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Clarity Peptide Labs

Semax, Selank and DSIP reading list

The original paper titles are useful coordinates when similar-sounding experiments measure quite different things.

Original publications

For the opening hormone question, begin with the DSIP study of ACTH-like immunoreactivity and cortisol. The six-person human sleep experiment asks a separate question. The Semax and Selank serum-enzyme paper provides the comparison discussed on this site.

The full list follows, including the reviews and the animal studies. A review brings together earlier work; its place here adds no new participants to those experiments.

  1. et al. Semax peptide targets the mu opioid receptor gene Oprm1 to promote deubiquitination and functional recovery after spinal cord injury in female mice. Br J Pharmacol. 2025. ↗
  2. Medvedeva EV, et al. The peptide semax affects the expression of genes related to the immune and vascular systems in rat brain focal ischemia: genome-wide transcriptional analysis. BMC Genomics. 2014;15:228. ↗
  3. Agapova TY, et al. Neurotrophin gene expression in rat brain under the action of Semax, an analogue of ACTH(4-10). Neurosci Lett. 2007;417(2):201-5. ↗
  4. Dolotov OV, et al. Semax, an analogue of adrenocorticotropin (4-10), binds specifically and increases levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor protein in rat basal forebrain. J Neurochem. 2006;97 Suppl 1:82-6. ↗
  5. Romanova GA, et al. Neuroprotective and antiamnesic effects of Semax during experimental ischemic infarction of the cerebral cortex. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2006;142(6):663-6. ↗
  6. Shevchenko KV, et al. Kinetics of Semax penetration into the brain and blood of rats after its intranasal administration. Russ J Bioorg Chem (Bioorg Khim). 2006;32(1):57-62. ↗
  7. Kost NV, et al. Semax and selank inhibit the enkephalin-degrading enzymes from human serum. Bioorg Khim (Russ J Bioorg Chem). 2001;27(3):180-183. ↗
  8. Vyunova TV, Andreeva L, Shevchenko K, Myasoedov N. Peptide-based Anxiolytics: The Molecular Aspects of Heptapeptide Selank Biological Activity. Protein and Peptide Letters. 2018;25(10):914-923. ↗
  9. Kasian A, Kolomin T, Andreeva L, et al. Peptide Selank Enhances the Effect of Diazepam in Reducing Anxiety in Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress Conditions in Rats. Behavioural Neurology. 2017;2017:5091027. ↗
  10. Volkova A, Shadrina M, Kolomin T, et al. Selank Administration Affects the Expression of Some Genes Involved in GABAergic Neurotransmission. Frontiers in Pharmacology. 2016;7:31. ↗
  11. Inozemtseva LS, Karpenko EA, Dolotov OV, et al. Intranasal administration of the peptide Selank regulates BDNF expression in the rat hippocampus in vivo. Doklady Biological Sciences. 2008;421:241-243. ↗
  12. Uchakina ON, Uchakin PN, Miasoedov NF, et al. Immunomodulatory effects of selank in patients with anxiety-asthenic disorders. Zhurnal Nevrologii i Psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova. 2008;108(5):71-75. ↗
  13. Mu X, Qu L, Yin L, Wang L, Liu X, Liu D. Pichia pastoris secreted peptides crossing the blood-brain barrier and DSIP fusion peptide efficacy in PCPA-induced insomnia mouse models. Front Pharmacol. 2024;15:1439536. ↗
  14. Kovalzon VM, Strekalova TV. Delta sleep-inducing peptide (DSIP): a still unresolved riddle. J Neurochem. 2006;97(2):303-309. ↗
  15. Popovich IG, Voitenkov BO, Anisimov VN, Ivanov VT, Mikhaleva II, Zabezhinski MA, Alimova IN, Baturin DA, Zavarzina NY, Rosenfeld SV, Semenchenko AV, Yashin AI. Effect of delta-sleep inducing peptide-containing preparation Deltaran on biomarkers of aging, life span and spontaneous tumor incidence in female SHR mice. Mech Ageing Dev. 2003;124(6):721-731. ↗
  16. Bjartell A, Ekman R, Bergquist S, Widerlov E. Reduction of immunoreactive ACTH in plasma following intravenous injection of delta sleep-inducing peptide in man. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 1989;14(5):347-355. ↗
  17. Schneider-Helmert D, et al. The influence of synthetic DSIP (delta-sleep-inducing-peptide) on disturbed human sleep. Experientia. 1981;37(8):913-914. ↗