Complete your stack
- GLO (TB-500 + BPC-157 + Copper GHk Peptide Blend) $109.99
- Tirzepatide $109.99 Coming soon
- YK11 - Myostine $109.99
Selank
$109.99
Selank Canada, a research-grade synthetic heptapeptide studied for its benzodiazepine-comparable anxiolytic profile without the sedation or dependence. Premium Canadian peptides, shipped fast and third-party tested. For laboratory and research use only.
Description
When your protocol calls for a next-generation anxiolytic peptide, Selank stands out: a synthetic heptapeptide that produced anxiolytic effects comparable to the benzodiazepine medazepam in human trials, yet without the sedation, tolerance or dependence that define that drug class.1 Helixx supplies research-grade Selank Canada-wide as part of our premium line of Canadian peptides: third-party verified, precisely dosed and ready for the bench. Strictly for laboratory and educational use; not for human consumption.
What Is Selank?
Selank is a synthetic heptapeptide (sequence Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro) derived from the endogenous immunomodulatory peptide tuftsin (the natural tetrapeptide Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg), elongated at the C-terminus with a Pro-Gly-Pro tripeptide to increase its metabolic and enzymatic stability. It was developed in Russia at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, where it has been studied as a nootropic, anxiolytic and neuroprotective compound. Within the broader family of peptides Canada researchers request, Selank stands apart for its tuftsin lineage, which gives it both neuroactive and immunomodulatory characteristics. Helixx offers it exclusively for in-vitro and laboratory investigation.
How Selank Works
Selank’s principal proposed mechanism is allosteric modulation of the GABAergic system. In animal brain tissue and in human neuronal cell lines it alters the expression of genes governing GABAergic neurotransmission,34 and it potentiates GABA-A receptor–mediated inhibitory signalling, the pathway thought to underlie its benzodiazepine-comparable anxiolytic effect without notable sedation or dependence. This GABAergic hypothesis is reinforced by findings that Selank amplifies the anxiolytic action of the benzodiazepine diazepam in stressed rodents.2 Beyond GABA, Selank modulates monoaminergic signalling (influencing serotonin and dopamine metabolism in regions such as the hypothalamus and brainstem) and rapidly upregulates brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex.5 Consistent with its origin in the clinical trial data, it also appears to modulate enkephalin degradation, inhibiting enkephalin-degrading enzymes and extending leu-enkephalin half-life.1 Its tuftsin heritage additionally lends it immunomodulatory and cytokine-modulating properties.
What the Research Shows
- Human anxiolytic trial. In 62 patients with generalized anxiety disorder and neurasthenia (30 on Selank vs 32 on medazepam), Selank produced anxiolytic effects comparable to the benzodiazepine but added antiasthenic/psychostimulant effects and showed no notable side effects.1
- Benzodiazepine potentiation. In a rat unpredictable chronic mild stress model, Selank potentiated the anxiolytic effect of diazepam, supporting the idea that it acts through the GABAergic/benzodiazepine system.2
- GABAergic gene expression (in vivo). Selank administration altered the expression of genes involved in GABAergic neurotransmission in rat brain, giving molecular evidence for a GABA-based anxiolytic mechanism.3
- GABAergic gene expression (in vitro). In human IMR-32 neuroblastoma cells, Selank, like GABA and olanzapine, changed the expression of genes regulating GABAergic neurotransmission, corroborating the mechanism at the cellular level.4
- Neurotrophic and cognitive effects. Selank prevented ethanol-induced memory impairment in rats and normalized BDNF content in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, indicating a neurotrophic and neuroprotective mechanism.5
- Organ-safety signal. Under chronic foot-shock stress, Selank reduced stress-induced hepatic morphological damage rather than causing liver injury, a favourable observation in organ-safety evaluation.6
Researchers frequently study Selank alongside its close analogue Semax, and it is a common comparison point for other neuroactive and regenerative peptides in a stack such as BPC-157, TB-500 or the combined GLO (TB-500 + BPC-157 + Copper GHK Peptide Blend).
Chemical Properties
| Research Name | Selank |
| CAS Number | 129954-34-3 |
| Molecular Formula | C33H57N11O9 |
| Molecular Weight | 751.9 g/mol |
| Classification | Synthetic heptapeptide (tuftsin analogue); nootropic / anxiolytic / neuroprotective research peptide |
Research Protocols & Handling
This product is supplied for laboratory research and educational use only and is not for human or veterinary use, ingestion or administration. Lyophilized Selank should be stored sealed, cold and away from light: refrigerated at 2–8 °C for short-term handling, or frozen for long-term storage. Once reconstituted with sterile or bacteriostatic water, keep it refrigerated and use it within a limited window to preserve peptide integrity, and avoid repeated freeze–thaw cycles. All handling should follow standard good-laboratory-practice procedures, with the compound managed strictly as a research material. Selank is documented as one of the more stable peptides Canada laboratories work with, thanks to its Pro-Gly-Pro extension, but proper cold-chain handling remains essential for reliable data.
