N-Acetyl Selank Amidate

NA-Selank, N-acetyl Selank amide, Ac-Selank-NH2; parent compound Selank (Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro)

Cognitive & neuro

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Summary

Class: Synthetic heptapeptide: Selank with an N-terminal acetyl cap and a C-terminal amide. Selank itself is the natural immune peptide tuftsin (Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg) with a Pro-Gly-Pro tail added for stability
Mechanism: Assumed identical to Selank — modulation of GABA-related signalling, inhibition of enkephalin-degrading enzymes and shifts in immune and inflammatory gene expression — with the caps intended to slow enzymatic breakdown. Untested for the derivative
Routes studied: Intranasal (community). Selank is studied intranasally in humans and by injection in rodents; the derivative has no published route data
Dose range reported: No literature doses for NA-Selank amidate. Community-reported: 250–500 µg per intranasal application, one to three times daily. Selank label for context: 0.15% nasal spray, roughly 2–3 sprays (about 75 µg each) three times daily, i.e. on the order of 0.5–2.7 mg/day †
Half-life: Not measured for the derivative. Selank is degraded within minutes in blood, though its fragments are detectable longer and the Pro-Gly-Pro tail is thought to be part of the activity
Storage: Lyophilised: refrigerate, protect from light. Nasal solutions: refrigerate; community practice is use within ~4 weeks
Regulatory status: Not approved anywhere. Not the molecule covered by the Russian Selank approval

Doses are as reported in studies or by the community — never recommendations.

1What it is

Selank was developed at the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Moscow alongside Semax, by adding the same Pro-Gly-Pro stabilising tail to tuftsin, a four-amino-acid fragment of the antibody molecule IgG that naturally stimulates immune cells. The result is a short peptide that in Russian clinical studies behaved like a mild anti-anxiety agent without sedation or dependence, and it has been approved in Russia since 2009 as a nasal spray for anxiety and neurasthenia. It has its own profile (#37).

"N-Acetyl Selank Amidate" is the end-capped version: an acetyl group blocks the N-terminal threonine and the C-terminal proline is converted to an amide. As with NA-Semax (#92), this derivative appears to come from the research-chemical community, not from a laboratory or clinical programme. We are not aware of any peer-reviewed pharmacology, pharmacokinetic or clinical study of NA-Selank amidate. Claims that it is "more potent" or "longer-lasting" than Selank are chemical reasoning and anecdote, not data.

2How it's thought to work

Carried over from Selank, with the caveat that the caps have never been shown to preserve activity:

GABA system. Selank changes expression of genes involved in GABA signalling and alters the binding behaviour of GABA-A receptors in rodent brain (Volkova 2016; Vyunova 2018 review), consistent with a benzodiazepine-like but non-sedating anxiolytic profile.

Enkephalins. Selank inhibits enkephalin-degrading enzymes in human serum (Kost 2001), prolonging the action of the body's own opioid-family peptides linked to mood and stress buffering.

Immune and inflammatory genes. As a tuftsin derivative it modulates cytokine expression (e.g. IL-6) and immune-gene profiles in rodent and human cell studies (Kolomin 2010s).

Monoamines. Rodent studies report altered serotonin and noradrenaline turnover after Selank, offered as a basis for mood effects.

The caps. May slow breakdown by aminopeptidases and carboxypeptidases. Whether this matters for a peptide that already carries a stabilising tail, and whether it alters receptor interactions, is unknown.

Proposed: a stabilised analogue of the immune peptide tuftsin, reported to shift GABA and serotonin tone and to reduce anxiety-like behaviour in animals. No receptor is established, so the figure shows the systems involved rather than a binding site.Schematic — not to scale

3What the research shows

Any effect of NA-Selank amidate specifically

No published human or animal study.

Parent compound, generalised anxiety disorder

Russian clinical studies compared Selank with benzodiazepines (medazepam, phenazepam) in patients with generalised anxiety disorder and neurasthenia, reporting comparable anxiolytic effect with fewer sedative side effects and some cognitive benefit (Zozulia 2008; Medvedev 2014/2015, Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova). Open-label or partially blinded; modest sizes; single-country literature. [2][3]

Parent compound, anxiolytic and memory effects in rodents

Reduced anxiety in open-field and elevated-plus-maze tests, improved memory consolidation, and attenuation of stress-induced changes across many rodent studies from the originating group.

