This is a working overview of blood-brain barrier, written for readers who want more than a one-paragraph summary but less than a textbook.
Reviewed 2026-03-15. Anything still debated is marked as such rather than presented as settled.
Quantification in biological matrices relies on liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry with stable-isotope internal standards. Low plasma concentrations and adsorption to container surfaces both complicate measurement. Solid-phase extraction is often needed to reduce matrix interference before injection. Reported limits of quantification differ widely between laboratories, which makes direct comparison of pharmacokinetic results difficult and limits meta-analysis.
Peptide bonds are vulnerable to protease attack, and Selank is no exception. Measured half-life in serum is short, on the order of minutes in several reports, which explains why intranasal administration is the common route described in the literature. Absorption across the nasal mucosa partially bypasses first-pass hepatic metabolism. Quantitative data on human bioavailability remain limited and are difficult to compare across studies.
Published clinical evidence is limited. Most controlled trials were conducted in Russia, enrolled modest numbers of participants, and appeared in Russian-language journals, which restricts independent verification. Reported outcomes include lower anxiety scores, improved attention and memory measures, and changes in fatigue ratings. Reviews written in English note methodological limitations such as small samples and inconsistent endpoints. Whether the compound produces clinically meaningful benefit relative to established anxiolytics is therefore an open question rather than an established finding.
Selank is a synthetic heptapeptide with the sequence Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro. It was designed at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences as a structural analogue of tuftsin, a naturally occurring tetrapeptide fragment of the immunoglobulin heavy chain. The added Pro-Gly-Pro tail was intended to slow enzymatic degradation and extend biological activity. In Russia it is registered as an anxiolytic nasal preparation, while regulators elsewhere have not approved it for clinical use.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dry storage temperature | -20 C or below | Sealed, desiccated, protected from light |
| Solution stability | Hours to days at 2-8 C | Depends on buffer and microbial load |
| Preferred pH range | Near neutral to slightly acidic | Alkaline pH accelerates hydrolysis |
| Main degradation routes | Hydrolysis and deamidation | No cysteine or methionine in sequence |
| Identity confirmation | Electrospray mass spectrometry | Observed mass compared with 751.9 Da |
Identity and purity are usually assessed by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, with mass spectrometry used to confirm molecular mass and sequence information. Amino acid analysis and peptide mapping may supplement these methods. Certified reference standards are scarce, and many commercial lots are sold as research chemicals without a pharmacopoeial monograph. Regulatory treatment differs by country: Selank is a registered prescription medicine in Russia, while in the European Union and the United States it is not an approved drug and may fall under research-chemical or unapproved-product frameworks.
Selank is a hydrophilic peptide and dissolves readily in water and in aqueous buffers. The lyophilised powder is typically a white to off-white solid. Because short peptides are prone to hydrolysis and oxidation, handling benefits from limiting exposure to heat, moisture and strong light. Working solutions are commonly prepared in sterile water or saline, and repeated freeze-thaw cycles are avoided to reduce aggregation and loss of activity. These practices reflect general laboratory convention rather than published stability specifications.
Dry powder is normally held at -20 degrees Celsius or lower, in a sealed container with desiccant and protection from light. Reconstituted solutions are usually kept at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius for short periods and frozen for longer ones. Proline residues at several positions are generally associated with some resistance to peptidase attack, but chemical stability still declines at neutral to alkaline pH and at elevated temperature. Exact shelf-life figures are product-specific and are not standardised across suppliers.
Enzymatic stability motivates the extra three residues at the carboxyl end. Native tuftsin is cleaved quickly by circulating aminopeptidases and carboxypeptidases, which limits its duration of action and its usefulness as a tool compound. Extending the chain with proline-rich segments is a common design tactic because proline constrains the backbone and slows proteolysis. The same Pro-Gly-Pro motif appears in other Russian-developed peptides of the era. Whether the full seven-residue chain is required for activity, or whether it acts mainly as a prodrug releasing tuftsin, remains unresolved.
Selank is a synthetic heptapeptide with the sequence Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro. Its four N-terminal residues reproduce tuftsin, a tetrapeptide fragment of the immunoglobulin heavy chain, while the C-terminal Pro-Gly-Pro extension is a synthetic addition. The peptide has a molecular mass near 752 daltons and carries a net positive charge at physiological pH because of the arginine and lysine side chains. Published indexes list it under the name Selank and the sequence abbreviation TKPRPGP. Solid-phase peptide synthesis is the standard production route for research quantities.
Development took place at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, where a series of short peptides were designed in the 1980s and 1990s. Selank was selected from variants of tuftsin that showed resistance to plasma peptidases. Russian regulatory approval covers it as an anxiolytic agent given intranasally. Outside that market the compound is normally handled as a research chemical rather than a medicine, and no widely recognised international pharmacopoeial monograph exists. The name Selank is a coined trade designation rather than a systematic chemical name.
