This is a working overview of heptapeptide, written for readers who want more than a one-paragraph summary but less than a textbook.
This page was last updated on 2025-11-19 and is reviewed periodically as new material appears.
The compound is registered in Russia as a pharmaceutical product, most commonly formulated as a nasal solution, and has been used in that setting since the 1990s. Outside that jurisdiction it is generally handled as a research chemical rather than an approved medicine. Regulatory status therefore differs sharply between countries, and material sold internationally may not correspond to the Russian pharmaceutical formulation. Documentation with commercial samples is typically limited to a certificate of analysis covering purity and identity, not clinical status or local legal classification.
Semax is a synthetic heptapeptide with the sequence Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro. It corresponds to the ACTH(4-7) fragment extended at the C-terminus by a Pro-Gly-Pro tripeptide, an addition intended to slow enzymatic breakdown. The molecular formula is C37H51N9O10S and the molecular mass is approximately 814 daltons. In the literature it is often described as an ACTH(4-10) analog, although that label reflects a naming convention as much as a precise structural relationship. The compound was developed in Russia and remains most closely associated with that research tradition.
Russian regulatory authorities approved the peptide for nasal administration, and it remains listed in the national pharmacopoeia under several trade names. Documented indications include acute ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attacks, traumatic brain injury, and certain ophthalmological and neurological conditions. Physicians also prescribe it for cognitive complaints in older patients, although the evidence base for that use is thinner. Outside Russia and a few neighboring states, the substance is not an approved medicine and is sold instead as a research chemical.
Later generations of the molecule include an N-acetylated form and an amidated form, both marketed online alongside the parent peptide. These variants differ in terminal chemistry and stability, and they are frequently discussed in the same breath even though they have not been compared in controlled trials. Supply outside formal healthcare systems comes largely from laboratories that synthesize peptides to order. Purity and identity of these materials vary widely, and no single body oversees the international trade.
Semax is a synthetic heptapeptide developed in the Soviet Union during the 1980s by researchers at the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Moscow. It was designed as a truncated analog of adrenocorticotropic hormone, retaining only the fragment spanning residues four through ten. Investigators sought a peptide that would preserve the cognitive effects associated with ACTH while eliminating the hormonal stimulation of the adrenal cortex. The compound entered clinical use in Russia during the following decade.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Molecular formula | C37H51N9O10S | Contains one methionine sulfur atom |
| Molecular mass | Approximately 814 Da | Consistent with a seven-residue peptide |
| Appearance | White to off-white powder | Typical lyophilized form |
| Solubility | Freely soluble in water | Also soluble in dimethyl sulfoxide |
| Typical storage | -20 °C, desiccated | Limits methionine oxidation |
Regulatory status varies sharply by country. Semax is registered for medical use in Russia, where it appears in formularies as a nasal solution, and it also holds registration in a small number of neighbouring states. It has no approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration or the European Medicines Agency, and it is not a scheduled controlled substance in most jurisdictions. Elsewhere it circulates mainly as laboratory material, so purity documentation comes from suppliers rather than from a national pharmacopoeia.
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.
==== Historical funding ==== Over the last century, the responsibility to allocate funding has shifted from the OD and Advisory Committee to the individual ICs and Congress increasingly set apart funding for particular causes. In the 1970s, Congress began to earmark funds specifically for cancer research, and in the 1980s there was a significant amount allocated for AIDS/HIV research. Funding for the NIH has often been a source of contention in Congress, serving as a proxy for the political currents of the time. During the 1980s, President Reagan repeatedly tried to cut funding for research, only to see Congress partly restore funding. The political contention over NIH funding slowed the nation's response to the AIDS epidemic; while AIDS was reported in newspaper articles from 1981, no funding was provided for research on the disease. In 1984 National Cancer Institute scientists found implications that "variants of a human cancer virus called HTLV-III are the primary cause of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)," a new epidemic that gripped the nation. In 1992, the NIH encompassed nearly 1 percent of the federal government's operating budget and controlled more than 50 percent of all funding for health research and 85 percent of all funding for health studies in universities. From 1993 to 2001 the NIH budget doubled. For a time, funding essentially remained flat, and for seven years after the 2008 financial crisis, the NIH budget struggled to keep up with inflation. In 1999 Congress increased the NIH's budget by $2.3 billion to $17.2 billion in 2000.
