A practical reference on Semax: what it is, how it behaves, what the literature reports, and where the honest uncertainties sit.
This page was last updated on 2025-08-27 and is reviewed periodically as new material appears.
Semax is a synthetic heptapeptide whose sequence is Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro. The first four residues correspond to the ACTH(4-10) fragment, while the terminal Pro-Gly-Pro extension was added to improve metabolic stability. Its molecular formula is C37H51N9O10S and its monoisotopic mass is approximately 813.9 Da. The compound is classified as a peptide research chemical and as a registered pharmaceutical product in Russia, but it does not hold marketing approval in the European Union or the United States. Naming conventions vary across supplier catalogs.
Development of the compound took place in the Soviet Union during the 1980s, largely through peptide research groups affiliated with the Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute and Moscow State University. Investigators screened fragments of adrenocorticotropic hormone for activity on the central nervous system while attempting to separate cognitive effects from hormonal ones. The shortened sequence was selected because it retained behavioral activity in animal models without stimulating corticosteroid release. Early publications described the molecule as an ACTH(4-10) analog.
Published research on this peptide originates mainly from Russian laboratories, and the wider international literature is comparatively thin. Studies have used rodent models of stroke, hypoxia, and memory tasks, with a smaller number of human trials reported. Reported outcomes include changes in attention and memory measures, along with effects on neurotrophic factor expression in some experiments. Small sample sizes, inconsistent dosing protocols, and limited independent replication are widely noted limitations, so the strength of the clinical evidence remains an open question.
Development is attributed to researchers at the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Moscow during the early 1980s, building on earlier Soviet work with ACTH fragments. Russian regulatory approval followed for intranasal use, and the compound has remained commercially available there for decades. Most published human data originate from Russian and, later, some Eastern European clinical reports, which are not always accessible in English translation. Outside that region the material is generally handled as a research chemical rather than a licensed medicine.
Regulatory status differs sharply between jurisdictions. In Russia the peptide is registered as a prescription nasal preparation, while agencies such as the United States Food and Drug Administration have not approved it for any indication. Products sold elsewhere are typically labeled for laboratory research only, and such labels shift responsibility for safe handling to the purchaser. Because the same name covers pharmaceutical-grade nasal drops and bulk research powder, identity and purity documentation becomes the main practical concern when comparing sources.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Molecular formula | C37H51N9O10S | Seven-residue peptide |
| Molecular mass | 813.9 Da | Monoisotopic value |
| Appearance | White to off-white powder | Lyophilized form |
| Solubility | Freely soluble in water | Also soluble in saline and polar solvents |
| Storage (dry) | -20 °C or lower | Desiccated, protected from light |
各国监管态度分化明显。俄罗斯按处方药管理，部分东欧国家留有使用记录；欧盟与美国未批准其作为药物上市，市面流通品通常标注为研究用化学品。身份差异意味着标示含量、纯度与无菌性缺少统一核查。体育领域还牵涉反兴奋剂名录，跨境携带则受目的地药品法规约束。
Semax 是人工设计的七肽，序列为 Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro，骨架取自促肾上腺皮质激素片段 ACTH(4-10)。它于二十世纪八十年代在苏联的分子遗传学研究机构内合成。设计目标是保留该片段与注意力和记忆相关的活性，同时剔除促皮质激素释放等内分泌作用。此后俄罗斯将其登记为药品并进入临床使用。
当时的短肽研究普遍关注能否穿越血脑屏障、在低剂量下产生中枢效应，Semax 属于这一路线。鼻内给药是其主要使用方式，俄语文献报道的适应症涵盖缺血性卒中、短暂性脑缺血发作、认知功能减退以及视神经病变。这些研究大多发表在当地期刊上，样本规模与终点设置同西方试验惯例存在差异，国际同行对其临床证据的强度看法不一。
Laboratory descriptions of the material are consistent across suppliers. It appears as a white to off-white lyophilized powder that dissolves readily in water and in polar organic solvents such as dimethyl sulfoxide. Aqueous solutions are clear and colorless at low concentrations. Because the peptide contains methionine, oxidation at the sulfur atom is a recognized degradation pathway, and handling notes usually call for protected, desiccated storage. Reported purity for research-grade lots is generally above 95 percent as measured by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography.
