and performance, instead of mainly “fixing what’s broken” (as Western medicine largely does) is key in Russian thinking. Peptides help do that. That includes the many peptides naturally floating around the human body, but also different ones found in various animals.

The scientists at the Institute of Molecular Genetics — the lab that developed many of the most researched peptides — weren’t only in it to help people be healthier. Their main mission was to support the Soviet military and another group of equally strategically-important professionals, one working in the most extreme environment possible. Their cosmonauts.

The team behind Selank started off with Tuftsin. This natural peptide makes neutrophils and macrophages work harder, faster, and smarter to kill pathogens. As with many powerful natural peptides, this one has a particularly short half life. Bottle it and inject it, and the recipient’s body breaks it down almost instantly. Not useful for research.

So Myasoedov and Ashmarin tacked the stabilizing sequence Prolyl-Glycyl-Proline to the end. That did the job — but research quickly showed that Selank was even better than the team hoped for. It adds an extra line of defense that makes for a stronger immune system, but it also happens to have strong anxiety-fighting and mood-boosting effects. “Two for the price of one” is already pretty good, but as research continued, even more applications appeared promising.

How Does Selank Work?

Selank is Tuftsin+ — it works just like the natural peptide Myasoedov and his team modeled it after, but longer and more predictably.

Selank fights anxiety and stress in two ways. First, it normalizes dysregulated serotonin and dopamine levels (like antidepressants). Then, it boosts GABA for “calming vibes.” Selank boosts BDNF, Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor, too. Memory gets more reliable, and new tasks are easier to master, when you have more BDNF, so Selank is a true nootropic.

On the immune system front, Selank puts the brake on inflammatory cytokines — great right after an injury, but often dangerous later on. People who suffer from chronic pain might also benefit from a third thing it does — stopping the enzymatic degradation that destroys the natural painkillers enkephalins too quickly.

Versatile? You bet. It’s no wonder that studies have looked at so many different areas already.

What Kind of Studies Were Made With Selank on Humans So Far? What Were The Effects & What to Expect Next?

Immunology was the starting point for Selank research, but science has only branched out from there. Curious about the most promising findings? These fields of study top the list.

Research Into Selank for Immune Health and Resilience

As a long-acting Tutfsin analog, making white blood cells more effective at engulfing and destroying pathogens is one of this peptide’s main jobs. It’s not exactly an “immune booster,” though. Selank is more of a balancer. Selank manages inflammation by normalizing cytokines — with some promising results. [1]

Wounds more quickly [2]. Biochemical results improve sooner after drug-induced liver damage. Regeneration becomes more effective. [3] There’s even antiviral potential. [4] Selank does what it was intended to do. What it was expected to do. But that’s not all.

Selank in the Treatment of Anxiety Disorders and Stress

The most-studied area — likely because it’s where new clinical solutions are most sorely needed. Research into Selank as an anxiety treatment has piled on over the years. It started with mice, who, when subjected to stressful mazes, stayed calm after being administered Selank. It continued with human trials. By now, it’s clear that Selank is just as effective as most benzodiazepines. Except, unlike them, the peptide doesn’t saddle people with perpetual brain fog — or pose a risk of addiction. [4, 5]

Selank is an approved treatment for generalized anxiety disorder in Russia, but PTSD and specific phobias could easily become the next targets for serious research. Another very promising direction? Chronic pain disorders and depression/anxiety often coincide — and they make each other worse. Selank targets both. The ability to break this cycle would help millions.

Selank as a Nootropic — Sharper Cognition and Easier Learning

Anxiety is one of the biggest barriers to sharp thinking, so you’d be forgiven for thinking that’s all this is. It actually gets more exciting. Research demonstrates that subjects that “initially [had] poor learning ability” suddenly got smarter and better at mastering new skills. With Selank, rats doing complex puzzles arrived at more correct conclusions. They made fewer mistakes. They remembered important information faster. [6]

The reasons why aren’t totally clear yet, but they’re almost definitely related to the fact that Selank boosts BDNF. Besides that, normalizing serotonin and dopamine levels under stress is good news for learning, memory, and attention span — all of the things that would make rats better at puzzles. [7]

Soviet scientists were excited about the nootropic effects of their peptides, but cosmonauts are far from the only group of people operating under extreme and chronic stress. CEOs and students everywhere would be just as interested in the thought that a natural peptide could soothe their stress while maximizing their cognitive performance.

