Selank Results: What Studies Measured and When
What published studies measured for Selank, when those outcomes were measured, and what is still unproven.
What studies measured
Each outcome below comes from a published study, with its type and size, strongest design first. Animal and cell results are labelled as such and are not human results.
| Outcome | Result | Study type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speed of anxiolytic effect (HDRS) | Adding selank brought the benefit of phenazepam earlier on the HDRS scale. | Human RCTn = 70 | Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova 2015, PMID 26356395 |
| Benzodiazepine side effects | Selank as add-on reduced phenazepam side effects such as attention and memory impairment and sedation. | Human RCTn = 70 | Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova 2015, PMID 26356395 |
| Anxiety | Selank showed pronounced anxiolytic and mild nootropic effects. | Human controlled trialn = 60 | Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova 2014, PMID 25176261 |
| Duration of effect | The anxiolytic effect lasted for a week after the last dose. | Human controlled trialn = 60 | Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova 2014, PMID 25176261 |
| Anxiety (selank vs medazepam) | Anxiolytic effects of selank and medazepam were similar; selank also showed antiasthenic and psychostimulant effects. | Human RCTn = 62 | Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova 2008, PMID 18454096 |
| Leu-enkephalin half-life (biomarker) | The enkephalin half-life biomarker increased during selank treatment, mostly in patients with GAD. | Human RCTn = 62 | Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova 2008, PMID 18454096 |
| Cytokine balance | Th1/Th2 cytokine balance changed in serum of patients after 14 days of selank. | Human uncontrolled trial | Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova 2008, PMID 18577961 |
| Object recognition memory | Selank (0.3 mg/kg a day, 7 days) improved object recognition in non-exposed rats and prevented ethanol-induced memory and attention disturbances. | Animal · rat (not a human result) | Bulletin of experimental biology and medicine 2019, PMID 31625062 |
| Anxiety under chronic stress | Selank alone and selank plus diazepam each reduced anxiety indicators in different conditions. | Animal · rat (not a human result) | Behavioural neurology 2017, PMID 28280289 |
| Anxiety after dopaminergic damage | Selank reduced anxiety in rats with dopaminergic neuron damage; it did not change motor activity. | Animal · rat (not a human result) | Doklady biological sciences 2017, PMID 28702721 |
| Anxiolytic and nootropic effect by route | Both intranasal and intraperitoneal selank worked only in the more anxious BALB/c strain. | Animal · mouse (not a human result) | Eksperimental'naia i klinicheskaia farmakologiia 2016, PMID 29787664 |
| Memory trace stability | A single selank injection during consolidation increased memory trace stability over 30 days. | Animal · rat (not a human result) | Eksperimental'naia i klinicheskaia farmakologiia 2010, PMID 20919548 |
| Depression-like behaviour in WAG/Rij rats | High-dose repeated selank (1000-2000 microg/kg) counteracted depression-like behaviour in WAG/Rij rats. | Animal · rat and mouse (not a human result) | Zhurnal vysshei nervnoi deiatelnosti imeni I P Pavlova 2008, PMID 18661785 |
| Forced swim test in BALB/c mice | A single low dose reduced immobility in mice but repeated or higher doses did not. | Animal · rat and mouse (not a human result) | Zhurnal vysshei nervnoi deiatelnosti imeni I P Pavlova 2008, PMID 18661785 |
| Fear and aggression | Intranasal selank produced long-term behavioural improvement in neurotic monkeys, including elimination of fear and aggression. | Animal · monkey (not a human result) | Zhurnal evoliutsionnoi biokhimii i fiziologii 2008, PMID 18727417 |
| Memory | Selank compensated disturbed psychic functions including memory processes in monkeys. | Animal · monkey (not a human result) | Zhurnal evoliutsionnoi biokhimii i fiziologii 2008, PMID 18727417 |
| Biodegradation products | Selank is broken down mainly into the pentapeptide TKPRP, tripeptide TKP and dipeptides RP and GP. | Animal · rat (in vivo and in vitro blood plasma) (not a human result) | Bioorganicheskaia khimiia 2006, PMID 16637290 |
| Learning of active avoidance | Selank improved learning in rats with initially poor learning ability from the first dose. | Animal · rat (not a human result) | Neuroscience and behavioral physiology 2003, PMID 14552529 |
| Anxiolytic effect by mouse strain | Selank (100 micrograms/kg) was anxiolytic in BALB/c mice but had no effect in C57Bl/6 mice. | Animal · mouse (not a human result) | Bulletin of experimental biology and medicine 2002, PMID 12432865 |
| Enkephalin-degrading enzymes | Selank inhibited plasma enkephalin hydrolysis in a dose-dependent way (IC50 15 microM), a proposed mechanism for its anxiolytic action. | In vitro (not a human result) | Bulletin of experimental biology and medicine 2001, PMID 11550013 |
- Selank evidence is almost entirely from Russian-institute studies (several in Russian-language journals, with English abstracts indexed in PubMed). Human trials are small and mostly use an active comparator (medazepam, phenazepam), and the published summaries do not state the blinding or randomization method; the evidence is preliminary.
