Melanocortin receptor 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 2025-10-28. Numbers and descriptions here follow the published literature rather than marketing material.
The proposed mechanism centres on neurotrophic signalling rather than direct receptor activation. Semax is reported to increase expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and nerve growth factor in several brain regions, and to shift the balance between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitter systems. Interaction with melanocortin receptors has been suggested because of the parent ACTH fragment. Many of these findings come from rodent studies, and the extent to which they translate to human physiology remains an open question.
Scientific literature on semax is unevenly distributed. A substantial share of published work originates from a small number of laboratories in Russia, while independent replication elsewhere is limited. Human data consist mostly of small trials with short follow-up, and several reported outcomes rely on subjective rating scales. Questions about how much intact peptide reaches the central nervous system after nasal administration, and how long it persists there, are still unresolved. The compound is best described as an active research subject rather than a settled pharmacological agent.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Molecular formula | C37H51N9O10S | Calculated for the free peptide |
| Molar mass | 813.9 g/mol | Anhydrous free base |
| Peptide class | Synthetic heptapeptide | ACTH(4-10) analogue |
| Parent fragment | ACTH(4-10) | Adrenocorticotropic hormone segment |
| Developmental origin | Institute of Molecular Genetics, Moscow | Work began in the 1980s |
Pharmacological accounts link semax to melanocortin signalling and to modulation of neurotrophic factor expression, particularly brain-derived neurotrophic factor and nerve growth factor. Much of this evidence comes from rodent studies using intranasal delivery, a route chosen because it allows peptides to reach the central nervous system with limited systemic exposure. Whether the same mechanisms operate in humans at comparable magnitude remains an open question. The precise receptor or receptors responsible for the reported behavioural and neuroprotective effects have not been conclusively identified.
Clinical reports describe use in ischaemic stroke, transient ischaemic attack, optic nerve conditions, and cognitive complaints, but most of these studies are small and were conducted in a single region. Systematic reviews have generally described the evidence base as limited in size and variable in methodological quality. Randomised controlled data suitable for international regulatory assessment are scarce. As a result, major treatment guidelines outside Russia do not include the peptide, and interest in it remains largely research-driven rather than routine clinical.
=== Reunion: 2007–present === The Jesus and Mary Chain reunited to perform at Coachella on 27 April 2007. During "Just Like Honey", Scarlett Johansson, who starred in the film Lost in Translation featuring the song, performed with the band on the main stage. The band held a warm-up gig the day before in Pomona, California with Giant Drag's Annie Hardy as the guest. The band's first UK performance since reforming was at the Meltdown festival in June. In June 2007, Jim Reid revealed that the band was working on a new album. In March 2008, the band released "All Things Must Pass" for the soundtrack to NBC's television series Heroes, their first new song since 1998. In September 2008, Rhino Records released the 4-CD compilation The Power of Negative Thinking: B-Sides & Rarities. In 2010, a greatest hits album, Upside Down: The Best of The Jesus and Mary Chain, was released via Music Club Deluxe. The band toured North America in 2012 and also played China for the first time in May. The lineup featured guitarist John Moore and Fountains of Wayne drummer Brian Young replacing Loz Colbert. Mark Crozer replaced Moore beginning with the band's Tel Aviv shows in October. In 2013, it was announced that a full-discography vinyl box set, dubbed as The Complete Vinyl Collection, would be released for the band's 30th anniversary, via Demon Music Group. In 2014, the band became the first to sign to the newly reformed Creation Management, helmed by Alan McGee. The band played Psychocandy in full through 2015 to celebrate the album's 30th anniversary.
According to the 2010 census, 40.1% of Belizeans were Catholics, 31.8% Protestants (8.4% Pentecostal; 5.4% Adventist; 4.7% Anglican; 3.7% Mennonite; 3.6% Baptist; 2.9% Methodist; 2.8% Nazarene), 1.7% were Jehovah's Witnesses, 10.3% adhered to other religions (Maya religion, Garifuna religion, Obeah and Myalism, and minorities of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, Baháʼís, Rastafarians and other) and 15.5% professed to be irreligious.
Spread of cancer to the bone or spinal cord can lead to back pain. Bone is one of the most common sites of metastatic lesions. Patients typically have a history of malignancy. Common types of cancer that present with back pain include multiple myeloma, lymphoma, leukemia, spinal cord tumors, primary vertebral tumors and prostate cancer. Back pain is present in 29% of patients with systemic cancer. Unlike other causes of back pain that commonly affect the lumbar spine, the thoracic spine is most commonly affected. The pain can be associated with systemic symptoms such as weight loss, chills, fever, nausea and vomiting. Unlike other causes of back pain, neoplasm-associated back pain is constant, dull, poorly localized and worsens with rest. Metastasis to the bone also increases the risk of spinal-cord compression or vertebral fractures that require emergency surgical treatment.
