Everything below concerns ACTH analog. We keep the language plain, cite what the science says, and separate well-supported claims from open questions.
Updated 2025-11-19. Numbers and descriptions here follow the published literature rather than marketing material.
The parent fragment ACTH(4-10) carries the sequence Met-Glu-His-Phe-Arg-Trp-Gly. Semax replaces the arginine and tryptophan positions with a proline-glycine-proline tail, giving Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro. That change removes residues associated with adrenal stimulation, so the peptide does not drive cortisol release the way full ACTH does. This distinction shapes how the compound is grouped in the literature, where it sits with neuropeptides and peptide neuromodulators rather than with corticosteroids.
Regulatory status varies sharply by country. Semax is registered for medical use in Russia, where it appears in formularies as a nasal solution, and it also holds registration in a small number of neighbouring states. It has no approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration or the European Medicines Agency, and it is not a scheduled controlled substance in most jurisdictions. Elsewhere it circulates mainly as laboratory material, so purity documentation comes from suppliers rather than from a national pharmacopoeia.
Semax is a synthetic peptide created in the Soviet Union during the early 1980s by researchers working in Moscow. It was built from the short adrenocorticotropic hormone fragment known as ACTH(4-10), and the chain was then extended with three additional amino acids. The resulting molecule was named semax and entered clinical use in Russia in 1994. It is generally described as a nootropic and neuroprotective agent rather than as a hormone analogue.
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.
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.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical class | Synthetic heptapeptide | Analogue of the ACTH(4-10) fragment |
| Amino acid sequence | Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro | Single-letter form MEHFPGP |
| Molecular formula | C37H51N9O10S | Free peptide, nominal mass near 814 Da |
| First registration | 1994, Russia | Nasal formulation for neurological indications |
| Typical purity grade | 95% or higher by HPLC | Research material; higher grades used as reference standards |
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。
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 is a synthetic heptapeptide whose sequence is Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro. It was developed as a fragment analog of adrenocorticotropic hormone, modeled specifically on the ACTH(4-10) region. The first four residues reproduce that fragment, while a Pro-Gly-Pro tripeptide is appended at the C-terminus. Work on the compound originated in Russia, where it entered clinical use as an intranasal preparation. Its sequence places it among short regulatory peptides studied for effects on the central nervous system rather than on the adrenal axis.
The C-terminal Pro-Gly-Pro extension is not incidental. Proline-rich tails are known to resist several common peptidases, and the published literature attributes the longer half-life of Semax, relative to unmodified ACTH fragments, to this feature. The modification also removes the melanocyte-stimulating and corticosteroidogenic activity that characterizes longer ACTH-derived sequences. Because the molecule is small and hydrophilic, it is typically formulated as an aqueous solution for intranasal or parenteral delivery. Acetylation or amidation at the termini appears in closely related research peptides and shifts the mass by a fixed increment.
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 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.
== Decaffeinated coffee == Friedlieb Ferdinand Runge performed the first isolation of caffeine from coffee beans in 1820, after the German poet Goethe heard about his work on belladonna extract, and requested he perform an analysis on coffee beans. Though Runge was able to isolate the compound, he did not learn much about the chemistry of caffeine itself, nor did he seek to use the process commercially to produce decaffeinated coffee.
Single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) folds into a tertiary structure. The conformation is sequence dependent and most single base pair mutations will alter the shape of the structure. When applied to a gel, the tertiary shape will determine the mobility of the ssDNA, providing a mechanism to differentiate between SNP alleles. This method first involves PCR amplification of the target DNA. The double-stranded PCR products are denatured using heat and formaldehyde to produce ssDNA. The ssDNA is applied to a non-denaturing electrophoresis gel and allowed to fold into a tertiary structure. Differences in DNA sequence will alter the tertiary conformation and be detected as a difference in the ssDNA strand mobility. This method is widely used because it is technically simple, relatively inexpensive and uses commonly available equipment. However compared to other SNP genotyping methods, the sensitivity of this assay is lower. It has been found that the ssDNA conformation is highly dependent on temperature and it is not generally apparent what the ideal temperature is. Very often the assay will be carried out using several different temperatures. There is also a restriction on the length of fragment because the sensitivity drops when sequences longer than 400 bp are used.
