A practical reference on ACTH(4-10): what it is, how it behaves, what the literature reports, and where the honest uncertainties sit.
This page was last updated on 2026-01-15 and is reviewed periodically as new material appears.
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.
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.
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.
Semax is a synthetic heptapeptide whose sequence is Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro. The first four residues correspond to the ACTH(4-10) fragment, while the terminal Pro-Gly-Pro extension was added to improve metabolic stability. Its molecular formula is C37H51N9O10S and its monoisotopic mass is approximately 813.9 Da. The compound is classified as a peptide research chemical and as a registered pharmaceutical product in Russia, but it does not hold marketing approval in the European Union or the United States. Naming conventions vary across supplier catalogs.
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.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Molecular weight | ~813.9 Da (free heptapeptide) | N-acetylated form is about 42 Da heavier |
| Residue count | 7 (heptapeptide) | Four residues from ACTH(4-10), three added |
| Appearance | White to off-white powder | Usually supplied lyophilized |
| Solubility class | Freely soluble in water | Also dissolves in DMSO and polar organic solvents |
| Related parent fragment | ACTH(4-10) | Parent motif is Met-Glu-His-Phe |
当时的短肽研究普遍关注能否穿越血脑屏障、在低剂量下产生中枢效应，Semax 属于这一路线。鼻内给药是其主要使用方式，俄语文献报道的适应症涵盖缺血性卒中、短暂性脑缺血发作、认知功能减退以及视神经病变。这些研究大多发表在当地期刊上，样本规模与终点设置同西方试验惯例存在差异，国际同行对其临床证据的强度看法不一。
各国监管态度分化明显。俄罗斯按处方药管理，部分东欧国家留有使用记录；欧盟与美国未批准其作为药物上市，市面流通品通常标注为研究用化学品。身份差异意味着标示含量、纯度与无菌性缺少统一核查。体育领域还牵涉反兴奋剂名录，跨境携带则受目的地药品法规约束。
Scientific literature on semax is unevenly distributed. A substantial share of published work originates from a small number of laboratories in Russia, while independent replication elsewhere is limited. Human data consist mostly of small trials with short follow-up, and several reported outcomes rely on subjective rating scales. Questions about how much intact peptide reaches the central nervous system after nasal administration, and how long it persists there, are still unresolved. The compound is best described as an active research subject rather than a settled pharmacological agent.
Semax is a synthetic heptapeptide with the sequence Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro. It was derived from the ACTH(4-10) fragment, a short segment of adrenocorticotropic hormone that lacks the hormonal activity associated with the full-length peptide. Researchers at the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Moscow developed the compound during the 1980s. It has been registered as a pharmaceutical product in Russia and several neighbouring countries, where it is supplied as a nasal solution, and it is also sold internationally as a research chemical.
== Further reading == Katz, Alan (1 May 2009), "Lab Automation Protocols and Virtual Workcells", Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News, OMICS, vol. 29, no. 9, Mary Ann Liebert, pp. 40–41, ISSN 1935-472X, OCLC 77706455, archived from the original on 25 February 2012, retrieved 25 July 2009
== Publications == Phil S. Baran has authored and co-authored approximately 300 research publications with an h-index of 133 and over 60,000 citations. His group's research has been published in journals including Science, Nature, Journal of American Chemical Society (JACS), Angewandte Chemie, and Journal of Organic Chemistry (JOC). Baran has authored the digital interactive reference text The Portable Chemist's Consultant: A Survival Guide for Discovery, Process, and Radiolabeling and contributed chapters and forewords to several scientific publications.
18 hours) in CYP2D6 poor metabolizers versus CYP2D6 extensive metabolizers. Circulating 4-hydroxyatomoxetine levels are about 1% of those of circulating atomoxetine levels in CYP2D6 extensive metabolizers and about 0.1% of those of circulating atomoxetine levels in CYP2D6 poor metabolizers. Similarly, N-desmethylatomoxetine circulates at much lower levels than atomoxetine, about 5% of those of atomoxetine in CYP2D6 extensive metabolizers and 45% of those of atomoxetine in CYP2D6 poor metabolizers. 4-Hydroxyatomoxetine shows similar affinity for the norepinephrine transporter (NET) as atomoxetine but much higher affinity for the serotonin transporter (SERT) in comparison (with SERT affinity ~14-fold lower than NET affinity), whereas N-desmethylatomoxetine shows much lower affinity for the monoamine transporters (MATs) than atomoxetine and 4-hydroxyatomoxetine (with NET affinity ~20-fold lower than that of atomoxetine). Despite differences in atomoxetine metabolism, CYP2D6 status has been said in literature reviews to not affect the overall tolerability and safety of atomoxetine. However, poor metabolizers did show greater heart rate increase (+9.4–11 bpm vs. +5.0–7.5 bpm), blood pressure increase (4.21 mm Hg vs. 2.13 mm Hg systolic and 2.75 mg Hg vs. 2.40 mm Hg diastolic), and more weight loss (–1.2 kg vs. +0.8 mg) than extensive metabolizers.
