Selank: clinical evidence record
Also known as: TP-7, Threonine-Lysine-Proline-Arginine-Proline-Glycine-Proline
Oliver Mackman · Editorial director · Best Business Loans Ltd (16833937)
Last updated 2026-05-22
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AI-friendly summary · Selank
Russian Federation registered medicine for generalised anxiety disorder. Russian clinical trial work reports anxiolytic effects without sedation or dependence profile. No published Western RCT data.
Mechanism of action
How Selank works
Synthetic heptapeptide derived from the immune-modulating tetrapeptide tuftsin. Proposed anxiolytic action via GABA-system modulation and enkephalin-degrading enzyme inhibition in preclinical Russian work. Administered as a nasal spray in the Russian clinical context.
Top peer-reviewed citations
Selection of the most-cited peer-reviewed literature on Selank. Where a verified PMID or DOI is shown, the citation links to the original record. Other citations list the title, authors, journal and year so the reader can locate the paper through the journal index or the PubMed search linked below. PeptideClear publishes editorial commentary, not clinical guidance.
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[Efficacy and possible mechanisms of action of a new peptide anxiolytic selank in the therapy of generalized anxiety disorders and neurasthenia]
Zozulia AA, Neznamov GG, Siuniakov TS, et al.. Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova, 2008.
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Selank and short peptides of the tuftsin family in the regulation of adaptive behavior in stress
Kozlovskaya MM, Kozlovskii II, Val'dman EA, Seredenin SB. Neuroscience and behavioral physiology, 2003.
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[Semax and selank inhibit the enkephalin-degrading enzymes from human serum]]
Kost NV, Sokolov OY, Gabaeva MV, et al.. Bioorganicheskaia khimiia, 2001.
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Peptide-based Anxiolytics: The Molecular Aspects of Heptapeptide Selank Biological Activity
Vyunova TV, Andreeva L, Shevchenko K, et al.. Protein and peptide letters, 2018.
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Intranasal administration of the peptide Selank regulates BDNF expression in the rat hippocampus in vivo
Inozemtseva LS, Karpenko EA, Dolotov OV, et al.. Doklady biological sciences : proceedings of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Biological sciences sections, 2008.
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Selank, Peptide Analogue of Tuftsin, Protects Against Ethanol-Induced Memory Impairment by Regulating of BDNF Content in the Hippocampus and Prefrontal Cortex in Rats
Kolik LG, Nadorova AV, Antipova TA, et al.. Bulletin of experimental biology and medicine, 2019.
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Functional Connectomic Approach to Studying Selank and Semax Effects
Panikratova YR, Lebedeva IS, Sokolov OY, et al.. Doklady biological sciences : proceedings of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Biological sciences sections, 2020.
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[Optimization of the treatment of anxiety disorders with selank]
Medvedev VE, Tereshchenko ON, Kost NV, et al.. Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova, 2015.
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[Transcriptome alteration in hippocampus under the treatment of tuftsin analog Selank]
Kolomin TA, Agapova TIu, Agniullin IaV, et al.. Zhurnal vysshei nervnoi deiatelnosti imeni I P Pavlova, 2013.
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Therapeutic Peptides in Orthopaedics: Applications, Challenges, and Future Directions
Rahman OF, Lee SJ, Seeds WA. Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Global research & reviews, 2026.
Full PubMed search: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Selank+tuftsin.
Registered clinical trials
As of 2026-07-13, Selank has 8 interventional trials listed on ClinicalTrials.gov and the ISRCTN registry. Registration means a study is planned, running or completed. It is not evidence of efficacy, and a listing is not an endorsement.
| Study | Phase | Status | Location | Registry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Study on Effects of Acute Exposure to High Altitude Hypoxia on Cognitive Function in Lowlanders NCT05411185 | Not specified | Completed | China | ClinicalTrials.gov |
| Trial of Telephone-based Psychotherapy for Depression With and Without Adjunctive Supportive Mail NCT01770990 | NA | Completed | Germany | ClinicalTrials.gov |
| Double-blind, Randomized Study Evaluating the Efficacy and Safety of Brivaracetam in Adults With Partial Onset Seizures NCT00464269 | Phase 3 | Completed | Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, United States | ClinicalTrials.gov |
| Neural Mechanisms and Efficacy of Imagery Rescripting for Fear of Failure NCT07196085 | NA | Completed | Poland | ClinicalTrials.gov |
| Effects of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Object Recognition NCT01747200 | NA | Completed | United States | ClinicalTrials.gov |
| Effects of PSAPs on Speech Processing NCT05076045 | NA | Completed | Canada | ClinicalTrials.gov |
| Brivaracetam as add-on Treatment in Adolescents and Adults Suffering From Epilepsy NCT00504881 | Phase 3 | Completed | Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Norway, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Taiwan, Ukraine | ClinicalTrials.gov |
| The Effect of Balance Exercises on Cognitive Function NCT06151093 | NA | Completed | Turkey (Türkiye) | ClinicalTrials.gov |
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov and the ISRCTN registry, refreshed 2026-07-13. See the peptide clinical-trials tracker for the full picture across compounds.
UK regulatory status
Plain-English summary of where Selank sits under the four UK and international frameworks that govern peptide supply. Editorial commentary, not legal advice.
- Misuse of Drugs Act 1971: Not controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
- Psychoactive Substances Act 2016: Not scheduled under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016.
- MHRA medicines classification: No UK marketing authorisation as a medicine.
- WADA Prohibited List: Not currently listed on the WADA Prohibited List.
Risks and unknowns
What the literature does not yet show about Selank
Known concerns
- The evidence for Selank is mixed: some human data exists alongside a larger preclinical literature. Mixed evidence is easy to quote selectively, so check whether a claim you have read rests on the human work or the animal work.
- 8 registered interventional trials exist for Selank, none currently recruiting. Registered trials can be completed, suspended or terminated without ever publishing.
- Selank holds no UK marketing authorisation, so nothing you can buy has been assessed by a regulator, released by batch, or dispensed by an accountable pharmacy. Purity, dose accuracy and sterility rest entirely on the seller's own documentation.
Open questions in the literature
- Long-term outcomes beyond the duration of the published trials are unknown, and the published trials are considerably shorter than the periods over which people actually use these compounds.
- Interactions between Selank and prescribed medicines are not systematically studied, which matters most for anyone already on treatment for a long-term condition.
- Cognitive endpoints are notoriously sensitive to study design, and the measures used in this literature vary enough that results are hard to compare across studies.
Regulatory note
No UK marketing authorisation as a medicine. Not currently listed on the WADA Prohibited List. The moment a UK seller or commentator makes a therapeutic claim, MHRA can treat the product as an unlicensed medicinal product.
Important: PeptideClear publishes encyclopedia commentary only and does not recommend human use. Speak to a UK-registered prescriber before any medical decision.
Related reading on PeptideClear
Frequently asked questions
What is the evidence level for Selank?
What is the UK regulatory status of Selank?
Has Selank been tested in human clinical trials?
Where can I read the source literature for Selank?
Last verified 2026-05-22. Editorial commentary, not legal or clinical advice. Citations without a linked identifier can be located through the PubMed search and the journal index.