Pharmacokinetic data are sparse and largely derived from animal work. After intranasal administration the peptide appears in plasma within minutes, and reported half-lives are short, on the order of minutes to tens of minutes. Degradation proceeds through ordinary proteolytic cleavage into constituent amino acids and smaller fragments. Direct evidence that intact Selank reaches brain tissue in meaningful amounts is limited, and the extent of blood-brain barrier penetration is debated. Some authors argue that fragments, not the parent peptide, carry much of the observed activity.
Published clinical work is concentrated in Russian-language journals and generally involves small samples without independent replication. Systematic reviews in English note the shortage of randomised, placebo-controlled trials and the difficulty of verifying methods from translated reports. Outcome measures vary between studies, which complicates pooling of results. Interest in the compound as a cognitive or anxiolytic agent therefore rests on a thinner evidence base than the volume of citations suggests. Replication in well-powered trials with preregistered endpoints would be needed before firm conclusions about efficacy can be drawn.
Proposed mechanisms centre on the GABAergic system. Animal and tissue studies report changes in GABA-A receptor expression and reduced activity of GABA transaminase, the enzyme that degrades GABA. Effects on monoamine turnover, including serotonin and dopamine pathways, are also described, and a separate line of work links the peptide to increased expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in hippocampal tissue. Most of these findings come from rodent models and cell preparations. How the individual observations combine into a single coherent mode of action is not settled.
Selank is a synthetic heptapeptide with the sequence Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro. It was designed as a stabilized analogue of tuftsin, a naturally occurring tetrapeptide fragment derived from the immunoglobulin heavy chain. The additional Pro-Gly-Pro segment at the carboxyl terminus is intended to slow enzymatic cleavage. The compound is usually described in the literature as a synthetic peptide with anxiolytic and cognitive-related activity, a label that reflects a research context rather than an approved therapeutic category.
Most published work on selank originates from a small number of research groups in the Russian Federation. A large share of that record appears in Russian-language journals, which limits access for readers who rely on English-indexed databases. Independent replication by laboratories outside the original research network is sparse in publicly available sources. This concentration of origin and language is a frequently noted feature when the compound is summarized in broader reviews of synthetic peptides.
where E is the Young's modulus, ν is Poisson's ratio, and KI is the stress intensity factor in mode I. Irwin also showed that the strain energy release rate of a planar crack in a linear elastic body can be expressed in terms of the mode I, mode II (sliding mode), and mode III (tearing mode) stress intensity factors for the most general loading conditions. Next, Irwin adopted the additional assumption that the size and shape of the energy dissipation zone remains approximately constant during brittle fracture. This assumption suggests that the energy needed to create a unit fracture surface is a constant that depends only on the material. This new material property was given the name fracture toughness and designated GIc. Today, it is the critical stress intensity factor KIc, found in the plane strain condition, which is accepted as the defining property in linear elastic fracture mechanics.
Within the genus Lactobacillus are both heterofermentative and homofermentative species. All lactobacilli involved in winemaking are Gram-positive and microaerophilic, with most species lacking the enzyme catalase needed to protect themselves from oxidative stress. Species of Lactobacillus that have been isolated from wine and grape must samples across the globe include L. brevis, L. buchneri, L. casei, L. curvatus, L. delbrueckii subsp. lactis, L. diolivorans, L. fermentum, L. fructivorans, L. hilgardii, L. jensenii, L. kunkeei, L. leichmannii, L. nagelii, L. paracasei, L. plantarum, and L. yamanashiensis. Most Lactobacillus species are undesirable in winemaking with the potential of producing high levels of volatile acidity, off odors, wine haze, gassiness, and sediment that can be deposited in the bottle, especially if the wine had not been filtered. These bacteria also have the potential to create excessive amounts of lactic acid which can further influence the flavor and sensory perception of the wine. Some species, such as the so-called "ferocious Lactobacillus", have been implicated in causing sluggish or stuck fermentations, while other species, such as L. fructivorans, have been known to create a cottony mycelium-like growth on the surface of wines, nicknamed "Fresno mold" after the wine region where it was discovered.
=== Bibliography === Edwards, Giles; Isaby, Jonathan (2008). Boris v. Ken: How Boris Johnson Won London. London: Politico's. ISBN 978-1-84275-225-8. Gimson, Andrew (2012). Boris: The Rise of Boris Johnson (2nd ed.). Simon & Schuster. Nekov, Momchil (2013). От първо лице (1st ed.). Sofia: Ciela. ISBN 978-954-28143-3-7. Purnell, Sonia (2011). Just Boris: Boris Johnson: The Irresistible Rise of a Political Celebrity. London: Aurum Press Ltd. ISBN 978-1-84513-665-9.