The compound is registered in Russia as a pharmaceutical product, most commonly formulated as a nasal solution, and has been used in that setting since the 1990s. Outside that jurisdiction it is generally handled as a research chemical rather than an approved medicine. Regulatory status therefore differs sharply between countries, and material sold internationally may not correspond to the Russian pharmaceutical formulation. Documentation with commercial samples is typically limited to a certificate of analysis covering purity and identity, not clinical status or local legal classification.
Semax is a synthetic heptapeptide with the sequence Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro. It was derived from the ACTH(4-10) fragment, a short segment of adrenocorticotropic hormone that lacks the hormonal activity associated with the full-length peptide. Researchers at the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Moscow developed the compound during the 1980s. It has been registered as a pharmaceutical product in Russia and several neighbouring countries, where it is supplied as a nasal solution, and it is also sold internationally as a research chemical.
The proposed mechanism centres on neurotrophic signalling rather than direct receptor activation. Semax is reported to increase expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and nerve growth factor in several brain regions, and to shift the balance between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitter systems. Interaction with melanocortin receptors has been suggested because of the parent ACTH fragment. Many of these findings come from rodent studies, and the extent to which they translate to human physiology remains an open question.
== Nixon's visit to Moscow == At the time of the Easter Offensive, Kissinger was deeply involved in planning for Nixon's visit to Moscow in May 1972. The offensive brought to the fore the differences between Nixon and Kissinger. Nixon threatened to cancel his summit with Leonid Brezhnev in Moscow if the Soviet Union did not force North Vietnam to end the Easter Offensive at once, saying: "Whatever else happens, we cannot lose this war. The summit isn't worth a damn if the price for it is losing in Vietnam". Nixon, in his instructions to Kissinger, stated that he viewed the relations with the Soviet Union through the prism of the Vietnam War, and if the Soviets were not prepared to help, Kissinger "should just pack up and come home". Kissinger, for his part, believed that Nixon was massively exaggerating Soviet influence in North Vietnam and no longer believed, if he ever did, in Nixon's "linkage" concept. Kissinger feared that Nixon was obsessed with Vietnam, and damaging relations with the Soviet Union over Vietnam would destabilize the international power balance by increasing American-Soviet tensions. On 20 April 1972, Kissinger arrived in Moscow without informing the U.S. ambassador Jacob D. Beam, and then went to have tea with Brezhnev in the Kremlin. Nixon, as usual when under stress, departed for a marathon drinking session with Rebozo at Camp David, and via Haig kept sending messages to Kissinger urging him to be tough with Brezhnev.
== Usage == The rhizome has a long history of use in Indian Ayurvedic medicine for the treatment of digestive problems. Other uses have been proposed (e.g. for asthma, liver damage, wound healing, vitiligo), but the medical evidence is not yet conclusive. It appears to be relatively safe based on its long history of traditional use. Kutki has hepato-protective properties and thus supports the liver and spleen. It is used in all forms of liver damage, cirrhosis, and inflammation of the liver. It protects the liver against damage from the hepatitis C virus.
== Structure == Optimer ligands are composed of single-stranded DNA or RNA polymers. These nucleic acid molecules can exhibit cognate base-pairing to produce sections of double-stranded DNA or RNA within the Optimer molecules. Optimer ligands form secondary and tertiary structures with compatible internal base-pairing at specific portions of the ligand where possible according to the specific sequence. As not all of the bases in the Optimer sequence will be compatible for internal double-stranded pairing, single-stranded loop and bulge regions will remain in the secondary and tertiary structures, where hydrogen bond acceptor and donor groups are exposed and available to interact with the selected target for target engagement and target binding. The Optimer library that is screened for specific binders consists of 1014 sequences that will form different variable sequence-dependent structures. The wide diversity in this library enables target binding to a range of different molecules. Optimer molecules can bind crevices and exposed epitopes on protein and cellular targets and can wrap around small molecule targets. This enables an increased target range compared to traditional antibody technology that has limitations in accurately binding small molecule targets. As Optimer technology stems from aptamers, Optimer ligands have the ability to operate as reversible structural switches, changing their structure when binding their target molecule.
