If you have been reading about Semax and want a single page that covers the useful parts, this is it: definitions, context, how it is studied, and the questions that come up repeatedly.
Updated 2026-03-07. Numbers and descriptions here follow the published literature rather than marketing material.
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.
Pharmacological accounts link semax to melanocortin signalling and to modulation of neurotrophic factor expression, particularly brain-derived neurotrophic factor and nerve growth factor. Much of this evidence comes from rodent studies using intranasal delivery, a route chosen because it allows peptides to reach the central nervous system with limited systemic exposure. Whether the same mechanisms operate in humans at comparable magnitude remains an open question. The precise receptor or receptors responsible for the reported behavioural and neuroprotective effects have not been conclusively identified.
Semax binds to melanocortin receptors and is thought to influence neuronal survival and plasticity rather than to act through the adrenal axis. Laboratory work has shown increased expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and nerve growth factor in treated tissue. Changes in c-Fos, a marker of neuronal activation, have also been reported. Because the peptide is rapidly degraded by peptidases, its effects are generally attributed to downstream signaling cascades rather than to sustained receptor occupancy.
Published studies are dominated by animal models of stroke, ischemia, and cognitive impairment, with a smaller number of human trials conducted in Russia. Many of the human reports are small, single-center, and published in Russian-language journals, which limits independent scrutiny. Outcome measures vary between studies and often rely on clinician-rated scales rather than objective biomarkers. Systematic reviews have noted the methodological weaknesses and called for larger, preregistered trials before firm conclusions can be drawn.
Claims about enhanced focus, memory, or mood in healthy people rest mostly on anecdotal reports and community discussion rather than on controlled data. It remains unclear whether any cognitive benefit observed in patients recovering from brain injury would extend to uninjured users. Dose-response relationships, long-term safety, and interactions with other drugs are not well characterized in the peer-reviewed literature. Questions about optimal route of administration and treatment duration likewise remain open.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Molecular formula | C37H51N9O10S | Free acid form of the heptapeptide; depends on terminal groups |
| Molecular mass | About 813.9 g/mol | Average mass used for mass spectrometry confirmation |
| Appearance | White to off-white solid | Supplied as a lyophilised powder; hygroscopic |
| Solubility class | Freely soluble in aqueous media | Water, saline, and phosphate buffers; limited organic solubility |
| Typical storage temperature | -20 degrees Celsius | Long term and dry; short working periods may use 2 to 8 degrees Celsius |
Semax is a synthetic seven-amino-acid peptide whose sequence extends the ACTH(4-10) fragment with a C-terminal proline-glycine-proline tripeptide. The commonly cited sequence is Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro, giving a molecular formula near C37H51N9O10S and a molecular weight close to 813.9 g/mol. It belongs to the broader class of synthetic ACTH fragments studied for central nervous system effects rather than for adrenal steroid stimulation. In practice the material appears as a lyophilized white powder for laboratory work or as a dilute saline solution in clinical settings.
Development is attributed to researchers at the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Moscow during the early 1980s, building on earlier Soviet work with ACTH fragments. Russian regulatory approval followed for intranasal use, and the compound has remained commercially available there for decades. Most published human data originate from Russian and, later, some Eastern European clinical reports, which are not always accessible in English translation. Outside that region the material is generally handled as a research chemical rather than a licensed medicine.
Identity and purity of semax are established with reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to ultraviolet detection, usually at 214 nanometres. Mass spectrometry, most often electrospray ionisation in positive mode, confirms the molecular mass and reveals truncated sequences. Amino acid analysis and peptide mapping after enzymatic digestion provide additional structural confirmation. Laboratories typically report purity as the percentage area of the main peak, a figure that does not capture isomeric or oxidised variants unless the method resolves them.
The peptide is prone to several degradation pathways. Oxidation of the methionine residue produces a sulfoxide that elutes close to the parent peak in many chromatographic systems. Hydrolysis of peptide bonds and deamidation of susceptible residues in related sequences also reduce purity over time. Lyophilised material kept dry at minus twenty degrees Celsius and shielded from light is the most stable form commonly described in laboratory practice.
