A synthetic analog of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone that stimulates melanogenesis, increasing skin pigmentation and providing photoprotection against UV radiation.
Barnetson. Ross StC RS; Ooi. Terry K T TK; Zhuang. Liqing L; Halliday. Gary M GM; Reid. Catherine M...
A study gave a synthetic hormone called melanotan‑I (0.16 mg per kg body weight, injected under the skin in three 10‑day rounds over three months) to fair‑skinned volunteers. It made their skin much darker, especially in people who started with very little melanin, and cut sunburn cell damage by more than half and DNA damage by about 60%. This suggests melanotan‑I can boost natural tanning and give real UV protection, but it’s still an experimental approach.
Ugwu. S O SO; Blanchard. J J; Dorr. R T RT; Levine. N N; Brooks. C C; Hadley. M E ME; Aickin. M M; H...
The study shows that injecting melanotan‑I under the skin (subcutaneously) works well for tanning, while taking it by mouth does nothing. A dose of about 0.16 mg per kg given in ten injections over two weeks produces noticeable skin darkening that can last for weeks, with only mild stomach upset or facial flushing as side effects.
Dorr. R T RT; Dvorakova. K K; Brooks. C C; Lines. R R; Levine. N N; Schram. K K; Miketova. P P; Hrub...
A short 2‑week course of Melanotan‑I injections (0.16 mg per kg each day, Monday‑Friday) noticeably darkened skin in a small group of volunteers by boosting the dark pigment eumelanin, especially on the forearm, while the lighter pigment pheomelanin stayed the same.
Dolby. Viveka V; Lundqvist. Andreas A; Fröberg. Thomas T; Lüllau. Elke E; Shaw. Judith J;...
The study shows that the melanotan‑I peptide (MTII) sticks to its target receptor best when kept at normal body pH (around 7.4) and that its effectiveness drops in acidic conditions but comes back when the pH is corrected. Salt levels up to 1 M don’t hurt binding, and if you store the peptide in a neutral‑pH, normal‑salt solution at 4 °C, it stays active for about a week.
Dorr. Robert T RT; Ertl. Gregory G; Levine. Norman N; Brooks. Chris C; Bangert. Jerry L JL; Powell....
In three small human studies, the peptide melanotan‑1 (MT‑1) was given under the skin together with a little UV‑B light or a few days of sunlight. The peptide helped people tan faster and stay tan longer, while also cutting the number of sun‑burn cells. Side effects were mild (nausea, brief facial flushing) and no harmful skin changes were seen.
Levine. N N; Sheftel. S N SN; Eytan. T T; Dorr. R T RT; Hadley. M E ME; Weinrach. J C JC; Ertl. G A...
A small study gave healthy white men ten sub‑skin shots of a synthetic hormone called melanotan‑I over about two weeks. The men’s skin got noticeably darker, peaking a week or two after the last shot, even though they used strong sunscreen the whole time. The placebo group didn’t tan at all, showing the effect comes from the peptide, not UV exposure.
Chai. Biaoxin B; Li. Ji-Yao JY; Zhang. Weizhen W; Wang. Hui H; Mulholland. Michael W MW
The study shows that activating the MC4R receptor with melanotan‑II (or similar compounds) can turn down a stress‑related pathway (JNK) and make insulin signals work better in cells and in the rat brain, leading to more glucose being taken up. This hints that melanotan‑II might help improve insulin sensitivity, but the evidence is still limited to lab dishes and animal brains, not real‑world human use.
Lai. Fei Ya FY; Quigley. Claire C; Murray. Gregg G; Gordon. Amanda A; Yong. Ji Fung JF; Yoo. Helena...
The study looked at people who go to tanning salons and found that many also use the unregulated peptide Melanotan I to boost their tan. Even though most know tanning can cause skin cancer, they keep using sunbeds and the peptide, often in places that don’t follow safety rules. This suggests a habit‑like behavior that may need psychological help and stricter regulation.
Nelson. Michael E ME; Bryant. Sean M SM; Aks. Steven E SE
A 39‑year‑old man injected a very high dose of Melanotan II (6 mg, six times the recommended start) and quickly developed dangerous symptoms like fast heart rate, anxiety, sweating, muscle tremors, and later severe muscle breakdown (rhabdomyolysis) that hurt his kidneys. He was treated with calming meds, lots of IV fluids, and bicarbonate, which helped his labs improve. This case shows that taking too much Melanotan II can cause serious, life‑threatening side effects.
