A practical reference on ACTH fragment: what it is, how it behaves, what the literature reports, and where the honest uncertainties sit.
Reviewed 2025-12-28. Anything still debated is marked as such rather than presented as settled.
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.
Semax is a synthetic seven-amino-acid peptide whose sequence extends the ACTH(4-10) fragment with a C-terminal proline-glycine-proline tripeptide. The commonly cited sequence is Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro, giving a molecular formula near C37H51N9O10S and a molecular weight close to 813.9 g/mol. It belongs to the broader class of synthetic ACTH fragments studied for central nervous system effects rather than for adrenal steroid stimulation. In practice the material appears as a lyophilized white powder for laboratory work or as a dilute saline solution in clinical settings.
研究兴趣主要集中在神经营养因子相关的路径上，包括脑源性神经营养因子与神经生长因子的表达变化。部分实验报告称在特定条件下观察到这些因子的水平上升，但具体信号通路和剂量依赖关系仍未完全厘清。多数公开数据来自细胞模型和动物实验，人体对照研究数量有限。因此，该化合物的作用机制在文献中属于活跃讨论，而非已经确立的定论。
Semax 是一种人工合成的七肽，氨基酸序列为 Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro，单字母缩写记作 MEHFPGP。它被归类为促肾上腺皮质激素片段 ACTH(4-10) 的结构类似物，但并不天然存在于生物体内。母体片段 ACTH(4-10) 的序列为 Met-Glu-His-Phe-Arg-Trp-Gly，Semax 替换了中间两个残基，并在羧基端延长了 Pro-Gly-Pro 三肽。这种延长被普遍认为能提升分子对肽酶的耐受性。
该化合物于二十世纪八十年代在俄罗斯被开发，相关工作由俄罗斯科学院分子遗传学研究所的研究团队主导。开发目标并非复制 ACTH 的完整激素活性，而是寻找保留其神经作用方向、同时去除促肾上腺皮质激素释放效应的短肽片段。研究记录显示，这一方向促成了多个相关短肽的合成与筛选，而 Semax 是其中被研究最广泛的一个。当地文献常以 Семакс 这一名称指代它。
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical class | Synthetic heptapeptide (ACTH fragment analog) | Not a steroid; does not belong to the melanocortin agonist drugs by marketing category |
| Molecular formula | C37H51N9O10S (commonly cited) | Reported values vary slightly with salt and counter-ion content |
| Appearance | White to off-white lyophilized powder | A single batch may appear as a loose cake or fluffy solid |
| Solubility | Freely soluble in water and aqueous buffer | Stock solutions are usually prepared in sterile water or saline |
| Typical storage | −20 °C or below, desiccated and protected from light | Seal opened vials promptly to limit moisture uptake |
The compound was developed during the 1980s at the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Moscow as part of research on fragments of adrenocorticotropic hormone. Early work examined short ACTH-derived sequences that retained neurotrophic effects while lacking the endocrine activity of the full hormone. Semax entered clinical use in Russia during the 1990s, where it received registration for several neurological indications. Outside that region it remained primarily a laboratory research material rather than an approved therapeutic. English-language literature on it grew more slowly and frequently cited the original Russian studies.
Terminology around the compound varies by source. It appears in catalogues and papers as Semax, as the heptapeptide ACTH(4-7)-Pro-Gly-Pro, and under various alphanumeric laboratory codes used by individual suppliers. These names refer to the same sequence but may imply different salt forms, purity grades, or counter-ions. Peptide databases usually list the free base mass, while product descriptions sometimes report acetate or trifluoroacetate salts with a different formula weight. Because naming conventions for research peptides are not standardised across vendors, checking the declared sequence and measured mass is more reliable than relying on a trade name alone.
Semax is a synthetic heptapeptide with the sequence Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro. Its design combines the ACTH(4-7) core fragment with a C-terminal Pro-Gly-Pro extension, a modification intended to improve stability and prolong activity. The molecule is hydrophilic, carries no lipid chains or glycosylation, and has a theoretical mass just over 810 daltons in its free form. All seven residues are proteinogenic amino acids, so no non-natural building blocks appear in the backbone. A free N-terminal methionine and C-terminal proline define the unmodified parent peptide.
