SK5 - Selank - 5 MG - Research Use Only

Product definition

What is Selank?

Selank is a synthetic tuftsin heptapeptide analog approved in Russia for anxiety — anxiolytic without sedation or dependence via GABAergic modulation, with additional BDNF upregulation and immunomodulatory properties.

Selank (Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro; CAS 129954-34-3) was developed by the Institute of Molecular Genetics (Russian Academy of Sciences) as a metabolically stabilized analog of tuftsin, a tetrapeptide naturally produced by enzymatic cleavage of IgG. Tuftsin has documented immunostimulatory activity; the Pro-Gly-Pro extension in Selank was added to improve CNS bioavailability and stability, and during research characterization, anxiolytic properties were identified that had not been predicted from tuftsin's profile alone. The GABAergic anxiolytic mechanism was characterized through a series of animal behavioral pharmacology studies using standard anxiety models (elevated plus maze, light-dark box, Vogel conflict test). The key findings were: (1) anxiolytic potency comparable to diazepam at lower doses; (2) absence of sedation and motor impairment at anxiolytic doses; (3) absence of tolerance development upon chronic administration; (4) no withdrawal symptoms upon discontinuation. This profile has driven sustained interest in Selank as a research model for non-BZ GABAergic anxiolytic pharmacology. The Russian regulatory approval for anxiety disorders was based on clinical trial data generated within the Russian research system, providing human pharmacokinetic and safety context.

Research context

What does the preclinical literature say about Selank?

The discovery of Selank's anxiolytic properties emerged unexpectedly during the Soviet-era investigation of tuftsin analogs for immunomodulation — the Selank Pro-Gly-Pro extension was intended to improve metabolic stability, not to add anxiolytic activity. Subsequent mechanistic investigation characterized the GABAergic pharmacology and distinguished it from classical benzodiazepine anxiolytics. In the context of current anxiolytic pharmacology research, Selank represents a potentially important model: the benzodiazepine pharmacological class, while highly effective, is associated with tolerance, dependence, sedation, and cognitive impairment that limit clinical utility. The identification of GABAergic modulation without these liabilities — if mechanistically reproducible and translatable — is pharmacologically significant. Selank's preclinical profile supports investigation of whether its mechanism can be characterized in sufficient detail to understand how it separates anxiolytic from sedative GABAergic signaling. The BDNF dimension connects Selank to the broader literature on neurotrophic factor roles in anxiety and stress disorders — BDNF deficiency has been implicated in PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder, and chronic stress-induced behavioral changes. Whether Selank's BDNF effects contribute to or are independent from its anxiolytic mechanism is an open research question.