== Pharmacology == JDTic is a potent KOR antagonist, and is highly selective for KOR over μ- (MOR) and δ-opioid receptors (DOR), along with many non-opioid receptors. However, it shows modest affinity for the nociceptin receptor (NOP). In one study, JDTic showed little binding selectivity over the μ-opioid receptor, but it failed to block the effects of the selective μ-opioid receptor agonist sufentanil across a wide range of doses in animals. It has a very long duration of action, with effects in animals seen for up to several weeks after administration of a single dose, although its binding to the KOR is not irreversible; its long duration of action is instead caused by activation of a c-Jun N-terminal kinase. Animal studies suggest that JDTic may produce antidepressant, anxiolytic, and anti-stress effects, as well as having possible application in the treatment of addiction to cocaine and morphine. JDTic shows robust activity in animal models of depression, anxiety, stress-induced cocaine relapse, and nicotine withdrawal.
He narrated the Fulldome production Astronaut (2006), created for the National Space Centre. Around the same time, he also narrated the STV show JetSet (also 2006), a six-part series following the lives of trainee pilots and navigators at RAF Lossiemouth as they undergo a gruelling six-month course learning to fly the Tornado GR4, the RAF's primary attack aircraft. McGregor starred opposite Colin Farrell in the Woody Allen film Cassandra's Dream (2007), and he co-starred with Jim Carrey in I Love You Phillip Morris and appeared in Amelia (both 2009) alongside Hilary Swank. He played "the ghost" – the unnamed main character – in Roman Polanski's political thriller The Ghost Writer (2010). He portrayed Camerlengo Patrick McKenna in Ron Howard's mystery thriller Angels & Demons (also 2009), the film adaptation of Dan Brown's novel of the same name and a sequel to Howard's The Da Vinci Code, co-starring Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon. In 2011, McGregor starred in the British comedy Salmon Fishing in the Yemen directed by Lasse Hallström and co-starring Emily Blunt and Kristin Scott Thomas, for which he received his second Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy nomination. That same year, he was awarded with the SIFF Golden Space Needle Award for Outstanding Achievement in Acting at the 2011 Seattle International Film Festival. In 2012, he was a member of the Jury for the Main Competition at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.
=== Reasons for splits and cracks during timber drying and their control === The chief difficulty experienced in the drying of timber is the tendency of its outer layers to dry out more rapidly than the interior ones. If these layers are allowed to dry much below the fibre saturation point while the interior is still saturated, stresses (called drying stresses) are set up because the shrinkage of the outer layers is restricted by the wet interior. Rupture in the wood tissues occurs, and consequently splits and cracks occur if these stresses across the grain exceed the strength across the grain (fibre to fibre bonding). The successful control of drying defects in a drying process consists in maintaining a balance between the rate of evaporation of moisture from the surface and the rate of outward movement of moisture from the interior of the wood. The way in which drying can be controlled will now be explained. One of the most successful ways of wood drying or seasoning would be kiln drying, where the wood is placed into a kiln compartment in stacks and dried by steaming, and releasing the steam slowly.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Motilin is a 22-amino acid polypeptide hormone in the motilin family that, in humans, is encoded by the MLN gene. Motilin is secreted by endocrine Mo cells (also referred to as M cells, which are not the same as the M cells, or microfold cells, found in Peyer's patches) that are numerous in crypts of the small intestine, especially in the duodenum and jejunum. It is released into the general circulation in humans at about 100-min intervals during the inter-digestive state and is the most important factor in controlling the inter-digestive migrating contractions; and it also stimulates endogenous release of the endocrine pancreas. Based on amino acid sequence, motilin is unrelated to other hormones. Because of its ability to stimulate gastric activity, it was named "motilin." Apart from in humans, the motilin receptor has been identified in the gastrointestinal tracts of pigs, rats, cows, and cats, and in the central nervous system of rabbits.
