This is a working overview of Semax, written for readers who want more than a one-paragraph summary but less than a textbook.
Reviewed 2025-09-22. Anything still debated is marked as such rather than presented as settled.
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.
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.
Identity and purity are commonly assessed by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, with ultraviolet detection near 214 nanometers for the peptide backbone. Mass spectrometry, either electrospray or matrix-assisted laser desorption, confirms molecular mass and detects truncation or modification products. Amino acid analysis can verify composition. Because the sequence contains no strongly absorbing aromatic residue apart from phenylalanine, detection wavelengths are chosen carefully. Purity values above 95 percent are typical for research-grade material.
Quality documentation for research-grade peptide usually includes a certificate of analysis stating purity, identity, and residual counterion content. Batch-to-batch variation in purity and salt form is a recognized issue, and comparisons across suppliers require attention to the exact counterion, for example acetate versus trifluoroacetate. Sequence verification by tandem mass spectrometry provides stronger evidence than a single mass measurement. For any study reporting biological results, the analytical method and the measured purity should be stated explicitly. Independent verification of supplier claims is considered good practice.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Molecular class | Synthetic heptapeptide | Analog of an ACTH fragment |
| Amino acid length | Seven residues | Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro |
| Origin | Moscow, 1980s | Institute of Molecular Genetics |
| Approved regions | Russia and some neighboring states | Not cleared in Western markets |
| Common trade names | Multiple national brands | Sold as a nasal formulation |
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.
Published studies examine a fairly narrow set of endpoints. Rodent experiments commonly measure maze learning, infarct volume after induced ischemia, and tissue levels of neurotrophic factors. Clinical reports from Russian centres describe attention, memory and recovery scores in patients after stroke or transient ischemic attack. Most of those human studies are small and few have been repeated by independent groups. Outcome measures differ between studies, which limits direct comparison.
Circulation time for the peptide is short because peptidases cleave it readily. The Pro-Gly-Pro tail is thought to slow breakdown compared with the bare ACTH fragment, but the gain appears modest. Absorption after intranasal dosing is limited, and only a fraction of a dose is expected to reach the central nervous system. Laboratory concentrations therefore sit well above levels achieved systemically, a gap that complicates translation from bench findings to clinical claims.
The depth of a stage 4 pressure ulcer varies by anatomical location. The bridge of the nose, ear, occiput and malleolus do not have (adipose) subcutaneous tissue and these ulcers can be shallow. Stage 4 ulcers can extend into muscle and/or supporting structures (e.g., fascia, tendon or joint capsule) making osteomyelitis likely to occur. Exposed bone/tendon is visible or directly palpable. In 2012, the National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel stated that pressure ulcers with exposed cartilage are also classified as a stage 4. Unstageable: Full thickness tissue loss in which actual depth of the ulcer is completely obscured by slough (yellow, tan, gray, green or brown) and/or eschar (tan, brown or black) in the wound bed. Until enough slough and/or eschar is removed to expose the base of the wound, the true depth, and therefore stage, cannot be determined. Stable (dry, adherent, intact without erythema or fluctuance) eschar on the heels is normally protective and should not be removed. Deep tissue pressure injury (formerly suspected deep tissue injury): Intact or non-intact skin with localized area of persistent non-blanchable deep red, maroon, purple discoloration or epidermal separation revealing a dark wound bed or blood filled blister. Pain and temperature change often precede skin color changes. Discoloration may appear differently in darkly pigmented skin. This injury results from intense and/or prolonged pressure and shear forces at the bone-muscle interface. The wound may evolve rapidly to reveal the actual extent of tissue injury, or may resolve without tissue loss.
Gerald (Jerry) Ledlow, Dean of UT Health Science Center at Tyler School of Community and Rural Health; Erich Heneke, Director of Business Integrity Continuity in Mayo Clinic's Supply Chain Management (SCM); Mike Loughrin, President of Transformance Advisors; Renata Rieder, Head of Service Management at Federal Office of Information Technology, Systems and Telecommunication for the Government of Switzerland; David Jacoby, President of Boston Strategies International; and Jorge A. Morales, former RFID technology advisor to the Mexican Government.
