If you have been reading about reverse-phase HPLC and want a single page that covers the useful parts, this is it: definitions, context, how it is studied, and the questions that come up repeatedly.
Updated 2026-06-16. Numbers and descriptions here follow the published literature rather than marketing material.
Purity assessment relies mainly on reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. Because the peptide lacks a strong chromophore, detection often uses backbone absorbance near 214 nm. Identity is confirmed by mass spectrometry, typically electrospray ionization or matrix-assisted laser desorption, comparing the measured mass against the expected value. Amino acid analysis can verify composition after acid hydrolysis. Diastereomer content and residual counterions are reported less often, although both can influence biological assays.
Lyophilized material is generally stable for extended periods when kept dry at or below minus twenty degrees Celsius. Working solutions are less stable, and common practice is to aliquot and freeze them so that repeated freeze-thaw cycles are avoided. Aqueous solutions are sensitive to pH extremes and to microbial growth, so short-term storage at refrigerator temperature is typical. Oxidation and hydrolysis are the principal degradation routes. Reconstitution with sterile water or a mild buffer is standard, and solutions should be protected from light.
Selank is a synthetic heptapeptide developed in Russia during the 1990s. Researchers at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences designed it as a stabilized analog of tuftsin, a naturally occurring immunomodulatory tetrapeptide. The compound has been studied primarily for its reported anxiolytic and nootropic effects. It remains largely unknown in Western pharmacology and is not approved as a medicine by major regulators such as the FDA or the EMA.
The primary structure of Selank is Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro, corresponding to the molecular formula C33H57N11O9 and a monoisotopic mass of roughly 751.9 daltons. The N-terminal threonine and the arginine residue in the fourth position are shared with tuftsin, which carries the sequence Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg. The three additional residues at the C-terminus, Pro-Gly-Pro, extend the chain and are associated with greater resistance to enzymatic degradation. This extension also separates Selank from the shorter parent peptide.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Typical purity report | 95% or higher by HPLC | Area percentage at 214 nm |
| Identity confirmation | Mass spectrometry | Electrospray or MALDI |
| Powder storage | -20 C, desiccated | Protect from light |
| Solution storage | 2-8 C short term | Freeze aliquots for longer |
| Quality document | Certificate of analysis | States method and value |
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.
Lyophilized Selank, the dry powder form, is generally stored frozen at minus 20 degrees Celsius or colder for long-term keeping. The solid is hygroscopic and should stay sealed, dry, and protected from light. Once dissolved, the peptide is less stable and is usually held refrigerated at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius for short periods. Repeated freezing and thawing is avoided because it can promote aggregation and loss of activity. Buffers and pH choice also affect how long a solution remains usable.
Solubility behavior is a practical concern for handling. Selank dissolves readily in water and in common aqueous buffers, which simplifies preparation of working solutions. The choice of solvent, ionic strength, and pH can influence aggregation over time, particularly at higher concentrations. Aqueous solutions are typically sterile-filtered before use. Because stability depends on several variables, storage and handling notes should be treated as general guidance rather than fixed rules, and specific values are best confirmed against a certificate of analysis for each batch.
== Awards and honours == 1936 Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada 1946 Order of the British Empire 1962 Honorary member of the Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA) 1964 Banting Medal of the American Diabetes Association 1967 Canada Gairdner International Award 1971 Honorary doctor of the University of Toronto 1971 Charles H. Best Prize
=== Protein degradation === Protein degradation may take place intracellularly or extracellularly. In digestion of food, digestive enzymes may be released into the environment for extracellular digestion whereby proteolytic cleavage breaks proteins into smaller peptides and amino acids so that they may be absorbed and used. In animals the food may be processed extracellularly in specialized organs or guts, but in many bacteria the food may be internalized via phagocytosis. Microbial degradation of protein in the environment can be regulated by nutrient availability. For example, limitation for major elements in proteins (carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur) induces proteolytic activity in the fungus Neurospora crassa as well as in of soil organism communities. Proteins in cells are broken into amino acids. This intracellular degradation of protein serves multiple functions: It removes damaged and abnormal proteins and prevents their accumulation. It also serves to regulate cellular processes by removing enzymes and regulatory proteins that are no longer needed. The amino acids may then be reused for protein synthesis.
