Everything below concerns heptapeptide. We keep the language plain, cite what the science says, and separate well-supported claims from open questions.
Last reviewed on 2026-04-23. Where a claim depends on a specific study, the study is described rather than over-claimed.
Development took place during the 1980s at institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences, where peptide fragments of ACTH were screened for cognitive and neuroprotective effects. The compound received regulatory approval in Russia as a nasal preparation, marketed for conditions such as ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attacks, and optic nerve disorders. Registration in other countries has not followed. Most published clinical reports originate from a small number of Russian research groups, and independent replication outside that setting remains limited. The regulatory status therefore differs sharply between Russia and the rest of the world.
Laboratory work points toward modulation of neurotrophic signaling, particularly expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and nerve growth factor in hippocampal tissue. Studies also describe effects on monoamine turnover, inflammatory mediators, and oxidative markers. These observations come mainly from animal models and cultured cells, so the causal chain in humans is not firmly established. Whether the reported molecular changes translate into measurable clinical benefit is an open question. Reviews generally present the mechanism as plausible rather than demonstrated.
Semax is a synthetic heptapeptide with the sequence Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro. It is described in the literature as an analogue of the ACTH(4–10) fragment, a short N-terminal portion of adrenocorticotropic hormone that retains some neurotropic activity without the full hormonal effects of the parent peptide. The molecule carries a methionine residue at the N-terminus and two proline residues near the C-terminus, features that shape both its interactions with receptor systems and its chemical stability. The free peptide corresponds to the formula C37H51N9O10S and a molecular mass near 813.9 Da.
The compound was developed in the 1980s at the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Moscow, where it emerged from research on short ACTH fragments and their effects on the central nervous system. Russian pharmaceutical listings describe it as a nootropic and neuroprotective agent, most often formulated as nasal drops. It is not a marketed medicine in the United States or the European Union, and no pharmacopoeial monograph covers it. Consequently, most published clinical experience with the substance originates from a small number of research centres, mainly in Russia and neighbouring countries.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sequence | Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro | Heptapeptide; ACTH(4-10) analog extended at C-terminus |
| Molecular mass | ~813.9 Da | Free peptide, unmodified |
| Appearance | White to off-white powder | Typical lyophilized solid |
| Solubility | Soluble in water and saline | Also soluble in common aqueous buffers |
| Storage (solid) | -20 °C, desiccated | Protect from moisture and repeated thawing |
Reported pharmacological work centers on neurotrophic signaling, including changes in BDNF and NGF expression in hippocampal tissue in animal models. Human data come largely from studies conducted in Russia, and how well those results generalize to other populations remains an open question. Regulatory status differs sharply by jurisdiction: Semax is a registered prescription medicine in Russia, while it holds no approved marketing status in the United States or the European Union. Outside such jurisdictions it is generally handled as a research chemical, which affects both documentation and quality expectations.
Semax is a synthetic heptapeptide whose sequence is Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro. It was developed as a fragment analog of adrenocorticotropic hormone, modeled specifically on the ACTH(4-10) region. The first four residues reproduce that fragment, while a Pro-Gly-Pro tripeptide is appended at the C-terminus. Work on the compound originated in Russia, where it entered clinical use as an intranasal preparation. Its sequence places it among short regulatory peptides studied for effects on the central nervous system rather than on the adrenal axis.
The C-terminal Pro-Gly-Pro extension is not incidental. Proline-rich tails are known to resist several common peptidases, and the published literature attributes the longer half-life of Semax, relative to unmodified ACTH fragments, to this feature. The modification also removes the melanocyte-stimulating and corticosteroidogenic activity that characterizes longer ACTH-derived sequences. Because the molecule is small and hydrophilic, it is typically formulated as an aqueous solution for intranasal or parenteral delivery. Acetylation or amidation at the termini appears in closely related research peptides and shifts the mass by a fixed increment.
Development of the compound took place in the Soviet Union during the 1980s, largely through peptide research groups affiliated with the Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute and Moscow State University. Investigators screened fragments of adrenocorticotropic hormone for activity on the central nervous system while attempting to separate cognitive effects from hormonal ones. The shortened sequence was selected because it retained behavioral activity in animal models without stimulating corticosteroid release. Early publications described the molecule as an ACTH(4-10) analog.
Published research on this peptide originates mainly from Russian laboratories, and the wider international literature is comparatively thin. Studies have used rodent models of stroke, hypoxia, and memory tasks, with a smaller number of human trials reported. Reported outcomes include changes in attention and memory measures, along with effects on neurotrophic factor expression in some experiments. Small sample sizes, inconsistent dosing protocols, and limited independent replication are widely noted limitations, so the strength of the clinical evidence remains an open question.