Moore supports creating a "service year option" in schools, which would enable high school graduates to do a gap year "in exchange for job training, mentorship, and other support including compensatory tuition at a state college or university." On January 19, 2023, Moore signed an executive order creating the Maryland Department of Service and Civic Innovation, a cabinet-level agency responsible for establishing a service-year option for all high school graduates. In February, he introduced the SERVE Act to create the "service year option program", which would pay young people $15 per hour for at least 30 hours a week for work in service to the community. The SERVE Act was signed into law in April 2023, and the service year program launched with 280 participating students in October 2023. The program expanded to include 600 participating students in its second year.
===== UPMC Montefiore ===== UPMC Montefiore, part of UPMC Presbyterian, was founded as Montefiore Hospital in 1908 by the Ladies Hospital Aid Society as a hospital for Jewish physicians and patients. Montefiore Hospital affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in 1957 and joined UPMC in 1990. It is the home to the clinical transplantation facilities originally headed by transplant pioneer Thomas Starzl and is physically connected to UPMC Presbyterian and UPMC Eye and Ear by a series of pedestrian bridges.
== Pharmacogenomics == There is increasing evidence in support of genetics being a key factor in the development of OIH through its influence on both pain sensitivity and analgesic control. Current evidence indicates that the genetic influence stems from polymorphisms of the gene coding for the enzyme, catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT). Its enzymatic activity varies depending on its three possible genotypes, which are seen as a single amino acid change from valine to methionine, resulting in significant variability in its activity. Degradation of the neurotransmitters, dopamine and noradrenaline, is approximately 4-fold greater when the amino acid presented is valine instead of methionine. This results in modulation of the dopaminergic and noradrenergic response at the synaptic level of neurons, which has been linked to having effects on memory function, anxiety, and pain sensitivity in comparison to individuals presenting as homozygous for valine alleles of this particular gene (COMTval158). A number of opioids undergo metabolism by cytochrome P450 enzymes in order to generate active metabolites. Only by generating these active metabolites can analgesic effects occur. The enzyme CYP2D6 is used to metabolize several opioids including codeine, methadone, hydrocodone, and tramadol. The level of expression of CYP2D6 can vary dramatically between different individuals. Individuals with low expression of CYP2D6 are designated as poor metabolizers while individuals with high expression of CYP2D6 are designated as fast metabolizers.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
== Animal toxicity == κ-Bungarotoxin can selectively bind to neuronal nAChRs, by which it inhibits or blocks neurotransmission. The toxin shows different effects in diverse animals. For instance, in insects, κ-bungarotoxin blocks transmission at the cholinergic synapse between mechanosensory neurons and an interneuron in the terminal abdominal ganglion. It also blocks nAChRs on a motor neuron in the metathoracic ganglion of a cockroach. Muscle nAChRs in nematodes show a higher sensitivity to κ-bungarotoxin than the alpha-version of the bungarotoxin. Compared to another toxin, only a concentration of 10 nM was needed to block the muscle receptor instead of 100 nM. This also means that there is a difference in effects of the toxin on different animals, because it appears that nematodes are more sensitive to κ-bungarotoxin than insects. In chicks, the κ-bungarotoxin seems to bind with a low affinity to skeletal muscle nicotinic receptors[12]. Although the effects on the chicks have not been described, following the mechanism it is expected that there will be either none or a small amount of muscle paralysis at a low concentration of κ-bungarotoxin. However, the toxin does bind with high affinity to the neuronal nicotinic receptors in the autonomic ganglia, which can block the synaptic transmission already at a low concentration. This would cause effects like respiratory failure.
In the late 19th century, a style known as anthropomorphic taxidermy became popular. A 'Victorian whimsy', mounted animals were dressed as people or displayed as if engaged in human activities. An early example of this genre was displayed by Herman Ploucquet, from Stuttgart, Germany, at the Great Exhibition in London.
L-DOPA is used medically under the name levodopa in the treatment of Parkinson's disease and certain other medical conditions. It is usually used in combination with a peripherally selective aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AAAD) inhibitor such as carbidopa or benserazide. These agents increase the strength and duration of levodopa. Combination formulations include levodopa/carbidopa and levodopa/benserazide, as well as levodopa/carbidopa/entacapone. L-DOPA is found in high amounts in Mucuna pruriens (velvet bean) and is available and used over-the-counter as a supplement.