Glutathione (GSH, ) is a tripeptide made of the amino acids glutamate, cysteine, and glycine. It is an antioxidant in plants, animals, fungi, and some bacteria and archaea. Glutathione is capable of preventing damage to important cellular components caused by sources such as reactive oxygen species, free radicals, peroxides, lipid peroxides, and heavy metals. It is the most abundant and important low-molecular-mass thiol within most cell types. It is synthesized by attaching cysteine to the carboxyl group of the glutamate side chain with a gamma peptide linkage, and to glycine with a normal peptide bond.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
As the moral authority of Barre's government was gradually eroded, many Somalis became disillusioned with life under military rule. By the mid-1980s, resistance movements supported by Ethiopia's communist Derg administration had sprung up across the country. Barre responded by ordering punitive measures against those he perceived as locally supporting the guerrillas, especially in the northern regions. The clampdown included bombing of cities, with the northwestern administrative centre of Hargeisa, a Somali National Movement (SNM) stronghold, among the targeted areas in 1988. The clampdown initiated by Barre's government extended its reach beyond the initial bombings in the north to encompass various regions across the country. This reproduction of aggressive strategies aimed at stifling dissent and retaining authority over the populace was a hallmark of the government's repressive actions in the South. One of the most notable instances occurred in 1991, when Barre's regime initiated a ruthless aerial assault that led to the deaths of numerous individuals in the town of Beledwene, situated in southern Somalia. Another notable instance of Barre's repressive policies occurred in the city of Baidoa, which earned the nickname 'the city of death' due to the events that unfolded there during the famine and civil war. Hundreds of thousands of individuals lost their lives as a consequence of governmental strategies specifically aimed at the Rahanweyn community residing in these areas.
=== 1925: White Castle Official House Organ, success, expansion and imitators === The company also began publishing its own internal employee magazine, the White Castle Official House Organ, circa November 1925 (it was originally named The Hot Hamburger). The bulk of the material was contributed by company personnel and consisted mostly of letters and photographs of workers, promotional announcements, 25-year milestones, retirements, and similar items of interest arranged by geographic area. "Employees could... read about the progress and innovations made by those in other areas which made everyone aware of the entire system's direction and condition." The White Castle Official House Organ was published quarterly at least through the early 1980s, and at some point was renamed The Slider Times. The Ohio History Connection houses an extensive archive of White Castle System, Inc. records from 1921 to 1991, including issues dating from 1927 to 1970 of the White Castle Official House Organ.
==== United nations ==== The UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs added 2C-B to Schedule II of the Convention on Psychotropic Substances in March 2001. 2C-B is a scheduled drug in most jurisdictions. The following is a partial list of territories where the substance has been scheduled.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Miriam Gross, Lady Owen; literary editor and writer; literary editor of The Observer, arts editor of The Daily Telegraph, literary editor of The Sunday Telegraph, senior editor (and co-founder) of Standpoint; edited Channel Four's Book Choice; at The Observer, she conducted a series of interviews, with, among others, the poet Philip Larkin, playwright Harold Pinter, thriller writer John le Carré, painters Francis Bacon and David Hockney, Nobel Prize-winning Russian poet Joseph Brodsky, novelist Anthony Powell, philosopher and historian Sir Isaiah Berlin, philosopher A.J. Ayer, and Stalin's daughter Svetlana Stalin; has written for the Financial Times; has also served as judge on the Booker prize and on George Orwell memorial prize. Susanna Gross, literary editor of The Mail on Sunday since 1999 and columnist for The Spectator; previously worked as an editor at the Daily Mail, was features editor of Harper's Bazaar, and was deputy editor of The Week; daughter of literary critic and writer John Gross and literary editor Miriam Gross, and the granddaughter of humanitarian Kurt May, she is married to novelist and critic John Preston; brother Tom Gross is a journalist and international affairs commentator, specialising in the Middle East; stepdaughter of Sir Geoffrey Owen.
