Selank (10 mg)

At a Glance

Selank (TKPRPGP) is a synthetic tuftsin-analog heptapeptide studied for anxiolytic and nootropic effects without sedation. Research focuses on GABAergic gene modulation, BDNF normalization, enkephalinase inhibition, and immune-system balancing via the tuftsin scaffold.[1]

• Reconstitute: Add 2.0 mL bacteriostatic water → 5 mg/mL (5,000 mcg/mL) concentration.
• Starting dose: 250 mcg once daily (5 units / 0.05 mL) subcutaneous for the first week.
• Easy measuring: At 5 mg/mL on a U-100 syringe, 1 unit = 0.01 mL = 50 mcg.
• Doses per vial: 20 doses at the 500 mcg maintenance level; use within 30 days of reconstitution.
• Storage: Lyophilised: freeze at −20 °C; reconstituted: refrigerate at 2–8 °C; use within 30 days.

Overview

• Goal: Modulate GABAergic gene expression and BDNF levels; reduce anxiety while preserving cognition; inhibit enkephalin-degrading enzyme activity.[1]
• Schedule: Once-daily subcutaneous injection; intranasal administration is also documented in the literature.[2]
• Dose range: 250 mcg (initiation) → 500 mcg (maintenance).
• Reconstitution: 2.0 mL BAC water per 10 mg vial → 5 mg/mL.
• Storage: Lyophilised at −20 °C; reconstituted at 2–8 °C; use within 30 days.

What You'll Need

Plan based on an 8-week course titrated from 250 mcg to 500 mcg once daily (total ≈ 26,250 mcg / 26.3 mg).

• Selank Vials (10 mg each): 26.3 mg cumulative → 3 vials (with buffer).
• Insulin Syringes (U-100, 1 mL): 1 per injection → 56 syringes for the 8-week course.
• Bacteriostatic Water (10 mL bottles): 2.0 mL per vial → 1 × 10 mL bottle covers all three vials.
• Alcohol Swabs: 2 per injection → 112 swabs for the course.

How to Reconstitute

1. Allow frozen lyophilised vial to reach room temperature (10–15 minutes).
2. Draw 2.0 mL bacteriostatic water with a sterile syringe.
3. Inject slowly down the inner vial wall; do not inject directly onto the powder cake.
4. Gently swirl or roll until fully dissolved — do not shake. Solution should be clear and colourless.
5. Label with reconstitution date; refrigerate at 2–8 °C. Use within 30 days.

Dosing Schedule

Frequency: Inject once daily subcutaneously. The first week at 250 mcg establishes tolerability before advancing to the 500 mcg maintenance dose. At 500 mcg/day, a 10 mg vial (5 mg/mL, 2.0 mL total) yields 20 doses. Doses are calculated at 50 mcg per unit for convenient measurement on a standard U-100 insulin syringe.[1]

Protocol Details

• Week 1: 250 mcg (5 units / 0.05 mL) once daily — initiation and tolerability.
• Weeks 2–8: 500 mcg (10 units / 0.10 mL) once daily — maintenance.[1]
• Injection site: Abdomen, thigh, or upper arm. Rotate sites between injections.

Storage

• Lyophilised: Store at −20 °C (−4 °F) or below; protect from moisture and light.
• Reconstituted: Refrigerate at 2–8 °C. Do not freeze. Use within 30 days.
• Appearance: Clear and colourless. Discard if cloudy, coloured, or particulate.

How Selank Works

Selank is a synthetic heptapeptide (Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro, TKPRPGP) derived from tuftsin, an endogenous immunomodulatory tetrapeptide. The C-terminal Pro-Gly-Pro extension substantially increases metabolic stability relative to native tuftsin, which degrades within minutes in serum. Research focuses on four mechanisms: indirect modulation of GABA-A receptor systems (gene expression studies show broad regulation of GABAergic transcripts in frontal cortex[1]); BDNF normalization in hippocampus after intranasal delivery[2]; inhibition of enkephalin-degrading enzymes, prolonging endogenous enkephalin availability; and immunomodulation inherited from the tuftsin scaffold, including cytokine-gene balancing under stress conditions. For the full mechanism and evidence base, see What Is Selank?.

Good to Know

• Selank CAS: 129954-34-3; Molecular Weight: ~751.9 g/mol. Distinct from Semax (CAS 80714-61-0), which has an ACTH-derived sequence and stronger dopaminergic signal.
• Both intranasal and SC routes appear in the research literature. Intranasal delivery is documented in hippocampal BDNF studies; SC is used in this protocol for reproducibility.[2]
• Clinical observations in generalized anxiety disorder cohorts report some patients responding within days; response timing varies.[1]
• No benzodiazepine-type tolerance or dependence signals appear in published animal or clinical data.
• Mild injection site reactions (transient redness) are the most commonly reported side effect.
• Human data originate from Russian clinical literature; no Western RCTs have been published.
• Both Selank and Semax inhibit enkephalinases (Kost et al. 2001); if studying both in parallel, Semax shows the stronger IC₅₀ (~10 µM vs ~20 µM for Selank). No published co-administration study exists.
• For mechanism and clinical evidence detail, see What Is Selank?.

Tips for Best Results

• Collect baseline anxiety or cognition measures (HAM-A, Zung, or a processing-speed battery) before the first dose to establish a comparison point.
• Time injections consistently relative to activities; day-to-day variability in timing complicates outcome tracking across the titration phase.
• Store reconstituted vials promptly; heptapeptides are stable under refrigeration but not indefinitely — adhere to the 30-day use window.
• If mild headache or injection site discomfort occurs in week 1, hold at 250 mcg for one additional week before advancing.
• Plan a washout period at the end of the course to assess offset effects and reversibility.

Injection Tips

• Clean the vial stopper and injection site with separate alcohol swabs; allow both to air-dry fully before proceeding.
• Using a 29–31 gauge insulin syringe (5/16″ to 1/2″ needle), draw the calculated dose precisely.
• Pinch a fold of skin and insert the needle at 45° into subcutaneous fat (90° is acceptable with a short needle into a well-pinched fold).
• Inject slowly over 2–3 seconds; do not aspirate. Withdraw the needle, apply gentle pressure, and do not rub the site.
• Rotate injection sites (abdomen, thighs, upper arms) and dispose of each syringe in a sharps container immediately after use.[4]