A study conducted at Hokkaido University found that a compound in wakame known as fucoxanthin may help burn fatty tissue in mice and rats. Studies in mice have shown that fucoxanthin induces expression of the fat-burning protein UCP1 that accumulates in fat tissue around the internal organs. Expression of UCP1 protein was significantly increased in mice fed fucoxanthin. Wakame is also used in topical beauty treatments. See also Fucoidan. Wakame is a rich source of eicosapentaenoic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid. At over 400 mg/(100 kcal) or almost 1 mg/kJ, it has one of the higher nutrient-to-energy ratios for this nutrient, and among the very highest for a vegetarian source. Wakame is a low calorie food. A typical 10–20 g (1–2 tablespoon) serving of wakame contains roughly 16 to 31 kJ (3.75 to 7.5 kcal) and provides 15–30 mg of omega-3 fatty acids. Wakame also has high levels of sodium, calcium, iodine, thiamine and niacin. In Oriental medicine it has been used for blood purification, intestinal strength, skin, hair, reproductive organs and menstrual regularity. In Korea, miyeok-guk soup is popularly consumed by women after giving birth as sea mustard (miyeok) contains a high content of calcium and iodine, nutrients that are important for new nursing mothers. Many women consume it during the pregnancy phase as well. It is also traditionally eaten on birthdays for this reason, a reminder of the first food that the mother has eaten and passed on to her newborn through her milk.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
== Functions == Many proteins catalyze a chemical reaction. Other proteins fulfill structural, transport, or signaling roles. Furthermore, numerous proteins have the ability to aggregate into supramolecular assemblies. For example, a ribosome is made up of 90 proteins and RNA. A number of the currently known moonlighting proteins are evolutionarily derived from highly conserved enzymes, also called ancient enzymes. These enzymes are frequently speculated to have evolved moonlighting functions. Since highly conserved proteins are present in many different organisms, this increases the chance that they would develop secondary moonlighting functions. A high fraction of enzymes involved in glycolysis, an ancient universal metabolic pathway, exhibit moonlighting behavior. Furthermore, it has been suggested that as many as 7 out of 10 proteins in glycolysis and 7 out of 8 enzymes of the tricarboxylic acid cycle exhibit moonlighting behavior. An example of a moonlighting enzyme is pyruvate carboxylase. This enzyme catalyzes the carboxylation of pyruvate into oxaloacetate, thereby replenishing the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Surprisingly, in yeast species such as H. polymorpha and P. pastoris, pyruvate carboxylase is also essential for the proper targeting and assembly of the peroxisomal protein alcohol oxidase (AO). AO, the first enzyme of methanol metabolism, is a homo-octameric flavoenzyme. In wild type cells, this enzyme is present as enzymatically active AO octamers in the peroxisomal matrix.
electron magnetic dipole moment Also electron magnetic moment. The magnetic moment of an electron, caused by the intrinsic properties of its spin and electric charge, equal to approximately −9.284764×10−24 joules per tesla.
Sortases are membrane anchored enzyme that sort these surface proteins onto the bacterial cell surface and anchor them to the peptidoglycan. There are different types of sortases and each catalyse the anchoring of different proteins to cell walls. It is very important for bacteria to acquire iron during infection, Iron is perhaps the most important micronutrient required for bacteria to proliferate and cause disease. Sortase B, is a 246 amino acids polypeptide with putative N-terminal membrane anchor and an active site cysteine located within the TLXTC signature motif of sortases. It appears these enzymes are dedicated to helping the bacteria acquire iron by anchoring iron acquisition proteins to the cell membrane Sortase B recognises and cleaves the NPQTN motif. It links IsDC to mature assemble peptidoglycan, The enzyme catalyses a cell wall sorting reaction in which a surface protein with a sorting signal containing a NXTN motif is cleaved. This enzyme belongs to the peptidase family C60.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Registered medical products are most often 0.1% nasal drops. Research suppliers ship lyophilized powder, usually in milligram quantities, which is dissolved before use. The active peptide is the same in both cases; presentation and excipients differ.
No. The peptide is synthetic, although it is modelled on a fragment of a naturally occurring hormone. ACTH(4-10) is generated when ACTH is cleaved, but the Pro-Gly-Pro extension is not a known endogenous sequence. It is therefore a designed analogue rather than a natural metabolite.
The label reflects reported effects on attention, memory and recovery after neurological injury in regional clinical reports. Those reports are mostly small and have not been widely replicated outside the region. The classification is descriptive and does not imply a single defined mechanism.
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.