== Management == Treatment usually involves antimicrobial mouth washes and oral antibiotics to help the immune system fight the attendant infection, and it also often involves local surgery(resection) to get rid of the dead bone (necrotic bone lesion). Many patients with MRONJ have successful outcomes after treatment, meaning that the local osteonecrosis is stopped, the infection is cleared, and the mucosa heals and once again covers the bone. The treatment the person receives depends on the severity of osteonecrosis of the jaw.
The use of ice to refrigerate and preserve food dates back to prehistoric times. Through the ages, the seasonal harvesting of snow and ice was a regular practice of many cultures. China, Greece, and Rome stored ice and snow in caves, dugouts, or ice houses lined with straw or other insulating materials. Rationing of ice allowed the preservation of food during hot periods, a practice successfully employed for centuries. For most of the 19th century, natural ice (harvested from ponds and lakes) was used to supply refrigerator cars. At high altitudes or northern latitudes, one-foot tanks were often filled with water and allowed to freeze. Ice was typically cut into blocks during the winter and stored in insulated warehouses for later use, with sawdust and hay packed around the ice blocks to provide additional insulation. A late-19th century wood-bodied reefer required re-icing every 250 miles (400 km) to 400 miles (640 km).
Therefore, a large profit potential exists for the manufacturers and suppliers of processed food products. Individuals may see a benefit in convenience, but rarely see any direct financial cost benefit in using processed food as compared to home preparation. Processed food freed people from the large amount of time involved in preparing and cooking "natural" unprocessed foods. The increase in free time allows people much more choice in life style than previously allowed. In many families the adults are working away from home and therefore there is little time for the preparation of food based on fresh ingredients. The food industry offers products that fulfill many different needs: e.g. fully prepared ready meals that can be heated up in the microwave oven within a few minutes. Modern food processing also improves the quality of life for people with allergies, diabetics, and other people who cannot consume some common food elements. Food processing can also add extra nutrients such as vitamins.
=== EC 2.5.1: Transferring alkyl or aryl groups, other than methyl groups (only sub-subclass identified to date) === EC 2.5.1.1: dimethylallyltranstransferase EC 2.5.1.2: thiamine pyridinylase EC 2.5.1.3: thiamine-phosphate diphosphorylase EC 2.5.1.4: Now EC 4.4.1.42 adenosylmethionine cyclotransferase EC 2.5.1.5: galactose-6-sulfurylase EC 2.5.1.6: methionine adenosyltransferase EC 2.5.1.7: UDP-N-acetylglucosamine 1-carboxyvinyltransferase EC 2.5.1.8: transferred to EC 2.5.1.75, tRNA dimethylallyltransferase EC 2.5.1.9: riboflavin synthase EC 2.5.1.10: (2E,6E)-farnesyl diphosphate synthase EC 2.5.1.11: Now covered by EC 2.5.1.84 (all-trans-nonaprenyl-diphosphate synthase [geranyl-diphosphate specific]) and EC 