Fuller Recovery From Stroke and Traumatic Brain Injury

This is the next frontier — so watch this space. Early animal studies already prove that Selank can reduce the extent of brain damage and contribute to fuller recovery after stroke. The proposed mechanism works on three fronts. Semax slashes the harmful overactivation of nerve cells usually seen after brain injuries, but it also fights inflammation and helps synapses repair themselves. [8]

We have no doubt that human trials are in the future if animal research continues to show such promising results. Many of the studies that investigate the neuroprotective potential of Selank are no more than a few years old, though, so it may take some time — and scientists hoping to get their names into groundbreaking papers have lots of exciting opportunities in this area.

Selank to Strengthen Natural Pain Relief Opioids

Enkephalins are the painkillers few people have heard of, but almost everyone’s benefited from at one time or another. These are the opioids you make yourself when you’re in so much pain that you have trouble coping — but they don’t last nearly as long as most people in serious agony would like. That’s because enzymes break them down.

Russian research shows that Selank and Semax (another peptide developed by the same team) slow down the rate at which these enzymes are destroyed. In plain English? Selank doesn’t act as a painkiller. It’s an anti-anti-painkiller — a compound that stops the endogenous pain management process from wearing off too soon. [9]

For now, that’s just a curiosity, but it might not have to stay that way. In theory, Selank could become a non-addictive way to induce natural pain relief somewhere down the line.

Where Might Selank Research Go Next?

A bit of speculation is always fun — and in this case, it’s also grounded in logic. Selank is an obvious research choice for any lab already studying solutions to questions about conditions with inflammatory and mental health components.

Chronic fatigue syndrome and long COVID top the list. Alzheimer’s and treatment resistant depression have already been mentioned in some studies. After that? Nobody can be sure — but studying how Selank impacts other conditions inflammatory conditions, like arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, and mononucleosis would certainly be worthwhile.

What Delivery Methods do Selank Studies Use?

Subcutaneous or Intramuscular injection and nasal spray are the most common ways to administer Selank — in animal studies and human trials, but also in clinics. (Remember, Selank is already an approved treatment in Russia.)

SubQ/IM delivery is convenient for researchers, because it leads to a predictable response. The peptide gets to the blood stream, starts circulating, and reaches cells everywhere. It’s got good bioavailability. That’s important for studies into its effects on the immune system, but many rodent studies into neurological benefits use the same method. In these cases, researchers first prepare the compound by reconstituting it with bacteriostatic water. This sterile solvent allows for multi-dose studies over several weeks.

Selank nasal spray is more patient-friendly and fast-acting, so it’s no surprise that researchers have worked hard to develop one that works well. You’ll see intranasal administration in clinical trials that research the anxiolytic advantages of Selank — not because subQ injection wouldn’t work just as well, but because it helps anxious people stick with the program.

Neither intramuscular nor IV administration are standard, but if you dig hard, you might come across some studies that use it. These delivery routes work quickly and make the compound more absorbable, but in human trials, they’re also a lot harder to get approved.

What Are The Common Dosing Protocols Researched So Far?

Researchers can review a library full of Russian studies, from murine models to clinical trials. They cover decades of findings. It only makes sense to take them as a starting point for new study designs.

Intranasal Selank dosing usually sits somewhere between 100 and 600 mcg a day. Anxiety studies often divide these doses into two or three portions so keep the compound active at all times.

Study designs that rely on subcutaneous or intramuscular injection delivery also use daily dosing. Selank has higher bioavailability that way, and you’ll see doses between 100 and 500 mcg per day.

No matter the delivery method, researchers begin with the lowest possible dose. This allows them to observe the model’s response before increasing it.

FAQs

Is Selank anti-inflammatory?

Absolutely. Researchers developed this Tutfsin analog with the hope of creating an immune-regulating anti-inflammatory compound. It reduces excessive inflammation, which helps with chronic stress and slow wound healing.

What does Selank do to the brain?

Selank increases BDNF, associated with learning and memory, and simultaneously balances neurotransmitters for a better mood. It’s an approved treatment for anxiety in Russia. Research proves it helps people under (extreme) stress function better. Studies on its potential to fight neuroinflammation also exist, but are in their earlier phases.

For which conditions is Selank approved in Russia?

Russian doctors regularly prescribe Selank for generalized anxiety disorder and neurasthenia. That second diagnosis no longer exists in Western countries, but it amounts to systemic physical and mental exhaustion associated with irritability — a description that will sound familiar to many.

Has research led to any data on the safety of long-term Selank use?

The Russian human trials that looked at Selank for anxiety had longer designs. Most people tolerate this peptide very well, but subcutaneous administration is, for some patients, a little frightening. Nasal sprays have been developed to make Selank more patient-friendly.

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