A synthetic heptapeptide analog of ACTH(4-10) that provides nootropic, neuroprotective, and cognitive-enhancing effects by modulating BDNF and neurotransmitter systems.
Stavchanskiĭ. V V VV; Tvorogova. T V TV; Botsina. A Iu AIu; Skvortsova. V I VI; Limborskaia. S...
In rats that had a temporary blockage of blood flow to the brain, the peptide semax (and a related short piece called PGP) helped restore the activity of genes that support nerve cell health, especially in the hippocampus, which is important for memory. The effect was strongest about 12 hours after the blockage. While the study is in animals and doesn’t give human dosing, it adds evidence that semax can boost brain‑protective factors after injury.
Levitskaia. N G NG; Vilenskiĭ. D A DA; Sebentsova. E A EA; Anreeva. L A LA; Kamenskiĭ. A...
In a rat study, giving the peptide Semax by nose didn’t change normal mood, but when the animals were made anxious and depressed with another compound, Semax stopped those bad effects, acting like an anti‑anxiety and anti‑depression agent under stress.
A short 10‑day course of intranasal semax (0.1% solution, about 600 mg per day) added to regular psoriasis treatment lowered bad cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL, while raising good HDL in patients who also had metabolic syndrome. The usual treatment alone didn’t change these blood fats.
Filippenkov. Ivan B IB; Stavchansky. Vasily V VV; Denisova. Alina E AE; Yuzhakov. Vadim V VV; Sevan'...
In rats that had a brief brain blood‑flow blockage (a model of stroke), the peptide Semax changed the brain’s gene activity: it lowered inflammation‑related genes and boosted genes involved in nerve signaling. This pattern was the opposite of what happened with the blockage alone, suggesting Semax may help protect the brain after such injury.
Tomasello. Marianna Flora MF; Di Rosa. Maria Carmela MC; Naletova. Irina I; Sciacca. Michele Frances...
The study shows that the synthetic peptide Semax can pull copper ions away from a harmful protein (beta‑amyloid) and stop the copper‑driven chemical reactions that create damaging reactive oxygen species. In cell experiments, this reduced oxidative stress and protected nerve‑like cells from death, suggesting Semax might help guard the brain against some of the chemistry linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
Shevchenko. K V KV; V'iunova. T V TV; Nagaev. I Iu IIu; Andreeva. L A LA; Alfeeva. L Iu LIu; Miasoed...
Researchers tested how swapping the first amino acid in the brain‑active peptide semax changes how quickly it gets broken down by enzymes. Replacing the natural methionine with alanine, glycine, or threonine makes the peptide last longer, while a tryptophan swap leads to a mix of breakdown products. All the variants can also slow down the breakdown of regular semax.
Firstova. Iu Iu IuIu; Dolotov. O V OV; Kondrakhin. e A eA; Dubynina. E V EV; Grivennikov. I A IA; Ko...
In mice that performed poorly on a maze test, the peptide semax raised levels of a brain protein called BDNF in both the hippocampus and cortex, while it didn’t change BDNF in mice that already did well. This suggests semax might boost brain health mainly when there’s a cognitive deficit, but the evidence is from animal studies only.
Leonidovna. Yasenyavskaya A YA; Aleksandrovna. Samotrueva M SM; Aleksandrovna. Tsibizova A TA; Aleks...
In rats, a stressful social situation raised several inflammation‑related proteins in the blood. Giving the peptide Selank (100 µg per kg, injected daily) during the stress period brought many of those proteins back down toward normal levels, especially IL‑1β, IL‑6, TNF‑α and TGF‑β1, while also restoring the anti‑inflammatory IL‑4.
Agapova. T Iu TIu; Agniullin. Ia V IaV; Silachev. D N DN; Shadrina. M I MI; Slominskiĭ. P A PA...
In rats, a single intranasal dose of the peptide semax quickly changed the levels of brain‑growth genes (BDNF and NGF) in two brain areas, with early drops in the hippocampus and rises in the frontal cortex, then both areas showed a later increase that lasted several hours.
Dragon. A K AK; Korchazhkina. N B NB; Sheludchenko. V M VM; Yusef. Yu Y; Kosova. J V JV; Makarova. M...