- No half-life or plasma concentration values for selank were found (the pharmacokinetic searches describe biodegradation products only).
- No human evidence was found in PubMed for depression, sleep, ADHD, neuropathy, brain fog or focus; the depression, memory and focus claims rest on animal studies. Human studies cover anxiety only.
- Selank is not FDA-approved. It is a research peptide; no label exists in DailyMed.
Typical timeline
When measurable changes appeared in studies of Selank: not reported in study abstracts (PubMed search, 2 Oct 2026).
Before-and-after photos
We don't publish before-and-after photos. They can't be verified, rarely show dose, diet or other drugs, and only the most dramatic results get posted.
Common questions
How long does Selank take to work?
The study abstracts we summarised for Selank do not report when outcomes were measured (PubMed search, 2 Oct 2026).
Do you show Selank before and after photos?
No. Photos can't be verified, rarely show dose, diet or other drugs, and only the most dramatic ones get posted. We summarize measured outcomes instead.
More on Selank
DosageDoses used in published studies, with the source for each.CalculatorVial, water and dose to syringe units.Side effectsWhat labels and studies report, and what is unknown.PricePrice per mg and per week from dated listings. No vendor links.Legal statusFDA, compounding and WADA status with dates.Half-lifeWhat is measured, by route, and what is not.
Sources
- 1[Optimization of the treatment of anxiety disorders with selank].Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova · 2015PMID 26356395Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 2[A comparison of the anxiolytic effect and tolerability of selank and phenazepam in the treatment of anxiety disorders].Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova · 2014PMID 25176261Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 3[Efficacy and possible mechanisms of action of a new peptide anxiolytic selank in the therapy of generalized anxiety disorders and neurasthenia].Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova · 2008PMID 18454096Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 4[Immunomodulatory effects of selank in patients with anxiety-asthenic disorders].Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova · 2008PMID 18577961Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 5Selank, Peptide Analogue of Tuftsin, Protects Against Ethanol-Induced Memory Impairment by Regulating of BDNF Content in the Hippocampus and Prefrontal Cortex in Rats.Bulletin of experimental biology and medicine · 2019PMID 31625062Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 6Peptide Selank Enhances the Effect of Diazepam in Reducing Anxiety in Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress Conditions in Rats.Behavioural neurology · 2017PMID 28280289Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 7Peptides semax and selank affect the behavior of rats with 6-OHDA induced PD-like parkinsonism.Doklady biological sciences : proceedings of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Biological sciences sections · 2017PMID 28702721Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 8[COMPARISON OF PHARMACOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF HEPTAPEPTIDE SELANK AFTER INTRANASAL AND INTRAPERITONEAL ADMINISTRATION TO BALB/c AND C57BL/6 MICE.].Eksperimental'naia i klinicheskaia farmakologiia · 2016PMID 29787664Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 9[Experimental optimization of learning and memory processes by selank].Eksperimental'naia i klinicheskaia farmakologiia · 2010PMID 20919548Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 10[Effects of heptapeptide selank on genetically-based and situation-provoked symptoms of depression in behavior in WAG/Rij and Wistar rats, and in BALB/c mice].Zhurnal vysshei nervnoi deiatelnosti imeni I P Pavlova · 2008PMID 18661785Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 11[Compensatory and antiamnestic effects of heptapeptide Selank in monkeys].Zhurnal evoliutsionnoi biokhimii i fiziologii · 2008PMID 18727417Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 12[Evenly tritium-labeled peptides and their in vivo and in vitro biodegradation].Bioorganicheskaia khimiia · 2006PMID 16637290Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 13The optimizing action of the synthetic peptide Selank on a conditioned active avoidance reflex in rats.Neuroscience and behavioral physiology · 2003PMID 14552529Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 14Effects of Selank on behavioral reactions and activities of plasma enkephalin-degrading enzymes in mice with different phenotypes of emotional and stress reactions.Bulletin of experimental biology and medicine · 2002PMID 12432865Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 15The inhibitory effect of Selank on enkephalin-degrading enzymes as a possible mechanism of its anxiolytic activity.Bulletin of experimental biology and medicine · 2001PMID 11550013Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 16PubMed search: selank[tiab] (68 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
- 17PubMed search: selank[tiab] AND (half-life[tiab] OR pharmacokinetic*[tiab]) (4 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
- 18PubMed search: (selank[tiab] OR semax[tiab]) AND (randomized[tiab] OR patients[tiab] OR clinical[tiab]) (48 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
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