Semax comes up often in conversation and rarely with the context attached. Here we lay out the basics in order, then work through the practical considerations.
Updated 2026-08-01. Numbers and descriptions here follow the published literature rather than marketing material.
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.
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.
| 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 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.
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.
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。
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。
In another study, researchers evaluated synthetic platelet (SP) nanoparticles in mouse models of von Willebrand disease (vWD). In vitro, SPs enhanced thrombus formation under vWF-deficient conditions using human platelets. In vivo, SP treatment reduced blood loss by 35% in type 2B VWD mice and 68% in vWF knockout mice. These findings suggest that SPs may offer a promising therapeutic approach for managing bleeding in vWD. In vitro studies on SynthoPlate assessed its impact on thrombin and fibrin generation to evaluate its procoagulant potential. SynthoPlate did not induce spontaneous thrombin generation in human plasma but enhanced fibrin deposition under flow conditions by promoting platelet recruitment and aggregation on a collagen and vWF-coated surface. In vivo, a thrombocytopenic mouse model was used to assess SynthoPlate's hemostatic efficacy. Mice treated with SynthoPlate exhibited significantly reduced bleeding times following tail transection compared to controls, with effects observed within a two-hour circulation period. Immunostaining and immunoblotting confirmed enhanced fibrin formation at the injury site, indicating that SynthoPlate effectively supports clot formation in platelet-deficient conditions.
Spironolactone, also known as 7α-acetylthiospirolactone, is a steroidal 17α-spirolactone, or more simply a spirolactone. It can most appropriately be conceptualized as a derivative of progesterone, itself also a potent antimineralocorticoid, in which a hydroxyl group has been substituted at the C17α position (as in 17α-hydroxyprogesterone), the acetyl group at the C17β position has been cyclized with the C17α hydroxyl group to form a spiro 21-carboxylic acid γ-lactone ring, and an acetylthio group has been substituted in at the C7α position. These structural modifications of progesterone confer increased oral bioavailability and potency, potent antiandrogenic activity, and strongly reduced progestogenic activity. The C7α substitution is likely responsible for or involved in the antiandrogenic activity of spironolactone, as 7α-thioprogesterone (SC-8365), unlike progesterone, is an antiandrogen with similar affinity to the AR as that of spironolactone. In addition, the C7α substitution appears to be responsible for the loss of progestogenic activity and good oral bioavailability of spironolactone, as SC-5233, the analogue of spironolactone without a C7α substitution, has potent progestogenic activity but very poor oral bioavailability similarly to progesterone.
Like yeast, the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) used in malolactic fermentation (generally Oenococcus oeni) requires nitrogen. However, unlike S. cerevisiae LAB can not utilize ammonia and such additions like diammonium phosphate (DAP) offers no nutritional benefits. Winemakers who inadvertently use DAP as a nutrient additive for their MLF inoculation risk providing nutrients instead for spoilage organisms such as Brettanomyces. While some winemakers will inoculate their LAB with nutrients that include nitrogen, most of the nutrients needed for MLF come from the breakdown (or autolysis) of the dead yeast cells. Additionally, most bacteria used in MLF have the ability to produce extracellular protease enzymes that can also breakdown larger peptide chains into their base amino acid residues that can then be used for metabolism.
However, this difference is usually neglected most of the time (that is whenever we are not dealing with processes such as sound absorption and attenuation of shock waves, where second viscosity coefficient becomes important) by explicitly assuming
== Further reading == Robinson, David A. (2008), "Field Estimation of Soil Water Content: A Practical Guide to Methods, Instrumentation and Sensor Technology" (PDF), Soil Science Society of America Journal, 73 (4), Vienna, Austria: International Atomic Energy Agency: 131, Bibcode:2009SSASJ..73.1437R, doi:10.2136/sssaj2008.0016br, ISSN 1018-5518, IAEA-TCS-30 Wessel-Bothe, Weihermüller (2020): Field Measurement Methods in Soil Science. New practical guide to soil measurements explains the principles of operation of different moisture sensor types (independent of manufacturer), their accuracy, fields of application and how such sensors are installed, as well as subtleties of the data so obtained. Also deals with other crop-related soil parameters.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Formaldehyde appears to be a useful probe in astrochemistry due to prominence of the 110←111 and 211←212 K-doublet transitions. It was the first polyatomic organic molecule detected in the interstellar medium. Since its initial detection in 1969, it has been observed in many regions of the galaxy. Because of the widespread interest in interstellar formaldehyde, it has been extensively studied, yielding new extragalactic sources. A proposed mechanism for the formation is the hydrogenation of CO ice:
==== Breast cancer ==== Although considerable research has examined the potential for soy consumption to lower the risk of breast cancer in women, as of 2016 there is insufficient evidence to reach a conclusion about a relationship between soy consumption and any effects on breast cancer. A 2011 meta-analysis stated: "Our study suggests soy isoflavones intake is associated with a significant reduced risk of breast cancer incidence in Asian populations, but not in Western populations."
=== 1980s and 1990s === Pritzker first became involved in politics while an undergraduate student at Duke University, volunteering for Terry Sanford's 1986 campaign for the U.S. Senate. After graduating from Duke in 1987, Pritzker moved to Washington, D.C., to work on Capitol Hill. He served on the legislative staffs of Congressman Tom Lantos of California and Senator Alan J. Dixon of Illinois, focusing on trade and transportation issues. After his career as a staffer, Pritzker founded Democratic Leadership for the 21st Century, a national organization dedicated to attracting voters under 40 to the Democratic Party, in 1991. Anticipating that Sidney Yates, the longtime Democratic incumbent in Illinois's 9th congressional district, might retire instead of seeking reelection, Pritzker laid the groundwork for possible 1994 and 1996 campaigns for his seat. Each time, there was public speculation about whether Yates would retire, but he ultimately ran for reelection. Each time, after Yates announced his intention to run, Pritzker abandoned his plans to run. Pritzker established a campaign committee in 1993. By the end of the 1996 cycle, the committee had raised more than $120,000 and spent most of this money on operating expenditures.
The exact nature of cortisone's anti-inflammatory action remained a mystery for years after, however, until the leukocyte adhesion cascade and the role of phospholipase A2 in the production of prostaglandins and leukotrienes was fully understood in the early 1980s. Corticosteroids were voted Allergen of the Year in 2005 by the American Contact Dermatitis Society.
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.
It originated at the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Moscow during the 1980s. The work was carried out by a Russian research group that specialized in peptide neuropharmacology.