The recent boom in biotechnology has opened the door for studying new biologically-active compounds, including “cognitive enhancers” or “nootropics.”

One such compound is Selank — previously known as “TP-7” — which belongs to a class of molecules called synthetic peptides, or small artificially-designed proteins.

Selank has been touted as an “anti-anxiety” compound, and has also been claimed to improve learning and increase energy — supposedly without side-effects or the risk of addiction.

Selank is small and only a fraction of the size of most naturally-occurring proteins. It was developed at the Institute of Molecular Genetics (Russian Academy of Sciences) in cooperation with the V.V. Zakusov Research Institute of Pharmacology (Russian Academy of Medical Sciences), along with its “cousin” drug, Semax.

Selank was derived by combining the sequence of a peptide called tuftsin with another sequence that improves its molecular stability. Tuftsin is naturally-occurring, and makes up one part of the natural antibody IgG.

Both tuftsin and Selank have been reported to reduce anxiety and increased serotonin levels in rats, with Selank being slightly more effective [3].

Selank has been approved in Russia for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and for its use as a nootropic.