Ückert. Stefan S; Bannowsky. Andreas A; Albrecht. Knut K; Kuczyk. Markus A MA
This review says that drugs that activate the melanocortin system—like melanotan‑I, melanotan‑II, and bremelanotide—look promising for boosting sexual arousal in women and helping men get erections, but the evidence is still early and more studies are needed.
In normal mice, giving leptin boosts brain signals (POMC and MC4R) that curb appetite, but obese mice quickly become resistant to leptin, losing those signals while MC4R stays the same early on and spikes later when diabetes develops. This shows the brain’s weight‑control system changes as obesity worsens.
Wong. Shu Shyan SS; Ainger. Stephen A SA; Leonard. J Helen JH; Sturm. Richard A RA
The study shows that activating the MC1R receptor with a synthetic hormone (like melanotan‑I) can boost DNA‑repair signals (p38 and p53) in normal‑type skin cells, but this boost is weak or absent in cells with the common “R” loss‑of‑function MC1R variants that make people more prone to sun damage.
Rinne. Petteri P; Tikka. Sanna S; Mäkelä. Satu S; Streng. Tomi T; Savontaus. Eriika E
In mice, the skin‑tanning peptide melanotan‑II (and a similar compound) raises both blood pressure and heart rate when given by injection. The rise in pressure comes mainly from extra sympathetic (fight‑or‑flight) activity, while the faster heartbeat also involves reduced vagal (rest‑and‑digest) tone. These effects are blocked by drugs that stop melanocortin‑3/4 receptors or beta‑1 receptors, showing the pathway involved.
The study shows that the short‑term appetite‑blocking effect of an alpha‑MSH drug like melanotan‑I depends on the stress hormone CRF, while the longer‑lasting effect does not. This means the quick hunger‑reduction you might feel is linked to stress pathways, but the later, sustained reduction works through a different route.
Yang. Yingkui Y; Chen. Min M; Ventro. George G; Harmon. Carroll M CM
Scientists found that a single building block (amino acid 128) in the skin‑color receptor (MC1R) decides whether a tweaked version of the tanning peptide works, and the same spot in a related brain receptor (MC4R) does the same thing. This explains why removing one part of the peptide (Trp9) stops it from affecting appetite‑related receptors but keeps it active for skin‑color signaling.
Zhou. Yang Y; Mowlazadeh Haghighi. Saghar S; Zoi. Ioanna I; Sawyer. Jonathon R JR; Hruby. Victor J V...
Researchers created a new skin‑darkening peptide made only of regular amino acids that strongly activates the MC1R receptor, which controls melanin production. In animal tests it darkened skin quickly and the effect wore off fast, suggesting it could give a short‑term tan without sun exposure. Because it avoids exotic building blocks, it may be safer than older versions, but it’s still early‑stage research.
The study shows that activating the melanocortin‑4 receptor (MC4R) with a peptide like melanotan‑I can make insulin work better at turning on the mTOR pathway, which is important for growth and metabolism. This effect is specific to MC4R and doesn’t involve the usual PKA or MAPK routes, but it is reduced when the AMPK pathway is activated.
Heyder. Nicolas A NA; Kleinau. Gunnar G; Speck. David D; Schmidt. Andrea A; Paisdzior. Sarah S; Szcz...
Scientists mapped exactly how the weight‑loss peptide melanotan‑I (NDP‑α‑MSH) and a similar drug bind to the brain’s MC4R receptor, showing the detailed steps that turn the receptor on and how calcium helps the binding. This explains why these peptides can suppress appetite, but it doesn’t give new dosing tips for users.
Qiao. Yingjin Y; Wang. Pei P; Chang. Mingyang M; Chen. Bohan B; Ge. Yan Y; Malhotra. Deepak K DK; Dw...
In a mouse model of kidney disease, a drug that activates many melanocortin receptors (similar to melanotan‑I) dramatically lowered protein loss in urine and protected kidney cells, and it worked even when the MC1R receptor was missing, suggesting a direct protective effect on the kidney’s filtering cells.
The study shows that melanotan‑I (a synthetic version of the hormone α‑MSH) can calm down brain immune cells (microglia) in a dish, making them less inflammatory and more like a healing type. It blocks the signals that normally trigger inflammation (TLR2 and TLR4) and boosts anti‑inflammatory markers, suggesting it might protect the brain from chronic inflammation.