However, the biological effects of radiation due to radioactive substances were less easy to gauge. This gave the opportunity for many physicians and corporations to market radioactive substances as patent medicines. Examples were radium enema treatments, and radium-containing waters to be drunk as tonics. Marie Curie protested against this sort of treatment, warning that "radium is dangerous in untrained hands". Curie later died from aplastic anaemia, likely caused by exposure to ionizing radiation. By the 1930s, after a number of cases of bone necrosis and death of radium treatment enthusiasts, radium-containing medicinal products had been largely removed from the market (radioactive quackery).
=== Metabolic === One of the primary areas of interest regarding adropin is its role in metabolic regulation. Research indicates that adropin may play a crucial role in glucose and lipid metabolism. It has been associated with insulin sensitivity, suggesting a potential role in the regulation of blood sugar levels. In animal studies, alterations in adropin levels have been linked to changes in energy expenditure and body weight. For example, some studies have shown that mice with elevated adropin levels tend to be more resistant to diet-induced obesity. A study in humans demonstrated that changes in vascular insulin resistance following short-term adverse lifestyle changes were associated with a decrease in plasma adropin in men but not women, perhaps related to adropin's regulation by estrogen.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
== Biology and genetics == S. boulardii was originally described as a species distinct from S. cerevisiae based on phenotypic traits, including the inability to ferment galactose, a reported lack of sporulation under standard laboratory conditions, and increased tolerance to human body temperature, gastric acidity, and digestive enzymes compared with many S. cerevisiae strains. Subsequent molecular and genomic analyses, however, have shown that S. boulardii falls within the genetic diversity of S. cerevisiae, forming a distinct clade most closely related to wine-associated strains. Like other S. cerevisiae strains, S. boulardii possesses 16 nuclear chromosomes and a 2-micron plasmid, and is diploid, carrying genetic determinants for both mating types (MATa and MATα). However, the MATa locus in S. boulardii contains mutations predicted to impair mating and sporulation, which may account for its reduced or absent sporulation phenotype under laboratory conditions. S. boulardii shares with other S. cerevisiae strains the production of secreted proteins reported to interfere with certain bacterial pathogens and their toxins, including a 63-kDa phosphatase (Pho8) that reduces Escherichia coli endotoxin activity and a 54-kDa serine protease (Ysp3) capable of degrading Clostridioides difficile toxins A and B. An additional, as-yet-unidentified protein of approximately 120 kDa has been reported to inhibit cholera toxin–induced increases in intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP).
==== Migraine ==== Migraine is a complex neurovascular pain disorder involving blood vessels, neurons, and cerebrospinal fluid within the meninges. The trigeminal nerve, located within the dura mater, carries sensory information about pain, touch, heat and cold from the face to the brain. The hypothalamus receives input from the trigeminal nerve and can modulate trigeminal nerve activity. Migraine patients appear to experience impairments in cortical habituation, a process which would normally decrease cortical responses to repetitive sensory stimuli. Initiation of a migraine attack may begin with disruption in the hypothalamus and limbic system. Gradually increasing hypothalamic activity has been observed in the period leading up to a migraine attack, followed by a disruption or collapse of hypothalamic connectivity to the limbic system during an attack. Disruption of the connection between the hypothalamus and limbic system may increase activity in the pain pathway from the trigeminal nerve to the brain, resulting in a migraine attack. The meninges, particularly the dura mater, are rich in pain-sensitive nerve endings. Sensory information travels along trigeminal nerve fibers to cell bodies located within the trigeminal ganglion (TG). Axons of the trigeminal ganglion neurons enter the brainstem and travel to the trigeminal nucleus caudalis (TNC). The activity of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in the meninges is linked to migraine.
Muscle glycogen appears to function as a reserve of quickly available phosphorylated glucose, in the form of glucose-1-phosphate, for muscle cells. Glycogen contained within skeletal muscle cells are primarily in the form of β particles. Other cells that contain small amounts use it locally as well. As muscle cells lack glucose-6-phosphatase, which is required to pass glucose into the blood, the glycogen they store is available solely for internal use and is not shared with other cells. This is in contrast to liver cells, which, on demand, readily do break down their stored glycogen into glucose and send it through the blood stream as fuel for other organs. Skeletal muscle needs ATP (provides energy) for muscle contraction and relaxation. Skeletal muscle relies predominantly on glycogenolysis for the first few minutes as it transitions from rest to activity, as well as throughout high-intensity aerobic activity and all anaerobic activity. During anaerobic activity, such as weightlifting and isometric exercise, the phosphagen system (ATP-PCr) and muscle glycogen are the only substrates used as they do not require oxygen nor blood flow. Different bioenergetic systems produce ATP at different speeds, with ATP produced from muscle glycogen being much faster than fatty acid oxidation. The level of exercise intensity determines how much of which substrate (fuel) is used for ATP synthesis also. Muscle glycogen can supply a much higher rate of substrate for ATP synthesis than blood glucose.