=== Fizzers === Fizzers are rolled-up tablet candies that fizz and dissolve when put into soda. They are similar to the American candy Smarties (called Rockets in Canada). Swizzels Matlow has also released a line of Giant Fizzers.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
The two substrates of this enzyme are myo-inositol and oxidised nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+). Its products are 2,4,6/3,5-pentahydroxycyclohexanone, reduced NADH, and a proton. This enzyme belongs to the family of oxidoreductases, specifically those acting on the CH-OH group of donor with NAD+ or NADP+ as acceptor. The systematic name of this enzyme class is myo-inositol:NAD+ 2-oxidoreductase. Other names in common use include myo-inositol 2-dehydrogenase, myo-inositol:NAD+ oxidoreductase, inositol dehydrogenase, and myo-inositol dehydrogenase. This enzyme participates in inositol metabolism and inositol phosphate metabolism.
== Activity and regulation == Cells typically maintain low NADP+/NADPH ratios by rapidly reducing NADP+ to NADPH using glutathione reductase in a cyclical NADPH replenishing reaction. These cells rapidly reduce ambient 5-oxo-ETE to 5(S)-HETE. However, cells suffering oxidative stress generate excesses in toxic reactive oxygen species such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Cells use glutathione peroxidase to detoxify this H2O2 by converting it to H2O in a reaction that consumes glutathione by converting it to glutathione disulfide; the cells then metabolize glutathione disulfide back to glutathione in a glutathione reductase-dependent reaction that converts NADPH to NADP+. While cells suffering oxidative stress can replenish NADPH by reducing NADP+ through the pentose phosphate pathway, they often develop very high NADP+/NADPH ratios and therefore preferentially convert 5-(S)-HETE to 5-oxo-ETE. Cells that function as phagocytes have a second pathway that dramatically raises NADP+/NADPH ratios. Neutrophils and macrophages, for example, after phagocytosing bacteria or otherwise strongly stimulated to activate their respiratory burst generate reactive oxygen species including H2O2 by activating NADPH. The latter cell types have particularly high levels of 5-HEDH and therefore are particularly important producers of 5-oxo-ETE when so stimulated. The death of neutrophils and tumor cells also strongly promotes the oxidation of 5-HETE to 5-oxo-ETE, probably as a result of associated oxidative stress.
== History == Sean Vanaman and Jake Rodkin were both at Telltale Games as co-writers on the 2012 game The Walking Dead, which was considered Telltale's first turn into a more narrative type of episodic adventure game. The game was a critical success, and while other projects came along, Vanaman started to become too comfortable with his role at Telltale, and felt that he would be more motivated if there was more discomfort or risk in his duties. After talking about the idea with Rodkin, the two left the company and co-founded Campo Santo on September 18, 2013, joined by Mark of the Ninja designer Nels Anderson and graphic artist Olly Moss. Environment artist Jane Ng and designer and composer Chris Remo, who had also worked with Vanaman and Rodkin on the Idle Thumbs podcast, soon joined the team as well. Soon after, they announced Panic would back their debut project. After a painting by Moss, Ng adapted the painting's aesthetic style into a 3D environment with the color and inspiration drawn from both New Deal advertisements and icons from the National Park Service as well as a camping trip in Yellowstone National Park in which the team visited a preserved fire lookout tower two miles (3.2 km) from the campsite. Development eventually led to the announcement of Firewatch in March 2014, with release originally slated for 2015. In August 2014, a game demo of Firewatch was released at PAX West, revealing the overall plotline and story of a fire lookout named Henry in the Shoshone National Forest in 1989.
