Semax is one of those subjects where the details matter more than the headlines. This page pulls together the background, the mechanisms, and the practical points readers ask about most.
Updated 2026-07-24. Numbers and descriptions here follow the published literature rather than marketing material.
Semax is a synthetic heptapeptide with the sequence Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro. It corresponds to the ACTH(4-7) fragment extended at the C-terminus by a Pro-Gly-Pro tripeptide, an addition intended to slow enzymatic breakdown. The molecular formula is C37H51N9O10S and the molecular mass is approximately 814 daltons. In the literature it is often described as an ACTH(4-10) analog, although that label reflects a naming convention as much as a precise structural relationship. The compound was developed in Russia and remains most closely associated with that research tradition.
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.
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 | Contains one methionine sulfur atom |
| Molecular mass | Approximately 814 Da | Consistent with a seven-residue peptide |
| Appearance | White to off-white powder | Typical lyophilized form |
| Solubility | Freely soluble in water | Also soluble in dimethyl sulfoxide |
| Typical storage | -20 °C, desiccated | Limits methionine oxidation |
Later generations of the molecule include an N-acetylated form and an amidated form, both marketed online alongside the parent peptide. These variants differ in terminal chemistry and stability, and they are frequently discussed in the same breath even though they have not been compared in controlled trials. Supply outside formal healthcare systems comes largely from laboratories that synthesize peptides to order. Purity and identity of these materials vary widely, and no single body oversees the international trade.
Semax is a synthetic heptapeptide developed in the Soviet Union during the 1980s by researchers at the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Moscow. It was designed as a truncated analog of adrenocorticotropic hormone, retaining only the fragment spanning residues four through ten. Investigators sought a peptide that would preserve the cognitive effects associated with ACTH while eliminating the hormonal stimulation of the adrenal cortex. The compound entered clinical use in Russia during the following decade.
Russian regulatory authorities approved the peptide for nasal administration, and it remains listed in the national pharmacopoeia under several trade names. Documented indications include acute ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attacks, traumatic brain injury, and certain ophthalmological and neurological conditions. Physicians also prescribe it for cognitive complaints in older patients, although the evidence base for that use is thinner. Outside Russia and a few neighboring states, the substance is not an approved medicine and is sold instead as a research chemical.
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.
1993/3140) New Possibilities National Health Service Trust Dissolution Order 1993 (S.I. 1993/3141) Combined Probation Areas (Kent) Order 1993 (S.I. 1993/3142) Cayman Islands (Constitution) (Amendment) Order 1993 (S.I. 1993/3143) Child Abduction and Custody (Parties to Conventions) Order 1993 (S.I. 1993/3144) Hong Kong (Legislative Powers) (Amendment) Order 1993 (S.I. 1993/3145) Criminal Justice (Confiscation) (Northern Ireland) Order 1993 (S.I. 1993/3146) Criminal Justice Act 1988 (Designated Countries and Territories) (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 1993 (S.I. 1993/3147) Criminal Justice (International Co–operation) Act 1990 (Enforcement of Overseas Forfeiture Orders) (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 1993 (S.I. 1993/3148) Environmentally Sensitive Areas (Machair of the Uists and Benbecula, Barra and Vatersay) Designation Order 1993 (S.I. 1993/3149) Environmentally Sensitive Areas (Shetland Islands) Designation Order 1993 (S.I. 1993/3150) Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages (Fees) (Scotland) Order 1993 (S.I. 1993/3151) Marriage Fees (Scotland) Regulations 1993 (S.I. 1993/3152) Registration of Births, Deaths, Marriages and Divorces (Fees) (Scotland) Regulations 1993 (S.I. 1993/3153) Maximum Number of Judges (Scotland) Order 1993 (S.I. 1993/3154) Criminal Justice (International Co-operation) Act 1990 (Enforcement of Overseas Forfeiture Orders) (Scotland) Amendment (No.2) Order 1993 (S.I. 1993/3155) Confiscation of the Proceeds of Drug Trafficking (Designated Countries and Territories) (Scotland) Amendment (No.2) Order 1993 (S.I.
Both mortality rates were considerably higher than that of patients with drug-susceptible urosepsis. Most patients in the study had other illnesses, including dementia, immune compromise, kidney failure, or diabetes mellitus. The main risk factor for death found by the study was being bedridden, which significantly increased the chance of death. This suggests that the deaths were due to reasons other than bacteriuria. Total length of hospitalization was somewhat longer in patients with CRKp infections (28 ± 33 days compared to 22 ± 28 days for patients with CSKp infection). In a case-control study of 99 patients compared with 99 controls at Mount Sinai Hospital (Manhattan), a 1,171 bed tertiary care teaching hospital, 38% of patients in long-term care that were affected by CRE died from K. pneumoniae infection. Patients had risk factors including diabetes, HIV infection, heart disease, liver disease, chronic kidney disease, one was a transplant recipient. 72% of patients who were released from the hospital with CRE were readmitted within 90 days. A 2008 study at Mount Sinai identified outcomes associated with Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae infections, in which patients in need of organ or stem cell transplants, mechanical ventilation, prolonged hospitalization, or prior treatment with carbapenems, had an increased probability of infection with Carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae. A combination of antibiotics worked to treat infection and survival rates of infected patients increased when the focus of infection was removed.