=== Neurological === Higher concentrations of TGF-β are found in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid of patients with Alzheimer's disease as compared to control subjects, suggesting a possible role in the neurodegenerative cascade leading to Alzheimer's disease symptoms and pathology. The role of TGF-β in neuronal dysfunction remains an active area of research.
== Works cited == Bertok L, Chow D (2005). Bertok L, Chow D (eds.). Natural Immunity. Vol. 5 (1st ed.). Elsevier Science. ISBN 978-0-44451-755-5. Breinstrup, Thomas (2006). "Un revolution in le mundo scientific" [A revolution in the scientific world]. Historia de interlingua (in Interlingua). Archived from the original on 2019-04-27. Retrieved 2025-01-14. Chung, Kyung Won (2005). Gross Anatomy (Board Review). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. ISBN 0-7817-5309-0. Cook, Chad E. (2012). Orthopedic Manual Therapy: An Evidence Based Approach (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. ISBN 978-0-13-802173-3. Breinstrup, Th.; Stenström, Ingvar; Olsson, Jesper, eds. (2007) [2001]. "Biographias: Ingvar Stenström". Interlingua (in Interlingua). Archived from the original on 2019-04-26. Retrieved 2025-01-15. Dinour, Lauren M. (2019). "Speaking Out on 'Breastfeeding' Terminology: Recommendations for Gender-Inclusive Language in Research and Reporting". Breastfeeding Medicine. 14 (8). Mary Ann Liebert: 523–532. doi:10.1089/bfm.2019.0110. PMID 31364867. Fielding, Lucie (2021). Trans Sex: Clinical Approaches to Trans Sexualities and Erotic Embodiments. New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-429-31829-0. Edwards, Heather. "Anatomy Talk". pp. 165–168. Gopsill, Frank Peter (1990). International languages: a matter for Interlingua. Sheffield, England: British Interlingua Society. ISBN 0-9511695-6-4. OCLC 27813762. Gopsill, Frank Peter (1994). Interlingua today: A course for beginners. Sheffield, England: British Interlingua Society. ISBN 978-1-898017-01-1.
==== Other ==== Work is underway to develop a sCO2 closed-cycle gas turbine to operate at temperatures near 550 °C. This would have implications for bulk thermal and nuclear generation of electricity, because the supercritical properties of carbon dioxide at above 500 °C and 20 MPa enable thermal efficiencies approaching 45 percent. This could increase the electrical power produced per unit of fuel required by 40 percent or more. Given the volume of carbon fuels used in producing electricity, the environmental impact of cycle efficiency increases would be significant. Supercritical CO2 is an emerging natural refrigerant, used in new, low carbon solutions for domestic heat pumps. Supercritical CO2 heat pumps are commercially marketed in Asia. EcoCute systems from Japan, developed by Mayekawa, develop high temperature domestic water with small inputs of electric power by moving heat into the system from the surroundings. Supercritical CO2 has been used since the 1980s to enhance recovery in mature oil fields. "Clean coal" technologies are emerging that could combine such enhanced recovery methods with carbon sequestration. Using gasifiers instead of conventional furnaces, coal and water is reduced to hydrogen gas, carbon dioxide and ash. This hydrogen gas can be used to produce electrical power In combined cycle gas turbines, CO2 is captured, compressed to the supercritical state and injected into geological storage, possibly into existing oil fields to improve yields.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
== Prevention == Prevention approaches for opioid use disorder must consider clinical recommendations for prescribing/starting to take opioids, when they are clinically appropriate to use, and risks associated with opioid therapy. Improving opioid prescribing guidelines and practices can help reduce unnecessary exposure to opioids, which lowers the risk of developing OUD (opioid use disorder). Healthcare providers should strictly follow evidence-based guidelines to ensure safe and appropriate use. Another way to prevent OUD is by educating the public about the risks of prescription opioids and illegal substances like fentanyl. Awareness campaigns, community outreach programs, and school-based education initiatives can help people make informed decisions about opioid use and recognize the signs of addiction early. Promoting the disposal of unused opioid doses also helps prevent OUD. A strong association between adverse childhood experiences and opioid abuse later in life has been identified, suggesting that a high adverse childhood experiences score should be considered a risk factor for opioid abuse. Screening for adverse childhood experiences before prescribing or implementing interventions involving opioids can mitigate the potential for misuse.