It has been shown that decreased DAO activity leads to an increase in NMDA activity in the hypothalamus . Inhibition of DAO leads to the increase of D-serine levels which act as agonists at the NMDAR. A study confirmed the increased NMDA activity and showed increased DAO activity in the cerebellum of schizophrenia subjects. The genetic background of DAO involvement in schizophrenia is highly debated, and no compulsatory evidence has been found for DAO genes being strongly linked to schizophrenia. Although, the G72 gene, which reportedly encodes the D-amino acid oxidase activator, may be involved in the development of schizophrenia.
Judith Lucy did not return in 2021 and Zoë Coombs Marr joined as a new cast member in season 7 with the running joke that she was fired from the show in episode one yet she kept returning to work for the show.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
=== Possible sainthood === On 2 September 2017 the Oxford Oratory, Tolkien's parish church during his time in Oxford, offered its first Mass for the intention of Tolkien's cause for beatification to be opened. A prayer was written for his cause.
=== Dextran conjugate microspheres === Dextran can be conjugated with other materials to synthesize microspheres. Dextran grafted with PLGA forms microspheres that can provide effective delivery of insulin in diabetic patients. Dextran/chitosan microspheres efficiently deliver recombinant bone morphogenic protein (rhBMP-2) for the treatment of bone diseases.
Arby's Restaurant Group, Inc., doing business as Arby's, is an American fast food sandwich restaurant chain with more than 3,200 restaurants. The flagship property of Inspire Brands, it ranked third in systemwide sales in the United States in the quick-service and fast-casual restaurant industries in 2012, behind Subway and Panera Bread. In October 2017, Food & Wine called Arby's "America's second largest sandwich chain (after Subway)". Roark Capital Group acquired 81.5% of Arby's Restaurant Group in July 2011 and is now a majority-owner of Inspire Brands. The Wendy's Company held a minority stake of 18.5% in Arby's after the acquisition by Roark Capital. That share was reduced to 12.3% upon the purchase of Buffalo Wild Wings. It was sold back to Inspire Brands on August 16, 2018 for $450 million, a 38% premium. Arby's is best known for selling roast beef sandwiches. Other menu items the chain is known for include gyros, wraps, chicken sandwiches, and milkshakes. Its headquarters are in Sandy Springs, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta that uses Atlanta mailing addresses. As of August 2026, there were 3,206 restaurant locations, down from 3,472 in 2019. There are locations in seven countries outside the United States: Canada, Costa Rica, Egypt, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Turkey.
The early European studies of what is now known as Lyme disease described its skin manifestations. The first study dates to 1883 in Breslau, Germany (now Wrocław, Poland), where physician Alfred Buchwald described a man who for 16 years had had a degenerative skin disorder now known as acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans. At a 1909 research conference, Swedish dermatologist Arvid Afzelius presented a study about an expanding, ring-like lesion he had observed in an older woman following the bite of a sheep tick. He named the lesion erythema migrans. The skin condition now known as borrelial lymphocytoma was first described in 1911.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
It is a synthetic peptide of seven amino acids. Its backbone corresponds to a fragment of adrenocorticotropic hormone extended at the carboxyl end. The material is distributed as a lyophilized solid for laboratory use.
The extension was introduced to slow enzymatic breakdown of the peptide in biological systems. Natural ACTH fragments are degraded rapidly by peptidases. Adding the tripeptide was intended to extend the window during which the molecule remains intact.
Most published work consists of animal experiments conducted in a small number of laboratories. Human data are limited in number and size. Whether the observed effects translate into reliable clinical benefit is still unresolved.
It is a short synthetic peptide built from seven amino acids: methionine, glutamic acid, histidine, phenylalanine and three prolines. The sequence derives from the 4-10 fragment of adrenocorticotropic hormone with an added proline-glycine-proline tail. No plant or animal extract is involved; the material is produced by solid-phase peptide synthesis.