A clinical trial with 60 patients who had optic nerve damage from vascular problems showed that a combo treatment—including a nasal delivery of the peptide Semax (0.1% solution) together with magnetic brain stimulation, a hyper‑baric chamber, and acupuncture—greatly improved visual field size and light sensitivity for up to six months. The standard vitamin therapy group only showed modest, non‑significant gains.
In rats, giving the peptide Semax right before a short stressful event helped keep the spleen's immune cells from over‑reacting and prevented tissue damage for up to two weeks after the stress. This points to a possible anti‑stress, anti‑inflammatory effect of Semax, but the study was done in animals and doesn’t give human dosing details.
Silachev. D N DN; Shram. S I SI; Shakova. F M FM; Romanova. G A GA; Myasoedov. N F NF
In rats with a small stroke in the prefrontal cortex, daily intranasal doses of the peptide semax (250 µg per kg) for six days helped them recover their ability to learn a spatial maze, likely by protecting brain cells and boosting growth factors.
Stavchanskiĭ. V V VV; Tvorogova. T V TV; Botsina. A Iu AIu; Limborskaia. S A SA; Skvortsova. V...
In rats that had a brief blockage of blood flow to the brain, the peptide semax lowered the early rise of the gene VEGFA, which is linked to inflammation and swelling after a stroke. Later (about a day after), semax allowed VEGFA levels to go up again in the hippocampus, which may help brain repair. The related tiny peptide PGP did not have much effect.
Manchenko. D M DM; Glazova. N Iu NIu; Levitskaia. N G NG; Andreeva. L A LA; Kamenskiĭ. A A AA;...
In rats, the peptide Semax improves learning and reduces pain when given by injection into the belly (intraperitoneal). When sprayed into the nose (intranasal), it boosts learning even more, but it doesn't help with pain. The way the drug works depends on how it’s taken, hinting at different brain pathways.
Polunin. G S GS; Nurieva. S M SM; Baiandin. D L DL; Sheremet. N L NL; Andreeva. L A LA
In a clinical study, people with optic nerve problems were given the peptide semax either as nasal drops or via a special nasal electric treatment. Adding semax to their standard care helped them recover vision faster, improving sharpness, visual field size, nerve signal strength, and color perception.
Sheremet. N L NL; Polunin. G S GS; Ovchinnikov. A N AN; Kamenskiĭ. A A AA; Levitskaia. N G NG;...
The study shows that the peptide Semax can be given through the nose and still reach the brain and eyes in rats, and it stays stable when exposed to an electric field. This suggests that intranasal Semax could be a practical way to deliver the drug for neuroprotective purposes, but the results are still limited to animal experiments.
Gusev. E I EI; Skvortsova. V I VI; Chukanova. E I EI
In a study of 187 people with reduced blood flow to the brain, the peptide Semax was given as a treatment. Patients who took Semax showed clear improvements in neurological symptoms, a slower progression of their condition, and a lower chance of having a stroke or mini‑stroke. The drug was well tolerated, with only a few mild side effects, even in older participants.
Iasnetsov. V V VV; Chertorizhskiĭ. E A EA; Belyĭ. P A PA; Bespalova. Zh D ZhD; Ovchinnik...
In rats and mice, a new mix of three short peptides (called NMT) protected the brain from damage caused by lack of oxygen, reduced memory loss, and improved brain signaling better than the known peptide drug semax. The effects were seen at doses ranging from 10 to 150 mg per kilogram of body weight.
Miasoedova. N F NF; Skvortsova. V I VI; Nasonov. E L EL; Zhuravleva. E Iu EIu; Grivennikov. I A IA;...
The study shows that semax, a peptide nootropic, can help protect the brain after a stroke by shifting the immune response toward anti‑inflammatory signals. In animal tests, doses of 100‑150 µg per kilogram reduced damage, and early human data suggest it may improve outcomes in acute ischemic stroke.
Zolotarev. Iu A IuA; Dadaian. A K AK; Dolotov. O V OV; Kozik. V S VS; Kost. N V NV; Sokolov. O Iu OI...
The study used specially labeled versions of the peptide Semax to track how it breaks down in the body and how it affects enzymes that break down natural brain chemicals. It showed that after nasal delivery, Semax reaches the brain and is mainly split into smaller pieces (HFPGP and PGP). Importantly, Semax strongly blocks certain blood enzymes (enkephalinases) that normally degrade opioid-like peptides, mainly by acting on aminopeptidases.