Compiègne, Oise, Hauts-de-France, France Xiangyang, Hubei province, China Kingston upon Hull, England Rostock, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany Nairobi, Kenya Gibraltar, Gibraltar (overseas territory of the United Kingdom)
It is likely bloodletting was an antecedent to acupuncture. According to historians Lu Gwei-djen and Joseph Needham, there is substantial evidence that acupuncture may have begun around 600 BC. Some hieroglyphs and pictographs from that era suggests acupuncture and moxibustion were practised. However, historians Lu and Needham said it was unlikely a needle could be made out of the materials available in China during this time period. It is possible that bronze was used for early acupuncture needles. Tin, copper, gold and silver are also possibilities, though they are considered less likely, or to have been used in fewer cases. If acupuncture was practised during the Shang dynasty (1766 to 1122 BC), organic materials like thorns, sharpened bones, or bamboo may have been used. Once methods for producing steel were discovered, it would replace all other materials, since it could be used to create a very fine, but sturdy needle. Lu and Needham noted that all the ancient materials that could have been used for acupuncture and which often produce archaeological evidence, such as sharpened bones, bamboo or stones, were also used for other purposes. An article in Rheumatology said that the absence of any mention of acupuncture in documents found in the tomb of Mawangdui from 198 BC suggest that acupuncture was not practised by that time.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
== Activity in wheat dough == Laccases have the potential to crosslink food polymers such as proteins and nonstarch polysaccharides in dough. In non-starch polysaccharides, such as arabinoxylans (AX), laccase catalyzes the oxidative gelation of feruloylated arabinoxylans by dimerization of their ferulic esters. These cross-links have been found to greatly increase the maximum resistance and decrease extensibility of the dough. The resistance was increased due to the crosslinking of AX via ferulic acid and resulting in a strong AX and gluten network. Although laccase is known to crosslink AX, under the microscope it was found that the laccase also acted on the flour proteins. Oxidation of the ferulic acid on AX to form ferulic acid radicals increased the oxidation rate of free SH groups on the gluten proteins and thus influenced the formation of S-S bonds between gluten polymers. Laccase is also able to oxidize peptide-bound tyrosine, but very poorly. Because of the increased strength of the dough, it showed irregular bubble formation during proofing. This was a result of the gas (carbon dioxide) becoming trapped within the crust so it could not diffuse out (like it would have normally) and causing abnormal pore size. Resistance and extensibility was a function of dosage, but at very high dosage the dough showed contradictory results: maximum resistance was reduced drastically. The high dosage may have caused extreme changes in the structure of dough, resulting in incomplete gluten formation.
== Reception == Cold War 2 has grossed US$115 million worldwide. In Hong Kong, the film has grossed a total of HK$66,244,171, breaking the record as the highest-grossing domestic film in Hong Kong, and was also the third highest-grossing film of 2016 in the territory.
=== Reproduction === It has been postulated that MCH has a modulatory role with the release of Luteinizing Hormone (LH) either by directly acting on the pituitary gland or indirectly by affecting Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GNRH) in the hypothalamus. Estrogen seems to be necessary in order for MCH to affect reproduction.
exaggerated neuronal reflexes triggered by stimulation of irritant receptors on sensory nerve endings (such as exercise-induced asthma) release of preformed cytokines from several type of inflammatory cells (T cells, eosinophils) in allergen-induced asthma Note: Another chemical (NPPB: 5-nitro-2(3-phenyl) propylamino-benzoic acid) was shown, in the same study, to be a more effective chloride channel blocker. Finally it may act by inhibiting calcium influx. Cromoglicate is classified as a chromone. Cromolyn is also being tested as a drug to treat insulin-induced lipoatrophy and Alzheimer's disease in combination with Ibuprofen. Cromolyn is also known to bind S100P protein and disrupt the interaction with RAGE.