== Background == The human immune system relies on antibodies; these are specialized proteins produced by B cells in response to the presence of antigens. Antigens are typically foreign molecules that are parts of bacteria, viruses, or other pathogens that trigger an immune response. Antibodies bind to these antigens to neutralize them, block their activity, or mark them for destruction by other immune system cells. The immune system fails to distinguish between self and non-self, a process called immune tolerance. In normal conditions, the immune system is trained to recognize the body's cells or proteins and is labeled as "self" while identifying harmful substances as "non-self". This causes it to produce autoantibodies that target the body's own healthy tissues. Autoantibodies can cause inflammation, tissue damage, and contribute to the progression of various chronic diseases. Some people may inherit genes that increase their risk of developing autoimmune disease, while other triggers such as viral infections or immune system stressors may add to the loss of immune tolerance. When this happens, the immune system starts to recognize some of the body's own proteins as foreign and produces antibodies to fight against them. Anti-U1 RNP antibodies are one example. However, not everyone who inherits genetic risk will develop a disease. Many factors can work together before the immune system begins attacking the body's own tissues.
== Advertising controversy == In November 1996, a British television advert for Brylcreem shampoo was banned by the Independent Television Commission (ITC) after receiving a letter from a viewer that said it had triggered an epileptic fit in them, as well as a letter from another viewer fearing that epileptic fits would occur from viewing the advert. The commercial featured a man's experience of a nightclub with flashing strobe lights. The ITC, who enforced guidelines to protect viewers with epilepsy, found that the advert did not meet these guidelines.
== Nomenclature == This enzyme belongs to the family of oxidoreductases, specifically those acting on the CH-OH group of donor with NAD+ or NADP+ as acceptor. The systematic name of this enzyme class is shikimate:NADP+ 3-oxidoreductase. Other names in common use include:
== Prognosis == As of 2012, the five-year survival rate for systemic scleroderma was about 85%, whereas the 10-year survival rate was just under 70%. This varies according to the subtype; while localized scleroderma rarely results in death, the systemic form can, and the diffuse systemic form carries a worse prognosis than the limited form. The major scleroderma-related causes of death are: pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary fibrosis, and scleroderma renal crisis. People with scleroderma are also at a heightened risk for developing osteoporosis and for contracting cancer (especially liver, lung, haematologic, and bladder cancers). Scleroderma is also associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. According to a study of an Australian cohort, between 1985 and 2015, the average life expectancy of a person with scleroderma increased from 66 years to 74 years (the average Australian life expectancy increased from 76 to 82 years in the same period).
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
== Academic career == In 1974, Candace Pert earned a Ph.D. in pharmacology from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where she worked in the laboratory of Solomon Snyder and discovered the brain's opiate receptor. Pert conducted a National Institutes of Health Postdoctoral Fellowship with the Department of Pharmacology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine from 1974 to 1975. She conducted research at the National Institute of Mental Health from 1975 to 1987. In 1983, she became the Chief of the Section on Brain Biochemistry of the Clinical Neuroscience Branch, the only female chief at NIMH. She left to found and direct a private biotech laboratory in 1987. Pert was a research professor in the department of physiology and biophysics at Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C. In her latter years, she was with RAPID Pharmaceuticals. In 1997 she published her book Molecules of Emotion. She appeared as one of the experts in Bill Moyers 1993 PBS video production, "Healing and the Mind", and in the 2004 film What the #$*! Do We Know!?. She died on September 12, 2013, in Potomac, Maryland.
Functionalized nanoparticles able to form anionic oxidants bonding thereby allowing the detection of carcinogenic substances at very low concentrations. Polymer nanospheres have been developed to measure organic contaminates in very low concentrations "Peptide nanoelectrodes have been employed based on the concept of thermocouple. In a 'nano-distance separation gap, a peptide molecule is placed to form a molecular junction. When a specific metal ion is bound to the gap; the electrical current will result conductance in a unique value. Hence the metal ion will be easily detected." Composite electrodes, a mixture of nanotubes and copper, have been created to detect substances such as organophosphorus pesticides, carbohydrates and other woods pathogenic substances in low concentrations.
As such, RNA aptamers can be made to target small peptides and proteins, as well as cell fragments, whole cells, and even specific tissues. Examples of RNA aptamer molecular targets and potential targets include vascular endothelial growth factor, osteoblasts, and C-X-C Chemokine Ligand 12 (CXCL2).
