If you have been reading about ACTH(4–10) 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.
Last reviewed on 2026-06-14. Where a claim depends on a specific study, the study is described rather than over-claimed.
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。
Laboratory work points toward modulation of neurotrophic signaling, particularly expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and nerve growth factor in hippocampal tissue. Studies also describe effects on monoamine turnover, inflammatory mediators, and oxidative markers. These observations come mainly from animal models and cultured cells, so the causal chain in humans is not firmly established. Whether the reported molecular changes translate into measurable clinical benefit is an open question. Reviews generally present the mechanism as plausible rather than demonstrated.
Clinical evidence consists largely of small trials with modest sample sizes, often without independent replication. Reported endpoints include cognitive scores, recovery after stroke, and visual function, but study designs vary widely and few trials meet contemporary reporting standards. Systematic reviewers have noted a high risk of bias in several of these reports. No large multicenter trial conducted outside Russia has been published. The compound is therefore best described as investigational in most jurisdictions, with its clinical role still unresolved.
Semax is a synthetic heptapeptide with the sequence Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro. Its chain combines the first seven residues of corticotropin with a C-terminal proline-glycine-proline extension, a modification intended to slow enzymatic breakdown. The free peptide has a molecular mass near 813.9 daltons. It belongs to the class of ACTH-derived fragments studied for central nervous system activity rather than for adrenal steroid stimulation. This structural relationship to a natural hormone fragment is the usual starting point for describing the compound in the literature.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 化学类别 | 合成七肽 | ACTH(4-10) 结构类似物 |
| 氨基酸序列 | Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro | 单字母写作 MEHFPGP |
| 分子量 | 约 813.9 Da | 随确切形式和盐型略有变化 |
| 常见同义词 | ACTH(4-10) 类似物 | 俄语文献称 Семакс |
| 开发来源 | 俄罗斯 | 二十世纪八十年代 |
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.
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.
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 heptapeptide with the sequence Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro. Its design combines the ACTH(4-7) core fragment with a C-terminal Pro-Gly-Pro extension, a modification intended to improve stability and prolong activity. The molecule is hydrophilic, carries no lipid chains or glycosylation, and has a theoretical mass just over 810 daltons in its free form. All seven residues are proteinogenic amino acids, so no non-natural building blocks appear in the backbone. A free N-terminal methionine and C-terminal proline define the unmodified parent peptide.
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.
Reported pharmacological work centers on neurotrophic signaling, including changes in BDNF and NGF expression in hippocampal tissue in animal models. Human data come largely from studies conducted in Russia, and how well those results generalize to other populations remains an open question. Regulatory status differs sharply by jurisdiction: Semax is a registered prescription medicine in Russia, while it holds no approved marketing status in the United States or the European Union. Outside such jurisdictions it is generally handled as a research chemical, which affects both documentation and quality expectations.
Semax is a synthetic heptapeptide whose sequence is Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro. It was developed as a fragment analog of adrenocorticotropic hormone, modeled specifically on the ACTH(4-10) region. The first four residues reproduce that fragment, while a Pro-Gly-Pro tripeptide is appended at the C-terminus. Work on the compound originated in Russia, where it entered clinical use as an intranasal preparation. Its sequence places it among short regulatory peptides studied for effects on the central nervous system rather than on the adrenal axis.
It has been followed by abiraterone acetate in 2011, enzalutamide in 2012, apalutamide in 2018, and darolutamide in 2019, and may also be followed by in-development drugs such as proxalutamide and seviteronel.
=== 13 December === Three people were killed in an RSF drone strike on a square located near a police station in the Tayba neighbourhood of El-Obeid. Six Bangladeshi UN peacekeepers were killed in a drone strike on their base in Kadugli.
== Good Clinical Laboratory Practice (GCLP) Guideline == The GCLP guidelines was originally produced in 2002 by RQA committee members with the purpose of providing guidance on the quality system required in laboratories that undertake the analysis of samples from clinical trials. Since that time, this guidance has been widely adopted internationally by many organisations such as the World Health Organization, pharmaceutical companies, research institutions, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), hospitals, contract research organisations (CROs) and academia.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
=== In other animals === Cats have mutations in Tas1r1 and Tas1r3 that cause their receptor to not perceive glutamate and aspartate as umami. However, their receptor responds to nucleotide, and some L-amino acids enhance the response to nucleotides. Cats probably perceive tuna as very umami due to it being rich in inosine monophosphate and L-histine. The Tas1r1-Tas1r3 receptor of mice is activated by a wide range of free L-amino acids, but not acidic ones such as glutamate. The lineage of aquatic mammals including dolphins and sea lions have no functional Tas1r1, and neither do giant pandas. They cannot generate a functional Tas1r1-Tas1r3 receptor as a result.
=== Extra-articular complications === Extra-articular complications (in which inflammation affects other organs or areas of the body other than the joints) is very common in JIA. Chronic anterior uveitis (inflammation of the anterior portion of the eye) is seen in 20-30% of children with oligoarticular JIA. RF-negative polyarticular JIA and psoriatic JIA also often have chronic anterior uveitis. Girls younger than 6-years old with positive ANA (Anti-nuclear antibodies) are at the highest risk, and 90% of cases occur within 4 years of JIA onset. Acute anterior uveitis occurs in 11-13% of patients with JIA, most commonly in the enthesitis related variant of JIA. It is associated with light sensitivity, conjunctivitis and eye pain. Treatment consists of steroid eye drops and systemic DMARDs. Both acute and chronic anterior uveitis require regular eye exams to monitor for complications. Macrophage activation syndrome is an acute hyperinflammatory complication of JIA that is life treatening. It is a type of acquired hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis that is triggered by hyperinflammation of rheumatologic diseases such as JIA. It occurs in 10% of JIA patients. It is treated by interferon-γ inhibitors, interleukin-1 (IL-1) inhibitors and systemic steroids.