== History == In the early 2000s, researchers began exploring the use of PSMA as a target for imaging and therapy. The first PSMA-targeted radiotracer was developed using a different radioactive element, technetium-99m. This radiotracer, called 99mTc-MIP-1404, showed promise in preclinical studies but did not perform well in clinical trials. In 2011, researchers started investigating the use of gallium-68, a different radioactive element, as a more suitable alternative for PSMA-targeted radiotracers. In 2013, the first Ga-PSMA radiotracer was developed by researchers at DKFZ in Germany, and it showed promising results in early clinical studies. Since then, Ga-PSMA has been extensively studied in clinical trials, and it has been found to be a highly effective imaging agent for detecting prostate cancer lesions. It is now widely used in clinical practice, particularly for patients with recurrent prostate cancer and those with high-risk disease. Initially gallium (68Ga) chloride solution injections used for radiolabelling, in 2019 European Pharmacopoeia mentions gallium (68Ga) DOTATOC injection for radiolabelling and PET imaging. Ga 68 PSMA-11 was co-developed by researchers at University of California, Los Angeles and University of California, San Francisco, who conducted a phase III clinical trial. In December 2020, the drug was first approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for PET imaging.
=== Regulation of fatty acid synthesis === Acetyl-CoA is formed into malonyl-CoA by acetyl-CoA carboxylase, at which point malonyl-CoA is destined to feed into the fatty acid synthesis pathway. Acetyl-CoA carboxylase is the point of regulation in saturated straight-chain fatty acid synthesis, and is subject to both phosphorylation and allosteric regulation. Regulation by phosphorylation occurs mostly in mammals, while allosteric regulation occurs in most organisms. Allosteric control occurs as feedback inhibition by palmitoyl-CoA and activation by citrate. When there are high levels of palmitoyl-CoA, the final product of saturated fatty acid synthesis, it allosterically inactivates acetyl-CoA carboxylase to prevent a build-up of fatty acids in cells. Citrate acts to activate acetyl-CoA carboxylase under high levels, because high levels indicate that there is enough acetyl-CoA to feed into the Krebs cycle and produce energy. High plasma levels of insulin in the blood plasma (e.g. after meals) cause the dephosphorylation and activation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase, thus promoting the formation of malonyl-CoA from acetyl-CoA, and consequently the conversion of carbohydrates into fatty acids, while epinephrine and glucagon (released into the blood during starvation and exercise) cause the phosphorylation of this enzyme, inhibiting lipogenesis in favor of fatty acid oxidation via beta-oxidation.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Oxygen-containing compounds – are typically hydrophilic and polar, including materials such as silica gel, limestone (calcium carbonate), and zeolites. Carbon-based compounds – are typically hydrophobic and non-polar, including materials such as activated carbon and graphite. Polymer-based compounds – are polar or non-polar, depending on the functional groups in the polymer matrix.
== Cellular localization == The very N-terminus of the phytaspase molecule starts with a leader peptide, that is cleaved off during the translocation of the protein to the endoplasmic reticulum. Supposedly, the phytaspase is then secreted through cis/trans Golgi apparatus to the intercellular compartment.
with a similar structure in 2D. Thus the governing equation is an integro-differential equation similar to Coulomb's and Biot–Savart's law, not convenient for numerical computation. An equivalent weak or variational form of the equation, proved to produce the same velocity solution as the Navier–Stokes equation, is given by,
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
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.
It appears in Russian pharmaceutical listings as a nasal formulation, but it is not an authorised medicine in the United States or the European Union. Outside those markets it is normally encountered as a research chemical rather than a prescription product.
Laboratory and animal work points to melanocortin signalling and changes in neurotrophic factor levels, especially brain-derived neurotrophic factor. The exact receptor targets and the degree to which these findings transfer to humans are still unresolved.
It is associated with the melanocortin receptor family, particularly subtypes found in the central nervous system. This interaction is separate from the adrenal pathway activated by full-length ACTH.