Potential Side Effects & Safety
Russian research literature generally describes Selank as well tolerated, but a fair picture means naming what has actually been reported alongside what its drug class makes plausible. In experimental contexts, the following effects have shown up or are reasonable to expect:
- Local application-site irritation. Transient nasal irritation or mild burning is the most common effect associated with the intranasal route and typically resolves within minutes.
- Headache. Mild, transient headache has been reported.
- Fatigue or drowsiness. Occasional fatigue or mild drowsiness has been noted at higher doses, although Selank is generally described as non-sedating.
- Dysgeusia. A transient metallic taste can occur during or shortly after intranasal administration.
- No dependence or withdrawal. Unlike benzodiazepines, no dependence, tolerance, withdrawal or clinically significant sedation was reported in Russian trials.1
- Hypersensitivity / immunomodulation (plausible). As with any injected or intranasal peptide, local mucosal or allergic/hypersensitivity reactions are possible, and its tuftsin lineage raises theoretical immunomodulatory effects.
- Organ safety. Rather than showing hepatotoxicity, Selank reduced stress-induced liver damage in a rodent model, a reassuring but preliminary organ-safety signal.6
One real limitation is that long-term and large-scale Western safety data are lacking, and the US FDA has flagged insufficient human safety information for compounded Selank. Not approved for human consumption in Canada or elsewhere; research and educational use only.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Selank legal in Canada?
Selank is not an approved drug in Canada and is not authorized for human consumption. It may be legally supplied and purchased strictly as a research chemical for laboratory and educational use. Helixx sells Selank Canada-wide on that basis only. It must never be used for self-administration or in humans.
How does Selank compare to benzodiazepines?
In a human trial, Selank produced anxiolytic effects comparable to the benzodiazepine medazepam but with additional antiasthenic effects and none of the dependence, tolerance, withdrawal or notable sedation associated with that drug class.1 Research also suggests it can potentiate the effect of the benzodiazepine diazepam.2
How is Selank related to Semax?
Both are short synthetic Russian-developed peptides studied for nootropic and neuroprotective properties, and researchers often examine them side by side. Selank derives from tuftsin and is studied mainly for anxiolytic and GABAergic effects, whereas Semax derives from ACTH. They are frequently compared in the same research programs.
What is the proposed mechanism of action?
References
Peer-reviewed and authoritative sources cited above. Helixx supplies research materials for laboratory and educational use only; citations are provided for independent verification, not as medical guidance.
- Zozulia AA, Neznamov GG, Siuniakov TS, et al. Efficacy and possible mechanisms of action of a new peptide anxiolytic selank in the therapy of generalized anxiety disorders and neurasthenia. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova. 2008;108(4):38-48. PMID: 18454096.
- Kasian A, Kolomin T, Andreeva L, Bondarenko E, Myasoedov N, Slominsky P, Shadrina M. Peptide Selank Enhances the Effect of Diazepam in Reducing Anxiety in Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress Conditions in Rats. Behav Neurol. 2017;2017:5091027. PMID: 28280289.
- Volkova A, Shadrina M, Kolomin T, Andreeva L, Limborska S, Myasoedov N, Slominsky P. Selank Administration Affects the Expression of Some Genes Involved in GABAergic Neurotransmission. Front Pharmacol. 2016;7:31. PMID: 26924987.
- Filatova E, Kasian A, Kolomin T, et al. GABA, Selank, and Olanzapine Affect the Expression of Genes Involved in GABAergic Neurotransmission in IMR-32 Cells. Front Pharmacol. 2017;8:89. PMID: 28293190.
- Kolik LG, Nadorova AV, Antipova TA, Kruglov SV, Kudrin VS, Durnev AD. Selank, Peptide Analogue of Tuftsin, Protects Against Ethanol-Induced Memory Impairment by Regulating of BDNF Content in the Hippocampus and Prefrontal Cortex in Rats. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2019;167(5):641-644. PMID: 31625062.
- Fomenko EV, Bobyntsev II, Ivanov AV, Belykh AE, Andreeva LA, Myasoedov NF. Effect of Selank on Morphological Parameters of Rat Liver in Chronic Foot-Shock Stress. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2019;167(6):781-784. PMID: 31243679.