There are some parallels between the chemistry of ammonia NH3 and water H2O. For example, the capacity of both compounds to be protonated to give NH4+ and H3O+ or deprotonated to give NH2− and OH−, with all of these able to be isolated in solid compounds. Nitrogen shares with both its horizontal neighbours a preference for forming multiple bonds, typically with carbon, oxygen, or other nitrogen atoms, through pπ–pπ interactions. Thus, for example, nitrogen occurs as diatomic molecules and therefore has very much lower melting (−210 °C) and boiling points (−196 °C) than the rest of its group, as the N2 molecules are only held together by weak van der Waals interactions and there are very few electrons available to create significant instantaneous dipoles. This is not possible for its vertical neighbours; thus, the nitrogen oxides, nitrites, nitrates, nitro-, nitroso-, azo-, and diazo-compounds, azides, cyanates, thiocyanates, and imino-derivatives find no echo with phosphorus, arsenic, antimony, or bismuth. By the same token, however, the complexity of the phosphorus oxoacids finds no echo with nitrogen. Setting aside their differences, nitrogen and phosphorus form an extensive series of compounds with one another; these have chain, ring, and cage structures. Table of thermal and physical properties of nitrogen (N2) at atmospheric pressure:
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
== Processing == The encapsulation method depends on the requirements for any given drug or substance. These processes depend on the physiochemical properties of the core material, the wall material, and the required size. The most common ways to produce nanocapsules are nanoprecipitation, emulsion-diffusion, and solvent-evaporation. In the nanoprecipitation method, also termed solvent displacement method, nanocapsules are formed by creating a colloidal suspension between two separate phases. The organic phase consists of a solution and a mixture of organic solvents. The aqueous phase consists of a mixture of non-solvents that forms a surface film. The organic phase is slowly injected in the aqueous phase which then is agitated to form the colloidal suspension. Once the colloidal suspension is formed it will be agitated until nanocapsules begin to form. The size and shape of the nanocapsule depend on the rate of injection along with the rate of agitation. Another common way to prepare nanocapsules is the emulsion diffusion method. This method consists of three phases: organic, aqueous, and dilution phase. In this method the organic phase is added to the aqueous phase under conditions of high agitation which form an emulsion. During this process water is added to the emulsion which causes the solvent to diffuse. The result of this emulsion-diffusion is nanocapsule formation. Solvent evaporation is another effective method to prepare nanocapsules. In this process, single or double emulsions are formed from solvents and are used to formulate a nanoparticle suspension.
==== Insulin resistance ==== Obesity has been contributing to increased insulin resistance in the global population. Insulin resistance increases hyperglycemia because the body becomes oversaturated by glucose. Insulin resistance desensitizes insulin receptors, preventing insulin from lowering blood sugar levels. The leading cause of hyperglycemia in type 2 diabetes is the failure of insulin to suppress glucose production by glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis due to insulin resistance. Insulin normally inhibits glycogenolysis, but fails to do so in a condition of insulin resistance, resulting in increased glucose production. In the liver, FOXO6 normally promotes gluconeogenesis in the fasted state, but insulin blocks FOXO6 upon feeding. In a condition of insulin resistance, insulin fails to block FOXO6, resulting in continued gluconeogenesis even upon feeding.
=== Actin/myosin movement === In addition to the physical force generated by actin polymerization, microfilaments facilitate the movement of various intracellular components by serving as the roadway along which a family of motor proteins called myosins travel.
==== Anti-inflammatory treatments ==== Topical corticosteroids are effective in short-term treatment of seborrhoeic dermatitis and are as effective or more effective than antifungal treatment with azoles. These are sometimes used for a few weeks at a time. There is also evidence for the effectiveness of topical calcineurin inhibitors like tacrolimus and pimecrolimus as well as lithium salt therapy. Calcineurin inhibitors were also effective in reducing the growth of Malassezia, offering two routes by which they may treat seborrhoeic dermatitis. Medications such as calcineurin inhibitors are not often used in individuals with seborrhoeic dermatitis who are immunocompromised because they cause further immune suppression. Oral immunosuppressive treatment, such as with prednisone, has been used in short courses for seborrhoeic dermatitis, as a last resort due to its potential side effects.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
不是。Semax 是完全人工合成的七肽，自然界中没有对应的已知肽段。它的设计灵感来自促肾上腺皮质激素片段 ACTH(4-10)，但序列经过了替换和延长。
Semax 被描述为 ACTH(4-10) 的结构类似物，两者共享部分序列特征。它保留了该片段的部分神经相关活性方向，但去除了完整片段带来的激素释放效应。二者并非同一物质，也不能互相替代。
加入的 Pro-Gly-Pro 三肽被普遍认为能提升分子对蛋白水解酶的稳定性。这种设计让短肽在体内维持时间更长。具体延长的程度以及不同组织中是否一致，文献中仍存在不同报告。
Semax is a synthetic seven-amino-acid peptide derived from a fragment of corticotropin. It is used in Russia as a nasal preparation, while elsewhere it is studied as a research compound. It is not approved as a medicine in most countries.