== In plants == Plant-made pharmaceuticals (PMPs), also referred to as pharming, is a sub-sector of the biotechnology industry that involves the process of genetically engineering plants so that they can produce certain types of therapeutically important proteins and associated molecules such as peptides and secondary metabolites. The proteins and molecules can then be harvested and used to produce pharmaceuticals. Arabidopsis is often used as a model organism to study gene expression in plants, while actual production may be carried out in maize, rice, potatoes, tobacco, flax or safflower. Tobacco has been a highly popular choice of organism for the expression of transgenes, as it is easily transformed, produces abundant tissues, and survives well in vitro and in greenhouses. The advantage of rice and flax is that they are self-pollinating, and thus gene flow issues (see below) are avoided. However, human error could still result in modified crops entering the food supply. Using a minor crop such as safflower or tobacco avoids the greater political pressures and risk to the food supply involved with using staple crops such as beans or rice. Expression of proteins in plant cell or hairy root cultures also minimizes risk of gene transfer, but at a higher cost of production. Sterile hybrids may also be used for the bioconfinement of transgenic plants, although stable lines cannot be established. Grain crops are sometimes chosen for pharming because protein products targeted to the endosperm of cereals have been shown to have high heat stability.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
H2CO3 ⇌ H+ + HCO−3 ⇌ 2 H+ + CO2−3 allow the prediction of concentrations of each dissolved inorganic carbon species in solution, from the added concentration of HCO−3 (which constitutes more than 90% of Bjerrum plot species from pH 7 to pH 8 at 25 °C in fresh water). Addition of HCO−3 will increase CO2−3 concentration at any pH. Rearranging the equations given above, we can see that [Ca2+] = Ksp/[CO2−3], and [CO2−3] = Ka2 [HCO−3]/[H+]. Therefore, when HCO−3 concentration is known, the maximum concentration of Ca2+ ions before scaling through CaCO3 precipitation can be predicted from the formula:
== Surgery == Antiseptic practices evolved in the 19th century through multiple individuals. Ignaz Semmelweis showed already in 1847-1848 that hand washing prior to delivery reduced puerperal fever. Despite this, many hospitals continued to practice surgery in unsanitary conditions, with some surgeons taking pride in their bloodstained operating gowns.Only a decade later the situation started to change, when some French surgeons started to adopt carbolic acid as an antiseptic, reducing surgical infection rates, followed by their Italian colleagues in the 1860s. In 1867 Joseph Lister published seminal paper Antiseptic Principle of the Practice of Surgery, where he explained this reduction in terms of Louis Pasteur's germ theory. Thus he was able to popularize the antiseptic surgical methods in the English-speaking world. Some of this work was anticipated by:
== Further reading == Park, Kun-Young; Cheigh, Hong-Sik (2003). Handbook of Vegetable Preservation and Processing. CRC Press. pp. 189–222. ISBN 978-0-8247-4301-7. Retrieved 18 May 2008. Gannon, Martin J. (2004). Understanding Global Cultures. SAGE Publications. pp. 123–130. ISBN 978-0-7619-2980-2. Retrieved 18 May 2008. kimchi. Park, Sung Hoon; Lee, Chang Hyeon (2023). "Evaluation of Accuracy and Adequacy of Kimchi Information in Major Foreign Online Encyclopedias". Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture (in Korean). 38 (4): 203–216. doi:10.7318/KJFC/2023.38.4.203. ISSN 1225-7060.
Whey is the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained. It is a byproduct of the manufacturing of cheese or casein and has several commercial uses. Sweet whey is a byproduct of the making of rennet types of hard cheese, like cheddar or Swiss cheese. Acid whey (also known as sour whey) is a byproduct of the making of acidic dairy products such as strained yogurt. Whey proteins consist of β-lactoglobulin (48%–58%), α-lactalbumin (13%–19%), Glycomacropeptide (12%–20%), bovine serum albumin, heavy and light chain immunoglobulins and several minor whey proteins.
Richards echoed this sentiment, writing in a 2007 review, "[psychedelic] mushroom use may constitute one technology for evoking revelatory experiences that are similar, if not identical, to those that occur through so-called spontaneous alterations of brain chemistry." A group of researchers from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine led by Roland Griffiths conducted a study to assess the immediate and long-term psychological effects of the psilocybin experience, using a modified version of the mystical experience questionnaire and a rigorous double-blind procedure. When asked in an interview about the similarity of his work to Leary's, Griffiths explained the difference: "We are conducting rigorous, systematic research with psilocybin under carefully monitored conditions, a route which Dr. Leary abandoned in the early 1960s." Experts have praised the National Institute of Drug Abuse-funded study, published in 2006, for the soundness of its experimental design. In the experiment, 36 volunteers with no experience with hallucinogens were given psilocybin and methylphenidate (Ritalin) in separate sessions; the methylphenidate sessions served as a control and psychoactive placebo. The degree of mystical experience was measured using a questionnaire developed by Ralph W. Hood; 61% of subjects reported a "complete mystical experience" after their psilocybin session, while only 13% reported such an outcome after their experience with methylphenidate.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
It is registered as a pharmaceutical product in Russia, where it is typically supplied as a nasal solution. In most other countries it is not an approved drug and is traded as a research chemical instead. Approval status depends entirely on the jurisdiction involved.
Most published work uses intranasal administration, matching the route of the registered Russian formulation. Some animal experiments use intravenous or intraperitoneal injection. The route matters because the intact peptide is cleared rapidly from blood, so exposure differs between methods.
A purity value describes the share of the powder accounted for by the target peptide, usually by high-performance liquid chromatography. It does not confirm that the sequence is correct, which requires mass spectrometry or amino acid analysis. Purity and identity are separate checks.
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.