As a result of these incidents, the Long Island Rail Road had proposed taking over Penn Station from Amtrak to improve maintenance, and New Jersey has suggested withholding state payments to Amtrak. Amtrak has discussed accelerating major maintenance work, even at the cost of further disruptions, to more quickly stabilize infrastructure and decrease more future incidents that could potentially cause even greater disruption. On April 28, 2017, Amtrak announced that it would perform some track maintenance during the summer over a period of one and a half months. Five tracks were closed for repairs as part of the reconstruction work, severely reducing track capacity in a situation media outlets deemed "the summer of hell". Many affected NJ Transit passengers were diverted to take the PATH instead. Some Amtrak trains from the Empire Corridor were routed to Grand Central instead of Penn Station. Regular service resumed on September 5, 2017. Amtrak made further improvements to Penn Station's trackage in summer 2018. As a result, some Empire Corridor trains were rerouted again to Grand Central. The Lake Shore Limited and Cardinal to Chicago were truncated or rerouted because of this work.
==== 2.B Nonribosomally synthesized porters ==== 2.B.1 The Valinomycin Carrier Family 2.B.2 The Monensin Family 2.B.3 The Nigericin Family 2.B.4 The Macrotetrolide Antibiotic (MA) Family 2.B.5 The Macrocyclic Polyether (MP) Family 2.B.6 The Ionomycin Family 2.B.7 The Transmembrane α-helical Peptide Phospholipid Translocation (TMP-PLT) Family 2.B.8 The Bafilomycin A1 (Bafilomycin) Family 2.B.9 The Cell Penetrating Peptide (CPP) Functional Family 2.B.10 The Synthetic CPP, Transportan Family 2.B.11 The Calcimycin or A23187 Carrier-type Ionophore Family 2.B.12 The Salinomycin Family 2.B.13 The Tetrapyrrolic Macrocyclic Anion Antiporter (TPMC-AA) Family 2.B.14 The Lasalocid A or X-537A Ionophore (Lasalocid) Family 2.B.15 The Tris-thiourea Tripodal-based Chloride Carrier (TTT-CC) Family 2.B.16 The Halogen-bond-containing Compound Anion Carrier (HCAC) Family 2.B.17 The Isophthalaminde Derivative H+:Cl− Co-transporter (IDC) Family 2.B.18 The Pyridine-2,6-Dicarboxamine Derivative (PDCA) H+:Cl− Co-transporter Family 2.B.19 The Calix(4)pyrrole Derivative (C4P) Family 2.B.20 The Prodigiosin (Prodigiosin) Chloride/Bicarbonate Exchanger Family 2.B.21 The ortho-Phenylenediamine-bis-Urea Derivative Anion Transporter (oPDA-U) Family 2.B.22 The Imidazolium-functionalized Anion Transporter (IAT) Family 2.B.23 The Homotetrameric Transmembrane Zn2+/Co2+:Proton Synthetic Antiporter, Rocker (Rocker) Family 2.B.24 The 2,6-Bis(benzimidazol-2-yl)pyridine Anion Carrier (BBP-AC) Family 2.B.25 The Peptide-mediated Lipid Flip-Flop (PLFF) Family 2.B.26 The Bis(imidazolyl)-functionalized Bis(Choloyl) Conjugate (BIBCC) Family 2.B.27 The Tris-Urea Anion Transporter Family 2.B.29 The Anionophoric Marine Alkaloid Tambjamine Family
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Dry powder is best kept sealed, protected from light, and held at minus 20 degrees Celsius or below. Desiccant packaging helps limit moisture uptake because the material is hygroscopic. A sealed vial should be allowed to equilibrate to room temperature before opening to reduce condensation.
Hydrolysis of peptide bonds and deamidation of arginine and proline residues are the main degradation routes. Alkaline pH and higher temperatures accelerate both processes. Buffered, near-neutral solutions stored cold generally degrade more slowly than unbuffered ones.
Reverse-phase chromatography gives the clearest single view of related impurities and truncated sequences. Mass spectrometry then confirms that the main peak carries the expected mass. Neither test detects enantiomeric impurities, which require a separate chiral assay.
It is a seven-amino-acid peptide, Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro, produced by chemical synthesis rather than extracted from biological tissue. Its design is based on tuftsin, a natural immunomodulatory tetrapeptide. The C-terminal Pro-Gly-Pro segment is a common stabilising motif in short regulatory peptides.