=== Critical response === That Awkward Moment received mostly negative reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes gives the film an approval rating of 23% based on reviews from 142 critics, with an average rating of 4.10 out of 10. The site's consensus is: "Formulaic and unfunny, That Awkward Moment wastes a charming cast on a contrived comedy that falls short of the date movies it seems to be trying to subvert." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 36 out of 100, based on reviews from 33 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". Scott Foundas of Variety wrote: "The pic falls well short of its efforts to combine the raucous vulgarity of the "Hangover" movies with Cameron Crowe-ish depth of feeling." Peter Travers of Rolling Stone complained that the film was full of clichés but that "The compensation comes in the three lead actors, all way too good for the material dished out by writer-director Tom Gormican." Stephen Holden of The New York Times called it "A vile, witless sex comedy."
=== Hunger === Because patients are being fed intravenously, the subject does not physically eat, resulting in intense hunger pangs (pains). The brain uses signals from the mouth (taste and smell), the stomach and gastrointestinal tract (fullness) and blood (nutrient levels) to determine conscious feelings of hunger. In cases of TPN, the taste, smell and physical fullness requirements are not met, and so the patient experiences hunger, although the body is being fully nourished. Patients who eat food despite the inability can experience a wide range of complications, such as refeeding syndrome.
=== Public utilities === Buildings in Moscow, as in other Russian cities, are warmed by district heating. Before 2004, state unitary enterprises were responsible for producing and supplying heat to clients by operating the heating stations and distribution system of Mosgorteplo, Mosteploenergo, and Teploremontnaladka; these provided service to the heating substations in the northeastern part of the city. Clients were divided among enterprises according to location. A major reform launched in 2004 consolidated companies under MIPC, which became the municipal heat supplier. Its subsidiaries were new joint-stock companies. The city's main source of heating is Mosenergo's power station, which was reformed in 2005, when about ten subsidiaries were detached. One of the newly independent companies was the District Heating Network Company (MTK) (Russian: Московская теплосетевая компания). In 2007, the Government of Moscow bought controlling stakes in this company. "Our city" is a geoinformation portal created in 2011 under Moscow's mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, to initiate constructive dialogue between Moscow residents and the city's executive authorities. This portal is being developed by the State Public Institution "New Management Technologies", together with the Moscow Department of Information Technologies. During its 10 years of operation, more than 1.7 million users have registered for the portal; it has become effective for monitoring urban infrastructure.
== Clinical significance == Patients with mutations in the GSS gene develop glutathione synthetase (GSS) deficiency, an autosomal recessive disorder. Patients develop a wide range of symptoms depending on the severity of the mutations. Mildly affected patients experience a compensated haemolytic anaemia because mutations affect stability of the enzyme. Moderately and severely affected individuals have enzymes with dysfunctional catalytic sites, rendering it unable to participate in detoxification reactions. Physiological symptoms include metabolic acidosis, neurological defects, and increased susceptibility to pathogenic infections. Treatment of individuals with glutathione synthetase deficiency generally involve therapeutic treatments to address mild to severe symptoms and conditions. In order to treat metabolic acidosis, severely affected patients are given large amounts of bicarbonate and antioxidants such as vitamin E and vitamin C. In mild cases, ascorbate and N-acetylcysteine have been shown to increase glutathione levels and increase erythrocyte production. Bbecause glutathione synthetase deficiency is so rare, it is poorly understood. The disease also appears on a spectrum, so it is even more difficult to generalize among the few cases that occur.