2.5.1.85 (all-trans-nonaprenyl diphosphate synthase [geranylgeranyl-diphosphate specific]) EC 2.5.1.12: deleted, now included with EC 2.5.1.18 glutathione transferase EC 2.5.1.13: deleted, now included with EC 2.5.1.18 glutathione transferase EC 2.5.1.14: deleted, now included with EC 2.5.1.18 glutathione transferase EC 2.5.1.15: dihydropteroate synthase EC 2.5.1.16: spermidine synthase EC 2.5.1.17: cob(I)yrinic acid a,c-diamide adenosyltransferase EC 2.5.1.18: glutathione transferase EC 2.5.1.19: 3-phosphoshikimate 1-carboxyvinyltransferase EC 2.5.1.20: rubber cis-polyprenylcistransferase EC 2.5.1.21: squalene synthase EC 2.5.1.22: spermine synthase EC 2.5.1.23: sym-norspermidine synthase EC 2.5.1.24: discadenine synthase EC 2.5.1.25: tRNA-uridine aminocarboxypropyltransferase EC 2.5.1.26: alkylglycerone-phosphate synthase EC 2.5.1.27: adenylate dimethylallyltransferase EC 2.5.1.28: dimethylallylcistransferase EC 2.5.1.29: farnesyltranstransferase EC 2.5.1.30: trans-hexaprenyltranstransferase EC 2.5.1.31: ditrans,polycis-undecaprenyl-diphosphate synthase [(2E,6E)-farnesyl-diphosphate specific] EC 2.5.1.32: 15-cis-phytoene synthase EC 2.5.1.33: deleted, now covered by EC 2.5.1.82 hexaprenyl diphosphate synthase [geranylgeranyl-diphosphate specific] and EC 2.5.1.83 hexaprenyl diphosphate synthase [(2E,6E)-farnesyl-diphosphate specific] EC 2.5.1.34: tryptophan dimethylallyltransferase EC 2.5.1.35: aspulvinone dimethylallyltransferase EC 2.5.1.36: trihydroxypterocarpan dimethylallyltransferase EC 2.5.1.37: Now EC 4.4.1.20, leukotriene-C4 synthase EC 2.5.1.38: isonocardicin synthase EC 2.5.1.39: 4-hydroxybenzoate polyprenyltransferase EC 2.5.1.40: Now EC 4.2.3.9, aristolochene synthase EC 2.5.1.41: phosphoglycerol geranylgeranyltransferase EC 2.5.1.42: geranylgeranylglycerol-phosphate geranylgeranyltransferase EC 2.5.1.43: nicotianamine synthase EC 2.5.1.44: homospermidine synthase EC 2.5.1.45: homospermidine synthase (spermidine-specific) EC 2.5.1.46: deoxyhypusine synthase EC 2.5.1.47: cysteine synthase EC 2.5.1.48: cystathionine γ-synthase EC 2.5.1.49: O-acetylhomoserine aminocarboxypropyltransferase EC 2.5.1.50: zeatin 9-aminocarboxyethyltransferase EC 2.5.1.51: β-pyrazolylalanine synthase EC 2.5.1.52: L-mimosine synthase EC 2.5.1.53: uracilylalanine synthase EC 2.5.1.54: 3-deoxy-7-phosphoheptulonate synthase EC 2.5.1.55: 3-deoxy-8-phosphooctulonate synthase EC 2.5.1.56: N-acetylneuraminate synthase EC 2.5.1.57: N-acylneuraminate-9-phosphate synthase EC 2.5.1.58: protein farnesyltransferase EC 2.5.1.59: protein geranylgeranyltransferase type I EC 2.5.1.60: protein geranylgeranyltransferase type II EC 2.5.1.61: hydroxymethylbilane synthase EC 2.5.1.62: chlorophyll synthase EC 2.5.1.63: adenosyl-fluoride synthase EC 2.5.1.64: The reaction that was attributed to this enzyme is now known to be catalysed by two separate enzymes: EC 2.2.1.9 2-succinyl-5-enolpyruvyl-6-hydroxy-3-cyclohexene-1-carboxylic-acid synthase and EC 4.2.99.20 2-succinyl-6-hydroxy-2,4-cyclohexadiene-1-carboxylate synthase EC 2.5.1.65: O-phosphoserine sulfhydrylase EC 2.5.1.66: N2-(2-carboxyethyl)arginine synthase EC 2.5.1.67: chrysanthemyl diphosphate synthase EC 2.5.1.68: (2Z,6E)-farnesyl diphosphate synthase EC 2.5.1.69: lavandulyl diphosphate synthase EC 2.5.1.70: naringenin 8-dimethylallyltransferase EC 2.5.1.71: leachianone-G 2′′-dimethylallyltransferase EC 2.5.1.72: quinolinate synthase EC 2.5.1.73: O-phospho-L-seryl-tRNA:Cys-tRNA synthase EC 2.5.1.74: 1,4-dihydroxy-2-naphthoate polyprenyltransferase EC 2.5.1.75: tRNA dimethylallyltransferase EC 2.5.1.76: cysteate synthase EC 2.5.1.77: Now EC 2.5.1.147, 5-amino-6-(D-ribitylamino)uracil—L-tyrosine 4-methylphenol transferase and EC 4.3.1.32, 7,8-didemethyl-8-hydroxy-5-deazariboflavin synthase. EC 2.5.1.78: 6,7-dimethyl-8-ribityllumazine synthase EC 2.5.1.79: thermospermine synthase EC 2.5.1.80: 7-dimethylallyltryptophan synthase EC 2.5.1.81: geranylfarnesyl diphosphate synthase EC 2.5.1.82: hexaprenyl diphosphate synthase [geranylgeranyl-diphosphate specific] EC 2.5.1.83: hexaprenyl diphosphate synthase [(2E,6E)-farnesyl-diphosphate specific] EC 2.5.1.84: all-trans-nonaprenyl-diphosphate synthase (geranyl-diphosphate specific) EC 2.5.1.85: all-trans-nonaprenyl diphosphate synthase [geranylgeranyl-diphosphate specific] EC 2.5.1.86: trans,polycis-decaprenyl diphosphate synthase EC 2.5.1.87: ditrans,polycis-polyprenyl diphosphate synthase [(2E,6E)-farnesyl diphosphate specific] EC 2.5.1.88: trans,polycis-polyprenyl diphosphate synthase [(2Z,6E)-farnesyl diphosphate specific] EC 2.5.1.89: tritrans,polycis-undecaprenyl diphosphate synthase [geranylgeranyl-diphosphate specific] EC 2.5.1.90: all-trans-octaprenyl-diphosphate synthase EC 2.5.1.91: all-trans-decaprenyl-diphosphate synthase EC 2.5.1.92: (2Z,6Z)-farnesyl diphosphate synthase EC 2.5.1.93: 4-hydroxybenzoate geranyltransferase EC 2.5.1.94: adenosyl-chloride synthase EC 2.5.1.95: xanthan ketal pyruvate transferase EC 2.5.1.96: 4,4′-diapophytoene synthase EC 2.5.1.97: pseudaminic acid synthase EC 2.5.1.98: Rhizobium leguminosarum exopolysaccharide glucosyl ketal-pyruvate-transferase EC 2.5.1.99: The activity was an artifact caused by photoisomerization of the product of EC 2.5.1.32, 15-cis-phytoene synthase EC 2.5.1.100: fumigaclavine A dimethylallyltransferase EC 2.5.1.101: N,N′-diacetyllegionaminate synthase EC 2.5.1.102: geranyl-pyrophosphate—olivetolic acid geranyltransferase EC 2.5.1.103: presqualene diphosphate synthase EC 2.5.1.104: N1-aminopropylagmatine synthase EC 2.5.1.105: 7,8-dihydropterin-6-yl-methyl-4-(β-D-ribofuranosyl)aminobenzene 5′-phosphate synthase EC 2.5.1.106: tryprostatin B synthase EC 2.5.1.107: verruculogen prenyltransferase EC 2.5.1.108: 2-(3-amino-3-carboxypropyl)histidine synthase EC 2.5.1.109: brevianamide F prenyltransferase (deoxybrevianamide E-forming) EC 2.5.1.110: 12α,13α-dihydroxyfumitremorgin C prenyltransferase EC 2.5.1.111: 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate 3-dimethylallyltransferase EC 2.5.1.112: adenylate dimethylallyltransferase (ADP/ATP-dependent) EC 2.5.1.113: [CysO sulfur-carrier protein]-thiocarboxylate-dependent cysteine synthase EC 2.5.1.114: tRNAPhe (4-demethylwyosine37-C7) aminocarboxypropyltransferase EC 2.5.1.115: homogentisate phytyltransferase EC 2.5.1.116: homogentisate geranylgeranyltransferase EC 2.5.1.117: homogentisate solanesyltransferase