A practical reference on melanocortin signalling: what it is, how it behaves, what the literature reports, and where the honest uncertainties sit.
Reviewed 2026-02-18. Anything still debated is marked as such rather than presented as settled.
Semax is a synthetic heptapeptide with the sequence Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro. It is described in the literature as an analogue of the ACTH(4–10) fragment, a short N-terminal portion of adrenocorticotropic hormone that retains some neurotropic activity without the full hormonal effects of the parent peptide. The molecule carries a methionine residue at the N-terminus and two proline residues near the C-terminus, features that shape both its interactions with receptor systems and its chemical stability. The free peptide corresponds to the formula C37H51N9O10S and a molecular mass near 813.9 Da.
The compound was developed in the 1980s at the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Moscow, where it emerged from research on short ACTH fragments and their effects on the central nervous system. Russian pharmaceutical listings describe it as a nootropic and neuroprotective agent, most often formulated as nasal drops. It is not a marketed medicine in the United States or the European Union, and no pharmacopoeial monograph covers it. Consequently, most published clinical experience with the substance originates from a small number of research centres, mainly in Russia and neighbouring countries.
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.
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 | Free acid form of the heptapeptide; depends on terminal groups |
| Molecular mass | About 813.9 g/mol | Average mass used for mass spectrometry confirmation |
| Appearance | White to off-white solid | Supplied as a lyophilised powder; hygroscopic |
| Solubility class | Freely soluble in aqueous media | Water, saline, and phosphate buffers; limited organic solubility |
| Typical storage temperature | -20 degrees Celsius | Long term and dry; short working periods may use 2 to 8 degrees Celsius |
Semax is a synthetic heptapeptide with the sequence Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro. It was derived from the ACTH(4-10) fragment, a short segment of adrenocorticotropic hormone that lacks the hormonal activity associated with the full-length peptide. Researchers at the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Moscow developed the compound during the 1980s. It has been registered as a pharmaceutical product in Russia and several neighbouring countries, where it is supplied as a nasal solution, and it is also sold internationally as a research chemical.
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.
=== Parasites === While the cabbage looper frequently encounters parasites, its most common parasite is the tachinid fly. In one study, 90% of the parasitized larvae were due to the tachinid fly. It parasitizes most often in the late fall and winter, but it is capable of parasitizing year-round. Cabbage loopers at their third or fourth instar yield the most parasites. It is early enough in the larval stage that the maggots still have time to feed and grow before pupation can prevent parasite emergence. It is also late enough that the caterpillars are large enough to support the maggots. Fly oviposition is often triggered by the larva thrashing to repel the fly, regardless of whether the larvae are already parasitized. As a result, larvae are often overparasitized, overwhelming and killing smaller larvae. During oviposition, the mother glues the fly egg to the host. This helps the maggot burrow into the larva, where it remains until the third day. The maggot cuts a slit into the back and eats its way out of the larva.
== The Monolith Summer School == Since 2004, BIA Separations has organized and hosted the Monolith Summer School and Symposium (MSS) which takes place every 2 years. MSS was established as there were no dedicated conferences to this technology and to bring together the top international scientists and researchers in the area of monolith chromatography to share their experiences and innovative applications.
=== Weinreb amides === Weinreb amides are N-methoxy-N-methylcarboxylic acid amides. Weinreb amides are reacted with organometallic compounds to give, on protonation, ketones (see Weinreb ketone synthesis). It is generally accepted that the high yields of ketones are due to the high stability of the chelated five-membered ring intermediate. Quantum mechanical calculations have shown that the tetrahedral adduct is formed easily and it is fairly stable, in agreement with the experimental results. The very facile reaction of Weinreb amides with organolithium and Grignard reagents results from the chelate stabilization in the tetrahedral adduct and, more importantly, the transition state leading to the adduct. The tetrahedral adducts are shown below.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
If the metabolite only takes the right side new labeling patterns can occur, all in equal proportion. Other proportions can occur depending on how much of the original metabolite follows the left side of the pathway versus the right side of the pathway. Here the proportions are shown for a situation in which half of the metabolites take the left side and half the right, but other proportions can occur. These patterns of labeled atoms and unlabeled atoms in one compound represent isotopomers. By measuring the isotopomer distribution of the differently labeled metabolites, the flux through each reaction can be determined. MFA combines the data harvested from isotope labeling with the stoichiometry of each reaction, constraints, and an optimization procedure resolve a flux map. The irreversible reactions provide the thermodynamic constraints needed to find the fluxes. A matrix is constructed that contains the stoichiometry of the reactions. The intracellular fluxes are estimated by using an iterative method in which simulated fluxes are plugged into the stoichiometric model. The simulated fluxes are displayed in a flux map, which shows the rate of reactants being converted to products for each reaction. In most flux maps, the thicker the arrow, the larger the flux value of the reaction.