===== PurT GAR transformylase ===== PurT GAR transformylase requires formate as the formyl donor and ATP for catalysis. It has been estimated that PurT GAR transformylase carries out 14-50% of GAR formylations in E. coli. The enzyme is a member of the ATP-grasp superfamily of proteins.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
=== Concept === Many airports had terminals too small for "aerobuses". In the West, the solution to this involved constructing greater airport capacity. By contrast, Soviet aviation research institutes addressed ways of increasing passenger throughput without the need for additional airport capacity. Many Soviet airports also had surfaces too weak for "aerobuses". The Soviet solution again favoured adapting aircraft to existing conditions, rather than reconstructing airports. The aerobus thus had to match the ground loadings of existing airliners. This called for complex multi-wheel landing gear. The Soviet solution to the airport capacity issue involved passengers loading and unloading their own luggage into and from the aircraft. This was eventually called "the luggage at hand system" (Russian: "система «багаж с собой»"; transliterated: "sistyema bagazh s soboy"). Soviet aviation journalist Kim Bakshmi described it (at its ultimate) thus: "One arrives five minutes prior to departure, buys oneself a ticket on board the aircraft, hangs one's coat next to the seat and places one's bag or suitcase nearby." Taking suitcases into the cabin, as in trains, was studied, but necessitated a 3 m fuselage extension with a 350-seat capacity. To avoid this, passengers were to deposit their luggage in underfloor compartments as they entered the airliner. Ideas similar to the "luggage at hand system" were briefly addressed in the West. Airbus studied such an arrangement in the mid-1970s.
Another GT31 Clade 10 member, named GALT31A, encodes a β-1,6-GalT when heterologously expressed in E. coli and Nicotiana benthamiana and elongated β-1,6-galactan side chains of AGP glycans. GALT29A, a member of GT29 family was identified as being co-expressed with GALT31A and act co-operatively and form complexes. Three members of GT14 named GlcAT14A, GlcAT14B, and GlcAT14C were reported to add GlcA to both β-1,6- and β-1,3-Gal chains in an in vitro enzyme assay following heterologous expression in Pichia pastoris. Two α-fucosyltransferase genes, FUT4 and FUT6, both belonging to GT37 family, encode enzymes which add α-1,2-fucose residues to AGPs. They appear to be partially redundant as they display somewhat different AGP substrate specificities. A GT77 family member, REDUCED ARABINOSE YARIV (RAY1), was found to be a β-arabinosyltransferase that adds a β-Araf to methyl β-Gal of a Yariv-precipitable wall polymer. More research is expected to functionally identify other genes involved in AGP glycosylation and their interactions with other plant cell wall components.
==== Staging ==== Non-cachexia (0–2 points) – No major weight loss or problems with appetite. Pre-cachexia (3–4 points) – Mild weight loss and appetite issues. Early treatment at this stage might slow progression of cachexia. Cachexia (5–8 points) – Significant muscle loss that is difficult to reverse and affects daily function. Refractory cachexia (9–12 points) – Severe weight and muscle loss with poor response to treatment and a life expectancy of less than 3 months. The Cachexia SCOre (CASCO) is another scoring system that looks at weight loss, inflammation, metabolism, immune function, physical ability, appetite, and quality of life to provide a more detailed assessment.
== Etymology == The Sanskrit noun dharma (धर्म) is a derivation from the root dhṛ 'to hold, maintain, keep', and means 'what is established or firm'. The word derives from the Vedic Sanskrit n-stem dharman- with the meaning "bearer, supporter". The historical Vedic religion apparently conceived of dharma as an aspect of Ṛta.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
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.
It was developed in the Soviet Union during the early 1980s by groups at the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Moscow. Russian approval for intranasal use followed, and it has been marketed there since. Western laboratories encountered it mainly through translated literature and, later, through online research-chemical trade.
It holds a Russian registration as a prescription nasal product but has no approval from the European Medicines Agency or the United States Food and Drug Administration. Buyers outside Russia usually receive material sold strictly for laboratory research. That distinction matters because research-grade and pharmaceutical-grade products carry different documentation and testing expectations.
不是。Semax 是完全人工合成的七肽，自然界中没有对应的已知肽段。它的设计灵感来自促肾上腺皮质激素片段 ACTH(4-10)，但序列经过了替换和延长。