A synthetic heptapeptide analog of ACTH(4-10) that provides nootropic, neuroprotective, and cognitive-enhancing effects by modulating BDNF and neurotransmitter systems.
In mice, a tiny dose of semax (about 0.05 mg per kg body weight) helps them cope with low‑oxygen conditions, and a short 6‑day course at 0.1 mg/kg does the same. It also improves memory in several tests, working about as well as common nootropics like piracetam, but the benefit follows a bell‑shaped curve—too low or too high a dose loses the effect. Semax doesn’t boost brain oxygen use like mexidol, so dosing must be precise.
Kamenskiĭ. A A AA; Voskresenskaia. O G OG; Dubynin. V A VA; Levitskaia. N G NG
The study shows that giving peptides through the nose can keep or boost their effects compared to injections, and that adding proline‑rich parts to the peptide makes it last longer by protecting it from breakdown.
Asmarin. I P IP; Nezavibat'ko. V N VN; Miasoedov. N F NF; Kamenskiĭ. A A AA; Grivennikov. I A...
Semax is a nasal spray peptide that, at very low doses, can boost memory, focus, and brain blood flow for up to a day, and it also helps the brain cope with low‑oxygen situations. It has been used safely in both animals and healthy people, with no reported side effects.
Glazova. Nataliya Yu NY; Manchenko. Daria M DM; Volodina. Maria A MA; Merchieva. Svetlana A SA; Andr...
In rats, giving the antidepressant fluvoxamine to newborns caused lasting anxiety, learning problems, and brain chemistry changes. Giving the peptide Semax after the drug exposure reduced anxiety, helped the rats learn better, and fixed the brain chemistry. This suggests Semax might protect the brain from early serotonin‑related disturbances, but the work is only in animals.
Lebedeva. I S IS; Panikratova. Ya R YR; Sokolov. O Yu OY; Kupriyanov. D A DA; Rumshiskaya. A D AD; K...
A small study gave healthy adults a nasal spray of 1% Semax and used brain scans to see changes. Within 5‑20 minutes, the part of the brain’s default mode network in the front‑mid area got bigger compared to a placebo, showing Semax quickly alters brain activity.
Gusev. E I EI; Martynov. M Yu MY; Kostenko. E V EV; Petrova. L V LV; Bobyreva. S N SN
In a study of 110 stroke patients, giving the peptide semax (6000 µg per day for 10 days, repeated after 20 days) raised blood levels of the brain‑growth factor BDNF and, together with early physical rehab, helped people recover motor function faster and achieve better scores on daily‑living tests.
Dolotov. Oleg V OV; Karpenko. Ekaterina A EA; Inozemtseva. Lyudmila S LS; Seredenina. Tamara S TS; L...
A study in rats found that a single low dose of the peptide semax, given through the nose, boosted brain chemicals linked to learning (BDNF and its receptor trkB) and improved a simple memory test. While the results are promising, they are from animals, so we don’t know yet how well it works or how to dose it safely in people.
Shadrina. Maria M; Kolomin. Timur T; Agapova. Tamara T; Agniullin. Yan Y; Shram. Stanislav S; Slomin...
In rats, a single dose of the brain‑boosting peptide Semax changes the activity of two important brain proteins, NGF and BDNF, in different brain areas and the eye over time. It briefly lowers their levels in the hippocampus (memory area) and retina, while raising them in the frontal cortex, and later boosts BDNF in the retina.
Semax is a tiny peptide you can spray into your nose that has been shown in animal studies and a few human tests to boost memory, attention, dopamine release, and brain‑derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). The authors think it could help conditions like ADHD and Rett syndrome because those involve dopamine and BDNF problems, but there’s no solid clinical trial data yet.
Agapova. T Y TY; Agniullin. Y V YV; Shadrina. M I MI; Shram. S I SI; Slominsky. P A PA; Lymborska. S...
A single intranasal dose of the peptide Semax quickly changes brain chemicals that support neuron growth in rats: it raises BDNF and NGF levels in the hippocampus and BDNF in the brainstem and cerebellum, while lowering NGF in the frontal cortex. These changes happen within an hour and differ by brain region.