EC 2.5.1.118: β-(isoxazolin-5-on-2-yl)-L-alanine synthase EC 2.5.1.119: β-(isoxazolin-5-on-4-yl)-L-alanine synthase EC 2.5.1.120: aminodeoxyfutalosine synthase EC 2.5.1.121: 5,10-dihydrophenazine-1-carboxylate 9-dimethylallyltransferase EC 2.5.1.122: 4-O-dimethylallyl-L-tyrosine synthase EC 2.5.1.123: flaviolin linalyltransferase EC 2.5.1.124: 6-linalyl-2-O,3-dimethylflaviolin synthase EC 2.5.1.125: 7-geranyloxy-5-hydroxy-2-methoxy-3-methylnaphthalene-1,4-dione synthase EC 2.5.1.126: norspermine synthase EC 2.5.1.127: caldopentamine synthase EC 2.5.1.128: N4-bis(aminopropyl)spermidine synthase EC 2.5.1.129: flavin prenyltransferase EC 2.5.1.130: 2-carboxy-1,4-naphthoquinone phytyltransferase EC 2.5.1.131: (4-{4-[2-(γ-L-glutamylamino)ethyl]phenoxymethyl}furan-2-yl)methanamine synthase EC 2.5.1.132: 3-deoxy-D-glycero-D-galacto-nonulopyranosonate 9-phosphate synthase EC 2.5.1.133: bacteriochlorophyll a synthase EC 2.5.1.134: cystathionine β-synthase (O-acetyl-L-serine) EC 2.5.1.135: validamine 7-phosphate valienyltransferase EC 2.5.1.136: 2-acylphloroglucinol 4-prenyltransferase EC 2.5.1.137: 2-acyl-4-prenylphloroglucinol 6-prenyltransferase EC 2.5.1.138: coumarin 8-geranyltransferase EC 2.5.1.139: umbelliferone 6-dimethylallyltransferase EC 2.5.1.140: N-(2-amino-2-carboxyethyl)-L-glutamate synthase EC 2.5.1.141: heme o synthase EC 2.5.1.142: nerylneryl diphosphate synthase EC 2.5.1.143: pyridinium-3,5-biscarboxylic acid mononucleotide synthase EC 2.5.1.144: S-sulfo-L-cysteine synthase (O-acetyl-L-serine-dependent) EC 2.5.1.145: phosphatidylglycerol—prolipoprotein diacylglyceryl transferase EC 2.5.1.146: 3-geranyl-3-[(Z)-2-isocyanoethenyl]indole synthase EC 2.5.1.147: 5-amino-6-(D-ribitylamino)uracil—L-tyrosine 4-hydroxyphenyl transferase EC 2.5.1.148: lycopaoctaene synthase EC 2.5.1.149: lycopene elongase/hydratase (flavuxanthin-forming) EC 2.5.1.150: lycopene elongase/hydratase (dihydrobisanhydrobacterioruberin-forming) EC 2.5.1.151: alkylcobalamin dealkylase EC 2.5.1.152: D-histidine 2-aminobutanoyltransferase EC 2.5.1.153: adenosine tuberculosinyltransferase
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
It is registered as a pharmaceutical product in Russia, where it is typically supplied as a nasal solution. In most other countries it is not an approved drug and is traded as a research chemical instead. Approval status depends entirely on the jurisdiction involved.
Most published work uses intranasal administration, matching the route of the registered Russian formulation. Some animal experiments use intravenous or intraperitoneal injection. The route matters because the intact peptide is cleared rapidly from blood, so exposure differs between methods.
A purity value describes the share of the powder accounted for by the target peptide, usually by high-performance liquid chromatography. It does not confirm that the sequence is correct, which requires mass spectrometry or amino acid analysis. Purity and identity are separate checks.
It originated at the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Moscow during the 1980s. The work was carried out by a Russian research group that specialized in peptide neuropharmacology.