Graded C/D

Parent compound, immune and gene-expression effects

Shifts in cytokine and GABA-related gene expression in rodents and in human blood cells .

Community-reported effects

Members describe reduced background anxiety, a calmer and more sociable mood, and modest focus benefits, usually within an hour of a nasal dose and lasting hours. Some describe the derivative as smoother or longer; nobody has compared the two under blind conditions.

4Reported side effects and interactions

Literature-reported

none for the derivative. Selank is described in Russian studies as well tolerated; no dependence or withdrawal reported.

Community-reported

nasal irritation, drowsiness or fatigue in some people (the opposite of Semax), low mood or "emotional flattening" at higher or frequent doses, occasional headache, and a minority who report it does nothing.

Theoretical. immune-modulating peptides are a reasonable caution for anyone with autoimmune disease or on immunosuppressants; no human signal, but no human data either. Unknown metabolites of the acetylated/amidated form.

Interactions. none established. Community reports of additive sedation with alcohol or benzodiazepines are plausible given the GABA-related mechanism.

Markers researchers commonly monitor

No compound-specific markers exist. Reasonable choices given the parent's biology:

Marker	Why it's watched
A validated anxiety scale (e.g. GAD-7)	repeated weekly; anxiety is the target outcome and the placebo effect for anxiety is large, so the baseline matters.
Sleep log	both drowsiness and, less often, insomnia are reported.
hs-CRP and a basic CBC with differential	the parent is immune-modulating; a before/after snapshot is cheap and otherwise nobody would notice a shift.
Blood pressure	general autonomic check for any anxiolytic.
CMP	general baseline for an unstudied derivative.

Free for everyone. Safety information is never behind a paywall.

5Reconstitution and handling

Supplied as powder (vials of a few milligrams) or as a pre-mixed nasal spray. with sterile or and transfer to a metered spray bottle; work out the dose per spray from concentration and spray volume rather than assuming. The peptide contains arginine and lysine and is water-soluble; refrigerate and protect from light.

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6Commonly studied alongside

Selank (#37, the parent) and Semax (#36); N-Acetyl Semax Amidate (#92) is the matching derivative and the two are often paired in community practice. Also discussed with Noopept (#91) and, for sleep, with DSIP, without combined data.

Informational cross-links. Not stack recommendations.

7Regulatory status by region

Region	Status (checked —)
United States	Not FDA-approved; not an approved compounding substance †
European Union	Not authorised
United Kingdom	Not licensed
Australia	Not approved
South Africa	Not registered
Russia	Selank (not the derivative) is an approved medicine; NA-Selank amidate has no approval
Sport (WADA)	Not specifically listed; as a non-approved pharmacological substance it would fall under S0 †

8Open questions

Does the capped derivative act on the same targets as Selank? No binding or cell data.
Pharmacokinetics and nasal-to-brain delivery — unmeasured.
Any human safety data — none.
Whether long-term use alters immune parameters, a question even the parent compound has not answered outside Russia.

9References

1Kost NV et al. (2001). Semax and Selank inhibit the enkephalin-degrading enzymes from human serum. Bioorg Khim. PubMed · DOI
2Zozulia AA et al. (2008). 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. PubMed
3Medvedev VE et al. (2015). Optimization of the treatment of anxiety disorders with Selank. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova. PubMed · DOI
4Volkova A et al. (2016). Selank administration affects the expression of some genes involved in GABAergic neurotransmission. Front Pharmacol. PubMed · DOI
5Vyunova TV et al. (2018). Peptide-based anxiolytics: the molecular aspects of heptapeptide Selank biological activity. Protein Pept Lett. PubMed · DOI
6Kolomin T et al. (2013). A new generation of drugs: synthetic peptides based on natural regulatory peptides. Neurosci Med [verify]. DOI

† Being confirmed by our reviewers against current sources.

10Community

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Self-reported side effects Phase 2

Not enough data yet. 0 of the 50 members needed have logged this compound for 4+ weeks. We don't show anything below 50, so no one can be identified.

11Page history

26 Oct 2026Profile published — awaiting medical review

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