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Sourcing Guide

Selank in Canada: The Tuftsin Analogue From the Russian Literature

A heptapeptide with a real research programme published almost entirely in one language, and what that means for reading the evidence

·Compiled by Eppix Labs

Selank is a heptapeptide developed at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, built by extending the immunomodulatory tetrapeptide tuftsin with a Pro-Gly-Pro tail that resists enzymatic degradation. It has a genuine research programme behind it, and that programme is published almost entirely in Russian-language journals with limited independent replication outside that literature.

That is not a reason to dismiss the compound. It is a reason to be precise about what has and has not been shown, which is what this guide tries to be. Selank is supplied for laboratory research use only.

Chemical Identity

Name
Selank (Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro)
Also known as
Selank, TP-7, Tuftsin analogue
Molecular formula
C₃₃H₅₇N₁₁O₉
Molecular weight
751.9 g/mol
CAS number
129954-34-3
Sequence (1-letter)
TKPRPGP
Sequence (3-letter)
Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro
Salt forms
Acetate

What selank is

Selank is Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro. The first four residues are tuftsin, a naturally occurring immunomodulatory tetrapeptide derived from the Fc region of immunoglobulin G. The appended Pro-Gly-Pro sequence is a stabilizing extension, a design device used across the Russian regulatory-peptide programme to slow enzymatic cleavage without altering the pharmacophore.

The proposed mechanism in the published work is indirect: rather than binding a classical receptor, selank is reported to inhibit enkephalin-degrading enzymes, extending the action of endogenous enkephalins.[1] Later work reported effects on GABAergic and monoaminergic gene expression in rat brain.

Research Material
General Image
Selank lyophilized research material as supplied by Eppix Labs. Labelled and measured content are stated on the certificate below.

Sequence and structure

Seven residues, around 752 Da, proline-rich. The three prolines are structurally significant: proline constrains the backbone and is what gives short regulatory peptides of this family their resistance to exopeptidases. Synthetically it is a simple target, which means a low purity figure on a selank certificate points at a supplier problem rather than at a difficult molecule.

Amino Acid Sequence
Amino Acid Sequence diagram
Amino-acid sequence of selank, TKPRPGP.
Chemical Structure
Chemical Structure diagram
Chemical structure of selank, C₃₃H₅₇N₁₁O₉.

What the published research shows

The accessible peer-reviewed record, primarily in Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine:

  • ·Enkephalin-degrading enzymes. Zozulya et al. (2001) reported inhibition of enkephalin-degrading enzyme activity in human blood plasma as a proposed mechanism for the compound's anxiolytic activity in models.[1]
  • ·Behavioural models and enzyme activity. Sokolov et al. (2002) reported effects on behavioural reactions alongside plasma enkephalin-degrading enzyme activity in mice with differing baseline phenotypes.[2]
  • ·Opioid-system involvement. Meshavkin et al. (2006) reported that naloxone blocked a selank effect on apomorphine-induced behaviour, which is consistent with opioid-system involvement in the compound's activity.[3]

The limit of the evidence

Selank has been used clinically in Russia, where it holds a registration that does not transfer to any other jurisdiction. Outside that context there are no published randomised controlled trials meeting the standards Western regulators apply, and there is very little independent replication of the mechanistic work.

Health Canada has authorized nothing containing selank. It is not approved for human or veterinary use here, is not a controlled substance, and is supplied as a laboratory research material. A supplier presenting the Russian registration as evidence of approval in Canada is describing a different country.

Verifying a selank lot

Identity by mass spectrometry against the expected mass near 752 Da, HPLC purity, and measured content against the labelled amount. Note that a related compound, semax, is often stocked alongside selank and is also a short proline-containing Russian-programme peptide; they are different molecules with different masses, and an identity line is what distinguishes them if a vial is mislabelled upstream.

Every Eppix selank lot is tested by Janoshik Analytical, published before sale and verifiable on the laboratory's own database.

Published Certificate
Certificate of analysis for Buy Selank Canada | Anxiolytic Peptide 10mg 10mg, batch SLNK-CA-26F-10, 99.161% purity, 10.55 mg measured content
Batch
SLNK-CA-26F-10
Purity (HPLC)
99.161%
Measured content
10.55 mglabelled 10 mg
Laboratory
Janoshik
Published certificate for the current selank lot, read live from the batch record.

Frequently Asked

What is selank derived from?

Tuftsin, a naturally occurring immunomodulatory tetrapeptide from the Fc region of immunoglobulin G, extended with a Pro-Gly-Pro sequence that slows enzymatic degradation.

Is selank approved anywhere?

It holds a registration in Russia. That registration does not extend to Canada or to any other jurisdiction, and Health Canada has authorized nothing containing selank.

Is selank legal in Canada?

It may be sold and held as a laboratory research material. It is not authorized by Health Canada for human or veterinary use, and it is not a controlled substance. This is not legal advice.

Why is the selank literature hard to evaluate?

Most of it was published in Russian-language journals within a single research programme, with limited independent replication elsewhere. That is a reason to read the primary papers carefully rather than to rely on secondary summaries.

What should a selank certificate show?

Batch number matching the vial, the named testing laboratory with an independent verification path, MS identity against the expected mass near 752 Da, HPLC purity, and measured content against the labelled amount.

How is selank stored?

Lyophilized: cool, dry, dark, at -20 °C for long-term storage. Reconstituted: refrigerated, used within the window your protocol defines.

References

  1. Zozulya, A.A. et al. (2001). The inhibitory effect of Selank on enkephalin-degrading enzymes as a possible mechanism of its anxiolytic activity. Bull Exp Biol Med 131(4):315-317. PMID 11550013
  2. Sokolov, O.Y. et al. (2002). Effects of Selank on behavioral reactions and activities of plasma enkephalin-degrading enzymes in mice with different phenotypes of emotional and stress reactions. Bull Exp Biol Med 133(2):152-154. PMID 12432865
  3. Meshavkin, V.K. et al. (2006). Naloxone-blocked depriming effect of anxiolytic selank on apomorphine-induced behavioral manifestations. Bull Exp Biol Med 142(5):571-573. PMID 17415472

Research Use Only

This article summarizes published preclinical research literature. Compounds referenced are supplied by Eppix Labs strictly as research materials for laboratory investigation within Canada. They are not approved by Health Canada for human or veterinary use, and nothing on this page should be interpreted as medical advice or guidance on human or animal administration.