Henderson would be executed in the electric chair in the Florida State Prison on April 21, 1993, fourteen months after his arrest. Serial killer David Bullock, suspected in having killed six people with a .38 caliber revolver in one month, from December 5 to January 4, was arrested by the New York Police Department. He would plead guilty to all charges on October 26, commenting "I was in the Christmas spirit. It made me happy." Bullock would be sentenced to 150 years imprisonment. The popular Tamil language film Pokkiri Raja (King of Rogues), an action comedy produced by AVM Saravanan, directed by S. P. Muthuraman and starring Rajinikanth (Shivaji Rao Gaikwad) in two roles, was released in India by Ananda Films. Born: Ireti Osayemi, Nigerian film actress and 2017 Best of Nollywood Award winner for best supporting actress in Ojo Meta (Three Days); in Lagos State Joe Dunthorne, Welsh novelist known for Submarine; in Swansea
Cirrhosis, also known as liver cirrhosis, hepatic cirrhosis, chronic liver failure, chronic hepatic failure, and end-stage liver disease, is a chronic condition of the liver in which the normal functioning tissue, or parenchyma, is replaced with scar tissue (fibrosis) and regenerative nodules as a result of chronic liver disease. Damage to the liver leads to repair of liver tissue and subsequent formation of scar tissue. Over time, scar tissue and nodules of regenerating hepatocytes can replace the parenchyma, causing increased resistance to blood flow in the liver's capillaries—the hepatic sinusoids—and consequently portal hypertension, as well as impairment in other aspects of liver function. The disease typically develops slowly over months or years. Stages include compensated cirrhosis and decompensated cirrhosis. Early symptoms may include tiredness, weakness, loss of appetite, unexplained weight loss, nausea and vomiting, and discomfort in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen. As the disease worsens, symptoms may include itchiness, swelling in the lower legs, fluid build-up in the abdomen, jaundice, bruising easily, and the development of spider-like blood vessels in the skin. The fluid build-up in the abdomen may develop into spontaneous infections. More serious complications include hepatic encephalopathy, bleeding from dilated veins in the esophagus, stomach, or intestines, and liver cancer.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
The meta-analysis, which pooled published results of five large clinical trials, also found that the treatment cut the rate of breathing problems and reduced the need for placing a baby on a ventilator.
have also presented a TFO targeting the promoter sequence of bcl-2, a gene inhibiting apoptosis. The observed inhibition of transcription can also have negative health effects like its role in the recessive, autosomal gene for Friedreich's Ataxia. In Fredrick's Ataxia, triplex DNA formation impairs the expression of intron 1 of the FXN gene. This results in the degeneration of the nervous system and spinal cord, impairing the movement of the limbs. To combat this triplex instability, nucleotide excision repair proteins (NERs) have been shown to recognize and repair triple-stranded DNA structures, reinstating full availability of the previously inhibited and unstable gene.
Ohnologous genes are paralogous genes that have originated by a process of whole-genome duplication. The name was first given in honour of Susumu Ohno by Ken Wolfe. Ohnologues are useful for evolutionary analysis because all ohnologues in a genome have been diverging for the same length of time (since their common origin in the whole genome duplication). Ohnologues are also known to show greater association with cancers, dominant genetic disorders, and pathogenic copy number variations.
== History == Robert Vince and Susan Daluge along with Mei Hua, a visiting scientist from China, developed the medication in the '80s. Abacavir was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in December 1998 and is the fifteenth approved antiretroviral drug in the United States.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
The sequence is Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro, a seven-residue peptide. The first four residues correspond to the ACTH(4-10) fragment, and Pro-Gly-Pro is added at the C-terminus. N-acetylated versions also appear in the literature and differ in mass.
Semax is a synthetic analog of the ACTH(4-10) fragment rather than a copy of the full hormone. Truncation plus the added tail removes the steroidogenic portion of ACTH. That distinction explains why it is studied for nervous-system effects instead of adrenal stimulation.
It is registered as a prescription product in Russia and has been used there clinically, chiefly by the intranasal route. No approval exists in the United States or the European Union. Availability elsewhere typically falls under research-chemical distribution, with varying purity documentation.
It is a synthetic peptide of seven amino acids. Its backbone corresponds to a fragment of adrenocorticotropic hormone extended at the carboxyl end. The material is distributed as a lyophilized solid for laboratory use.