=== HABA assay === The HABA (2-(4-hydroxyazobenzene) benzoic acid) assay can be used to determine the extent of biotinylation. HABA dye is bound to avidin or streptavidin and yields a characteristic absorbance. When biotinylated proteins or other molecules are introduced, the biotin displaces the dye, resulting in a change in absorbance at 500 nm. This change is directly proportional to the level of biotin in the sample. The disadvantage of the HABA assay is that it uses large amounts of sample.
=== 17 December === Missiles were launched targeting infrastructure on Kyiv, Kharkiv, Kryvyi Rih and Zaporizhzhia. Kyiv council member Ksenia Semenova stated that approximately 60% of residents were without power and 70% were without water. Ukraine restored power and water to approximately 6 million residents in 24 hours. 37 out of the 40 missiles fired at Kyiv were intercepted. Russia started a new campaign on TV to recruit more soldiers. One advertisement showed some men leaving for Georgia. An old woman drops her groceries and men who have not left help her pick them up. She then says: "The boys have left, the men stayed."
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
In the 1870s, Paul Ehrlich developed a staining technique using a combination of an acidic and basic dye that could distinguish different types of white blood cells and allow red blood cell morphology to be examined. Dmitri Leonidovich Romanowsky improved on this technique in the 1890s, using a mixture of eosin and aged methylene blue to produce a wide range of hues not present when either of the stains was used alone. This became the basis for Romanowsky staining, the technique still used to stain blood smears for manual review. The first techniques for measuring hemoglobin were devised in the late 19th century, and involved visual comparisons of the colour of diluted blood against a known standard. Attempts to automate this process using spectrophotometry and colorimetry were limited by the fact that hemoglobin is present in the blood in many different forms, meaning that it could not be measured at a single wavelength. In 1920, a method to convert the different forms of hemoglobin to one stable form (cyanmethemoglobin or hemiglobincyanide) was introduced, allowing hemoglobin levels to be measured automatically. The cyanmethemoglobin method remains the reference method for hemoglobin measurement and is still used in many automated hematology analyzers. Maxwell Wintrobe is credited with the invention of the hematocrit test. In 1929, he undertook a PhD project at the University of Tulane to determine normal ranges for red blood cell parameters, and invented a method known as the Wintrobe hematocrit.
Esters can be directly converted to nitriles. Methyl esters are often susceptible to decarboxylation in the Krapcho decarboxylation. Phenyl esters react to hydroxyarylketones in the Fries rearrangement. Specific esters are functionalized with an α-hydroxyl group in the Chan rearrangement. Esters with β-hydrogen atoms can be converted to alkenes in ester pyrolysis. Pairs of esters are coupled to give α-hydroxyketones in the acyloin condensation.
=== 3D printing === In 2017, scientists from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden demonstrated cartilage tissue engineering using 3D bioprinting. They used two different bioinks with nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) to conduct the tests: NFC with alginate (NFC/A) and hyaluronic acid (NFC/HA). The bioinks were co-printed with irradiated human chondrocytes [8]. The team had success with NFC/A. In September 2021, researchers created cartilage repair implants utilizing a process of three-dimensional weaving to combine artificial materials with stem cells. The bioartificial implants are designed to partly dissolve over time, leaving only natural tissues in the repaired joints. As of October 2021, scientists have seen success in treating dogs but further research is required before the technique could move to clinical trials for humans. Also in September 2021, scientists from the Nakayama Lab at Saga University and Kyoto University in Japan fabricated 3D printed cartilage constructs from stem cells.
Hawkinsin (also known as 2-cystenyl-1,4-dihydroxycyclohexenylacetate) is an amino acid, which is formed after detoxification of a reactive tyrosine metabolite (quinol acetate) by glutathione. Hawkinsin is ninhydrin positive (a common test to detect amino acids and proteins with a free -NH2 group). It is found in elevated concentrations in the urine in hawkinsinuria, which is probably related to the depletion of glutathione and resulting high excretion of 5-oxoproline.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Semax is a synthetic seven-amino-acid peptide derived from a fragment of corticotropin. It is used in Russia as a nasal preparation, while elsewhere it is studied as a research compound. It is not approved as a medicine in most countries.
Its sequence corresponds to the 4-10 region of corticotropin extended by three residues. This fragment lacks the region responsible for adrenal steroid release, so it is explored for neural rather than hormonal effects. The relationship explains the compound's classification among ACTH-derived peptides.
It holds approval in Russia for several neurological indications as a nasal spray or drop formulation. Regulatory agencies in the United States and the European Union have not approved it. Products sold elsewhere are generally labeled for research use only.
It is described as a synthetic analogue of the ACTH(4–10) fragment, a short segment of adrenocorticotropic hormone. Its sequence differs from that fragment and includes two proline residues, which influence stability and behaviour in solution.