== References == ADA - CSII Diabetes Care 2004; 27: S110. ADA - Implications of the DCCT study Diabetes Care 2002; 25: 25–27. ADA - Implications of the UKPD Study Diabetes Care 2002; 25: 28–32. Bell D.S.H., Fernando O. (2000). "Improved glycemic control with use of CSII compared with MDI therapy". Endocrine Practice. 6 (5): 257–360. doi:10.4158/EP.6.5.357. PMID 11141585. Binder C., Lauritzen T., Faber O., Pramming S. (1984). "Insulin pharmacokinetics". Diabetes Care. 7 (2): 188–99. doi:10.2337/diacare.7.2.188. PMID 6376015. S2CID 29287604.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) Bode B.W., Steed R.D., Davidson P.C. (1996). "Reduction in severe hypoglycemia with longterm CSII in type 1 diabetes". Diabetes Care. 19 (4): 324–7. doi:10.2337/diacare.19.4.324. PMID 8729154. S2CID 29779558.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) Bode BW; et al. (1999). "Continuous glucose monitoring used to adjust diabetes therapy improves glycosylated hemoglobin: A pilot study". Diabetes Research and Clin Practice. 46 (3): 183–90. doi:10.1016/S0168-8227(99)00113-8. PMID 10624783. Diabetes Technol Ther. 2004;6(2):105-13. Boland E.A., Grey M.; et al. (1999). "CSII - a new way to lower risk of severe hypoglycemia, improve metabolic control, and enhance coping in adolescents with type 1 diabetes". Diabetes Care. 22 (11): 1779–84. doi:10.2337/diacare.22.11.1779. PMID 10546007. Carlton F.B. (2000). "Recent advances in the pharmacologic management of diabetes mellitus". Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America. 18 (4): 745–53.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
=== Agitation and aggression === Agitation and aggression are also associated with hyperdopaminergic activity. Antipsychotic drugs are the most common treatment for these symptoms, but often come with a host of side-effects including orthostatic hypotension and deficits in vigilance and attention. One clinical study in agitated elderly patients compared the effects of tiapride, haloperidol and placebo and found that while the two drugs had comparable efficacy superior to the placebo effect, tiapride had fewer and less severe side effects than haloperidol. Tiapride's selectivity for the limbic system, which is associated with emotion, could underlie its particular efficacy in treating these affective disorders. Moreover, its selectivity for the dopaminergic system is thought to account for its avoidance of the side effects typically associated with other neuroleptic drugs, such as chlorpromazine, which act on a number of neurotransmitter systems.
=== LGBTQ+ rights === In 2019, Schmitt was among 14 Republican state attorneys general signatories who signed an amicus brief to the Supreme Court brief arguing that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 does not protect LGBTQ+ people from employment discrimination. In June 2020, the Supreme Court ruled 6–3 that employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation does violate the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
1 At the state elections on 15 February 1936, James Kenneally lost his East Perth seat to an Independent Labor candidate, Thomas Hughes. Kenneally and another candidate contested the poll citing Hughes's status as an undischarged bankrupt at the time of the poll (meaning that he was not eligible to stand), and a fresh by-election was called for 9 May, which Hughes won. On 13 May, Kenneally resigned from the Collier Ministry. Bert Hawke replaced him in the Executive Council and in two of his portfolios, whilst Millington and Wise reshuffled portfolios, in part to unite Works and Water Supplies under one minister. 2 Willcock assumed all of Collier's portfolios from 20 August 1936 until 27 August 1936 whilst Caucus selected a new Cabinet.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Purity is usually reported as an HPLC area percentage, most often measured at 214 nm. Identity is confirmed separately by mass spectrometry. A certificate of analysis should state both the method and the observed value.
Dry powder is kept frozen, desiccated, and shielded from light. Dissolved material is aliquoted and frozen to limit freeze-thaw cycles. Short-term refrigerated storage is common for working solutions.
Russia registers it as a prescription nasal product. Most other markets classify it as a research chemical with no approved medical use. Oversight of purity and labeling is consequently minimal in those markets.
Selank is a synthetic heptapeptide designed as a stabilized analog of the natural tetrapeptide tuftsin. It has been investigated mainly for anxiolytic and cognitive effects. It is not an approved pharmaceutical in most countries.