Dolotov. Oleg V OV; Karpenko. Ekaterina A EA; Seredenina. Tamara S TS; Inozemtseva. Lyudmila S LS; L...
In rats, the peptide Semax given through the nose quickly raises levels of BDNF—a protein that supports brain plasticity—in the part of the brain that controls learning, without affecting other regions. This effect appears to come from Semax binding to specific sites in that brain area.
Shevchenko. K V KV; Nagaev. I Iu IIu; Alfeeva. L Iu LIu; Andreeva. L A LA; Kamenskiĭ. A A AA;...
A rat study shows that spraying Semax into the nose gets the peptide into the brain within a couple of minutes, but only a tiny amount (about 0.1% of the dose per gram of brain tissue) makes it there, and most of it breaks down quickly into a small fragment. This suggests intranasal delivery works, but the drug’s short lifespan may limit its effectiveness without frequent dosing or special formulations.
Kopylova. G N GN; Smirnova. E A EA; Sanzhieva. L Ts LTs; Umarova. B A BA; Lelekova. T V TV; Samonina...
A short study found that a stressful event can mess up tiny blood vessels in the gut, causing reduced flow and bleeding, but giving the peptide Semax (and related short proteins called glyprolines) an hour before the stress helped keep the vessels working better, especially the versions PGP and GP.
Levitskaya. N G NG; Sebentsova. E A EA; Andreeva. L A LA; Alfeeva. L Yu LY; Kamenskii. A A AA; Myaso...
In a rat study, giving the peptide Semax through the nose each day reduced the movement problems and anxiety caused by a toxin that damages dopamine brain cells, hinting it might protect the brain’s dopamine system.
Umarova. B A BA; Kopylova. G N GN; Smirnova. E A EA; Guseva. A A AA; Zhuikova. S E SE
In rats, stress makes certain immune cells in the gut and fat release more chemicals, which can lead to ulcers. Giving the peptide Semax (and a similar peptide) before the stress stops this extra activity, but only when the animals are stressed. The same effect was seen in lab dishes, suggesting Semax can calm these cells and might help protect the gut under stress.
Bashkatova. V G VG; Koshelev. V B VB; Fadyukova. O E OE; Alexeev. A A AA; Vanin. A F AF; Rayevsky. K...
In rats that suffered a brief loss of blood flow to the brain, the drug Semax lowered the surge of nitric oxide (a molecule that can damage cells) and helped the animals recover better, while a simple amino acid, glycine, did nothing. This suggests Semax might protect brain cells after a stroke‑like event by controlling harmful chemicals.
Ashmarin. I P IP; Samonina. G E GE; Lyapina. L A LA; Kamenskii. A A AA; Levitskaya. N G NG; Grivenni...
The abstract says that glyproline peptides like semax are surprisingly stable in the body and can survive the gut, so they might be taken as pills, and that mixing them with other natural peptides could boost their overall effect.
Ivanikov. I O IO; Brekhova. M E ME; Samonina. G E GE; Myasoedov. N F NF; Ashmarin. I P IP
A small study found that adding the nasal spray peptide Semax to standard ulcer medicines helped heal stubborn stomach ulcers much faster—about 90% of patients improved in two weeks versus only 31% without Semax. The peptide was given as a 1% solution, 2‑4 drops three times daily for ten days. More research is needed, but the result hints that Semax might be a useful add‑on for gut‑health issues.
Potaman. V N VN; Alfeeva. L Y LY; Kamensky. A A AA; Levitzkaya. N G NG; Nezavibatko. V N VN
The study shows that in rat blood, the synthetic peptide semax breaks down more slowly than the natural ACTH(4-10) peptide, and a good chunk of the breakdown is caused by a specific enzyme that trims the first two amino acids. The fragments that form are fairly stable and might still have biological effects, meaning the whole mix—not just the original peptide—could matter when you take it.
Potaman. V N VN; Alfeeva. L Y LY; Kamensky. A A AA; Nezavibatko. V N VN
The study shows that in rat blood, the peptide semax is mainly broken down by enzymes called aminopeptidases and the angiotensin‑converting enzyme (ACE). Inhibiting these enzymes slowed the breakdown, especially with a drug called bestatin, while an ACE blocker (lisinopril) gave a smaller effect. Other enzymes seemed less important.