=== Lily Tao === Lily Tao (played by an uncredited child actress in series 1, Neve Bonner in series 2-3, and Serrana Su-Ling Bliss in series 4) is one of Eric and Candice's daughters, alongside her twin sister Lara. In series 1, Harper spots Eric playing with his daughters in a grocery store after being suspended from Pierpoint. In series 2, Eric returns home from a trip to New York to kiss his children goodnight, having secretly cheated on their mother with his ex-girlfriend Holly during the trip. In series 3, Eric, divorced from Candice, brings his daughters to Pierpoint on the day of the tumultuous IPO of green-energy company Lumi. In series 4, Lily is older and attending private school in England, while Eric is retired and living in the United States, estranged from his family. His family office, LilyLara, is named after his daughters. Eric returns to London to partner with Harper on a short-only hedge fund, SternTao, and allows Lily to visit the hotel serving as their office, blurring the work-life boundary Harper strives to maintain with Eric. Eric later learns Lily has been expelled from school for running a catfishing scheme on another student, and reflects on how his daughter has inherited his own cruelty, while lamenting his own inability to properly love his children. He comforts Lily and allows her and Candice to stay in his suite, but visits a prostitute that same night.
Stachys affinis in Plants for a Future database This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Ward, Artemas (1911). "The Grocer's Encyclopedia". The Grocer's Encyclopedia. Crosnes
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Medical availability and clinical practice vary across the world due to regional differences in culture and technology. Modern scientific medicine is highly developed and widespread in the Western world, whereas in some low-resource regions—including parts of Africa, the Pacific Islands of Oceania, Southeast Asia, and Latin America—populations often rely more heavily on traditional medicine. These practices consist of decentralized training structures and vary widely in empirical support; consequently, they may lack formal regulatory oversight or robust evidence for clinical efficacy. In the developed world, evidence-based medicine (EBM) is not universally applied in clinical practice; for example, a 2007 survey of literature reviews found that about 49% of medical interventions lacked sufficient evidence to support either benefit or harm. However, medical practitioners who apply an intervention with uncertain efficacy without adequate justification, transparency, or patient consent may violate the bioethical principle of non-maleficence, a core tenet of biomedical ethics historically associated with the Hippocratic Oath, which emphasizes a primary duty to "first, do no harm." In modern clinical practice, physicians and mid-level practitioners such as physician assistants personally assess patients to diagnose, prognose, treat, and prevent disease using clinical judgment. An initial medical encounter with a patient typically begins with a review of the patient's medical history and medical record, followed by a medical interview and a physical examination.
History of seizures History of an eating disorder such as bulimia nervosa or anorexia nervosa Taking opioids, or are in opiate withdrawal. Taken monoamine oxidase inhibitors in the last 14 days Pregnant Abruptly stopped use of alcohol, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, or antiepileptic drugs
=== Psychosis === Selegiline has been studied as an adjunct to antipsychotics in the treatment of schizophrenia in four clinical studies. However, it failed to significantly reduce positive or negative symptoms of schizophrenia in meta-analyses of these studies.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
It is described as a synthetic analogue of the ACTH(4–10) fragment, a short segment of adrenocorticotropic hormone. Its sequence differs from that fragment and includes two proline residues, which influence stability and behaviour in solution.
It appears in Russian pharmaceutical listings as a nasal formulation, but it is not an authorised medicine in the United States or the European Union. Outside those markets it is normally encountered as a research chemical rather than a prescription product.
Laboratory and animal work points to melanocortin signalling and changes in neurotrophic factor levels, especially brain-derived neurotrophic factor. The exact receptor targets and the degree to which these findings transfer to humans are still unresolved.
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.