== R == Ramberg–Bäcklund reaction Raney nickel Rap–Stoermer condensation Raschig phenol process Rauhut–Currier reaction Racemization Reductive amination Reductive dehalogenation of halo ketones Reed reaction Reformatsky reaction (also transliterated as Reformatskii reaction) Reilly–Hickinbottom rearrangement Reimer–Tiemann reaction Reissert indole synthesis Reissert reaction, Reissert compound Reppe synthesis Retropinacol rearrangement Rieche formylation Riemschneider thiocarbamate synthesis Riley oxidations Ring closing metathesis Ring opening metathesis Ritter reaction Robinson annulation Robinson–Gabriel synthesis Robinson Schopf reaction Rosenmund reaction Rosenmund reduction Rosenmund–von Braun synthesis Roskamp reaction Rothemund reaction Rupe rearrangement Rubottom oxidation Ruff–Fenton degradation Ruzicka large-ring synthesis
Opiate withdrawal syndrome effects are associated with the abrupt cessation or reduction of prolonged opiate usage. The manifestation of opiate dependence and abuse relies on a variety of factors, including the opiate's pharmacokinetic properties and the user's predisposition for addiction.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
=== Carbon === Carbon aerogels are composed of particles with sizes in the nanometer range, covalently bonded together. They have very high porosity (over 50%, with pore diameter under 100 nm) and surface areas ranging between 400 and 1,000 m2/g. They are often manufactured as composite paper: non-woven paper made of carbon fibers, impregnated with resorcinol–formaldehyde aerogel, and pyrolyzed. Depending on the density, carbon aerogels may be electrically conductive, making composite aerogel paper useful for electrodes in capacitors or deionization electrodes. Due to their extremely high surface area, carbon aerogels are used to create supercapacitors, with values ranging up to thousands of farads based on a capacitance density of 104 F/g and 77 F/cm3. Carbon aerogels are also extremely "black" in the infrared spectrum, reflecting only 0.3% of radiation between 250 nm and 14.3 μm, making them efficient for solar energy collectors. The term "aerogel" to describe airy masses of carbon nanotubes produced through certain chemical vapor deposition techniques is incorrect. Such materials can be spun into fibers with strength greater than Kevlar, and unique electrical properties. These materials are not aerogels, however, since they do not have a monolithic internal structure and do not have the regular pore structure characteristic of aerogels.
Genotypic AMR characterisation methods are, however, being increasingly used in combination with machine learning algorithms in research to help better predict phenotypic AMR from organism genotype. Optical techniques such as phase contrast microscopy in combination with single-cell analysis are another powerful method to monitor bacterial growth. In 2017, scientists from Uppsala University in Sweden published a method that applies principles of microfluidics and cell tracking, to monitor bacterial response to antibiotics in less than 30 minutes overall manipulation time. This invention was awarded the 8M£ Longitude Prize on AMR in 2024. Recently, this platform has been advanced by coupling microfluidic chip with optical tweezing to isolate bacteria with altered phenotype directly from the analytical matrix. Rapid diagnostic methods have also been trialled as antimicrobial stewardship interventions to influence the healthcare drivers of AMR. Serum procalcitonin measurement has been shown to reduce mortality rate, antimicrobial consumption and antimicrobial-related side-effects in patients with respiratory infections, but impact on AMR has not yet been demonstrated. Similarly, point of care serum testing of the inflammatory biomarker C-reactive protein has been shown to influence antimicrobial prescribing rates in this patient cohort, but further research is required to demonstrate an effect on rates of AMR. Clinical investigation to rule out bacterial infections are often done for patients with pediatric acute respiratory infections.
The Victor Babeș Clinical Hospital for Infectious Diseases and Pneumophthisiology (Romanian: Spitalul Clinic de Boli Infecțioase și Pneumoftiziologie „Victor Babeș”) was founded in 1925 in the Green Forest of Timișoara as the only infectious diseases hospital in western Romania. It bears the name of Romanian pathologist Victor Babeș since 1952.
Surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization (SELDI) is a variant of MALDI that is used for the analysis of protein mixtures that uses a target modified to achieve biochemical affinity with the analyte compound.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Shortly before the Napoleonic Wars, the French government offered a hefty cash award of 12,000 francs to any inventor who could devise a cheap and effective method of preserving large amounts of food to create well-preserved military rations for the Grande Armée. The larger armies of the period required increased and regular supplies of quality food. Limited food availability was among the factors limiting military campaigns to the summer and autumn months. In 1809, Nicolas Appert, a French confectioner and brewer, observed that food cooked inside a jar did not spoil unless the seals leaked, and developed a method of sealing food in glass jars. Appert was awarded the prize in 1810 by Count Montelivert, a French minister of the interior. The reason for lack of spoilage was unknown at the time, since it would be another 50 years before Louis Pasteur demonstrated the role of microbes in food spoilage and developed pasteurization. The Grande Armée began experimenting with issuing canned foods to its soldiers, but the slow process of canning and the even slower development and transport stages prevented the army from shipping large amounts across the French Empire, and the wars ended before the process was perfected. Following the end of the Napoleonic Wars, the canning process was gradually employed in other European countries and the United States.
It was proposed to expand the list of the nine hallmarks of aging with five more. Saudi Arabia has started a not-for-profit organization called "the Hevolution Foundation" with budget $1 billion per year for developing anti-aging technology.
=== Calcium and calmodulin dependence === The sensitivity of the CaMKII enzyme to calcium and calmodulin is governed by the variable and self-associative domains. This sensitivity level of CaMKII will also modulate the different states of activation for the enzyme. Initially, the enzyme is activated; however, autophosphorylation does not occur because there is not enough calcium or calmodulin present to bind to neighboring subunits. As greater amounts of calcium and calmodulin accumulate, autophosphorylation occurs leading to persistent activation of the CaMKII enzyme for a short period of time. However, the Threonine 286 residue eventually becomes dephosphorylated, leading to inactivation of CaMKII.
== Background == Gaines originally trained as a chemist and oceanographer, and received a master's degree from Scripps Institution of Oceanography in 1987. She has published peer-reviewed papers in The Journal of Organic Chemistry and the Journal of Chromatography A, as well as essays and short stories in an assortment of journals, literary magazines, and anthologies (Econ Papers, Nature, and The North American Review). She founded the "Fiction Meets Science" research and fellowship program at the University of Bremen.
Member, Genocide Survivors' Consultative Group, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust. For services to Genocide Education and Commemoration. Janis Lindy James. Founder, Good Egg Child Safety Campaign. For services to Children's Road Safety. Dr. Muhayman Jamil. Founder, Wheels and Wheelchairs. For services to People with Disabilities. Rizwan Javed. Station Assistant, MTR Elizabeth Line. For services to Vulnerable People. Thomas Andrew Raynes Jenkins. For services to the Forestry Sector. Professor Antony Johansen. Consultant Ortho-Geriatrician, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board. For services to Older People. Dr. Joseph John Galliano (Joseph Galliano-Doig). Director and Co-Founder, Queer Britain. For services to Heritage, to Charity, and to Diversity and Inclusion. Melanie Sharon John-Ross. Lately Service Director, Children's Social Care and Safeguarding. For services to Children and Families in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicholas Edward Johnson. Co-Founder and Director, Market Operations. For services to Business and to the Food Sector. Professor Deborah Zerena Johnston. Deputy Vice-Chancellor, London South Bank University. For services to Stammering Recognition in Higher Education. The Reverend Derek James Johnston. Lead Chaplain, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust. For services to Chaplaincy and Well-Being during Covid-19. Ian Malcolm Jones. For services to Education in Merseyside. Dr. Peter Simpson Jones. Lead Specialist Advisor for Peatlands, Natural Resources Wales. For services to Welsh Peatlands and to the community in Wales. Shann Erin Jones.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Semax is based on the ACTH(4-10) fragment, a seven-amino-acid segment of adrenocorticotropic hormone. The synthetic peptide retains the core sequence while removing regions associated with endocrine activity. This modification is intended to isolate effects on the nervous system.
It is registered for clinical use in Russia and a few other countries, typically as a nasal drop formulation. It does not hold approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration or the European Medicines Agency. Outside those markets it is generally handled as a research chemical.
The compound was developed in Moscow and the earliest studies were conducted there, so the primary literature is largely in Russian-language journals. Translation and indexing have been incomplete, which limits access for outside researchers. Independent groups have since published some work, but the total volume remains modest.
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.