August 15, 2026 · 2 min read
Selank: a tuftsin analogue studied for anxiety, memory and withdrawal in rats
A summary of the published rat studies on Selank, a synthetic analogue of the immune peptide tuftsin, covering BDNF, memory and morphine withdrawal.
Selank is a synthetic peptide derived from tuftsin, a small peptide fragment of immunoglobulin G that stimulates immune cells. It is described in the literature as a peptide anxiolytic. Nearly all of the published work we found comes from a small number of Russian laboratories and uses rats.
The Selank sequence
Sequence: Threonine, Lysine, Proline, Arginine, Proline, Glycine, Proline.
- Polar
- Positively charged
- Glycine or proline
- Length
- 7 amino acids
- Average mass
- 751.9 Da
- Formula
- C33H57N11O9
Memory and BDNF
A 2019 study found that Selank at 0.3 mg/kg a day for a week had a cognitive-stimulating effect in 9-month-old rats not exposed to ethanol, and prevented the memory and attention disturbances that develop during alcohol withdrawal. Ex vivo, it blocked the ethanol-induced increase in BDNF content. The authors concluded that BDNF production is involved in the effect.
The 2019 alcohol and memory study
- 1
Model
Rats drank ethanol for 30 weeks, and memory problems developed during withdrawal.
- 2
Treatment
Selank at 0.3 mg/kg a day, intraperitoneally, for 7 days.
- 3
Behavior
Prevented the memory and attention disturbances that developed during withdrawal.
- 4
BDNF
Prevented the ethanol-induced rise in BDNF in the hippocampus and frontal cortex.
Morphine withdrawal
In a 2022 study using a naloxone-precipitated morphine withdrawal model, a single intraperitoneal injection of Selank reduced the total index of the withdrawal syndrome by 39.6%. It significantly attenuated convulsive reactions, ptosis and posture disorders, and raised the tactile sensitivity threshold 9-fold. Diazepam at 2 mg/kg did somewhat better, with a 49.3% reduction. The authors describe Selank as weakening the aversive signs of withdrawal in a way comparable to diazepam.
Reduction in the total morphine withdrawal index
- Selank0.3 mg/kg39.6%
- Diazepam2 mg/kg49.3%
Reading it carefully
The doses are given in mg/kg in rats by injection, and the studies are small and come from closely related groups. A 2011 paper from the same research tradition also describes changes in expression of chemokine and cytokine genes in response to Selank and its fragments. We found no independent controlled human trials, so claims about anxiety relief in people go beyond what these papers show.
References
- Kolik LG et al. 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.
- Konstantinopolsky MA et al. Selank, a Peptide Analog of Tuftsin, Attenuates Aversive Signs of Morphine Withdrawal in Rats. Bull Exp Biol Med 2022.
- Kolomin TA et al. Changes in expression of the genes for chemokines, cytokines, and their receptors in response to selank and its fragments. Genetika 2011.
Related research notes
- Semax: an ACTH-derived heptapeptide and its BDNF and neuroprotection researchWhat the published rat studies report about Semax, a synthetic ACTH(4-10) analogue, including BDNF signaling in the hippocampus and gene expression after ischemia.
- DSIP: the delta sleep-inducing peptide and why researchers call it an unresolved riddleDSIP was isolated in 1977 as a possible sleep factor. A look at why decades later its natural role, receptor and link to sleep are still unclear.