== Signs and symptoms == The characteristics of a burn depend upon its depth. Superficial burns cause pain lasting two or three days, followed by peeling of the skin over the next few days. Individuals with more severe burns may indicate discomfort or complain of feeling pressure rather than pain. Full-thickness burns may be entirely insensitive to light touch or puncture. While superficial burns are typically red in color, severe burns may be pink, white or black. Burns around the mouth or singed hair inside the nose may indicate that burns to the airways have occurred, but these findings are not definitive. More worrisome signs include: shortness of breath, hoarseness, and stridor or wheezing. Itchiness is common during the healing process, occurring in up to 90% of adults and nearly all children. Numbness or tingling may persist for a prolonged period of time after an electrical injury. Burns may also produce emotional and psychological distress.
According to CNBC and Forbes, Pansino has remained one of the highest-paid YouTubers, reporting her to have made seven figures each year through sponsorships and advertisements. Commenting on her success in an interview with Business Insider in 2014, she stated: "I've never thought about how to make a video go viral. From the very beginning I have always wanted to use YouTube to better myself and share things I enjoy with the world. If others want to join me on that journey I am happy to have them as viewers." Pansino has collaborated with several other YouTubers, including iJustine, the Merrell Twins, Rebecca Zamolo, and MatPat. She was among other YouTubers who appeared in MrBeast's 2021 "$1,000,000 Influencer Tournament". Pansino has since become critical of MrBeast due to allegations against him related to an unsafe work environment. In October 2024, she criticized the Lunchly kits for containing moldy cheese. She has been noted for her consistent upload schedule, not having missed a single date since creating her channel. She stated in an interview with Forbes that "I don't want to miss an upload; I'm just not going to do that to my community, they've shown up for me and been so supportive of me, and in exchange I've been there for them—there's always going to be a video waiting for them on Saturday.
16 December Sunak travels to Italy to attend a right-wing rally in Rome, where he discusses his immigration policy and calls for changes to global refugee rules. Defence Secretary Grant Shapps confirms that the British destroyer HMS Diamond has shot down a suspected attack drone in the Red Sea, the first time the Royal Navy has shot down an aerial object in anger since 1991. Greater Manchester Police confirm that teenager Alex Batty has returned to the UK. 17 December The UK's first spaceport for vertical rocket launches is granted planning approval by the Civil Aviation Authority. Full orbital launches from the site, on the remote Scottish island of Unst, are expected to commence from 2025. Michelle Mone says that, under specific circumstances, she could benefit from some of the profits made by personal protective equipment sold to the UK government during the COVID-19 pandemic by a company run by her husband, Doug Barrowman. Ian Wright announces that he will step down as a pundit from Match of the Day at the end of the premier league season. 18 December Fezolinetant, a non-hormonal drug used to treat menopause-related hot flushes and night sweats, is approved for use in the UK. Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss confirms that 4,000 American XL bully dog owners have applied for exemption from a forthcoming ban on the breed, but warns there could be more XL bullies living in the UK. A dress worn by Diana, Princess of Wales in 1985 sells at an auction for £904,262 ($1,148,080), eleven times its estimated price.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
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.
It is registered as a medicine in Russia and has been used clinically there for decades. No regulatory agency in Western Europe or North America has approved it for any indication.
Semax corresponds to the four-to-ten fragment of adrenocorticotropic hormone. Because it omits the first three residues, it lacks the adrenal-stimulating action of the full hormone.
Solid peptide is best kept frozen at about minus 20 degrees Celsius in a sealed container with desiccant. It should be allowed to reach room temperature before opening to prevent condensation. Repeated warming and cooling of the same vial is discouraged.