If you have been reading about intranasal route 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.
Updated 2025-12-09. Numbers and descriptions here follow the published literature rather than marketing material.
Once dissolved, the peptide is considerably less stable than the solid. Aqueous solutions are usually prepared at neutral to slightly acidic pH, filtered, and divided into single-use aliquots before freezing. Repeated freeze-thaw cycles are a common cause of avoidable loss and are best prevented by never refreezing a thawed aliquot. Adsorption to plastic and glass surfaces can lower the measured concentration of dilute solutions, particularly below roughly 0.1 mg/mL. Buffer choice, salt content, and container material all influence how much peptide remains detectable after storage.
Identity and purity are established with standard peptide methods. Reversed-phase HPLC with ultraviolet detection near 214 nm resolves the parent peak from deletion and truncation byproducts, and reports typically quote a main-peak percentage. Mass spectrometry by electrospray or MALDI-TOF confirms the expected molecular mass, while amino acid analysis or peptide mapping can verify composition when the sequence itself is in question. A certificate of analysis that pairs a chromatogram with a mass spectrum is more informative than a purity figure alone. Counter-ion content and residual solvents are separate specifications and are frequently omitted.
Semax is a synthetic seven-amino-acid peptide whose sequence extends the ACTH(4-10) fragment with a C-terminal proline-glycine-proline tripeptide. The commonly cited sequence is Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro, giving a molecular formula near C37H51N9O10S and a molecular weight close to 813.9 g/mol. It belongs to the broader class of synthetic ACTH fragments studied for central nervous system effects rather than for adrenal steroid stimulation. In practice the material appears as a lyophilized white powder for laboratory work or as a dilute saline solution in clinical settings.
Development is attributed to researchers at the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Moscow during the early 1980s, building on earlier Soviet work with ACTH fragments. Russian regulatory approval followed for intranasal use, and the compound has remained commercially available there for decades. Most published human data originate from Russian and, later, some Eastern European clinical reports, which are not always accessible in English translation. Outside that region the material is generally handled as a research chemical rather than a licensed medicine.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Solid storage temperature | -20 °C or below | Desiccated and protected from light |
| Solution storage temperature | -80 °C as single-use aliquots | Avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles |
| Purity assessment method | RP-HPLC, around 214 nm | Reported as main-peak area percent |
| Identity confirmation method | ESI-MS or MALDI-TOF | Measured mass compared with calculated mass |
| Common synonyms | ACTH(4-10) analog; Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro | Also written as Semaxum in some sources |
溶液状态的稳定性明显低于冻干粉。肽类在水溶液中可能经历水解、氧化与聚集,其中甲硫氨酸和天冬酰胺等残基常是敏感位点。Semax 含有甲硫氨酸,因此氧化风险相对突出。工作液一般主张现配现用,或冷藏并在数日内用尽。缓冲液种类、pH 和离子强度都会影响降解速率,而关于最佳条件的公开数据并不统一。
常规纯度与身份确认依赖反相高效液相色谱,并辅以质谱测定分子量。氨基酸组成分析可用于验证序列构成,肽图分析则能进一步定位修饰或降解产物。杂质谱通常关注缺失序列肽、截短片段和氧化产物。不同方法的检出限并不相同,因此各实验室报告的纯度数值不宜直接横向比较。
多数实验室与市售的 Semax 以冻干粉形式提供。冻干粉通常建议保存在 -20 °C 或更低温度下,同时避免光照与反复升温。短期运输有时采用冷藏条件,但长期保存仍以冷冻为主。分包操作应尽量减少开盖次数,以降低吸湿和微生物污染的风险。开封后若未一次用完,建议在干燥环境中密封并尽快放回低温储存。
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.
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.
Routine characterization relies on reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography to establish purity and on mass spectrometry to confirm molecular identity. Electrospray ionization and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization are both used for mass verification. Amino acid analysis and peptide mapping can detect sequence errors. Common impurities include truncated sequences, methionine sulfoxide formed by oxidation, and deamidated products. Chromatograms are usually recorded near 214 nm, where the peptide backbone absorbs, and purity is reported as the percentage area of the principal peak.
Verification of a supplied batch generally combines a certificate of analysis with independent testing, because certificates are self-reported documents. A typical package includes a chromatographic trace, a mass spectrum, and a stated water or counter-ion content. Batch-to-batch consistency matters more than a single purity figure when results are compared across experiments. No single mandatory standard governs research-grade peptide release, so laboratories are expected to define their own acceptance criteria. Residual trifluoroacetate from purification is a frequently overlooked counter-ion.
=== Loaded microbubble-enhanced focused ultrasound === Microbubbles are small "bubbles" of mono-lipids that are able to pass through the blood–brain barrier. They form a lipophilic bubble that can easily move through the barrier. One barrier to this however is that these microbubbles are rather large, which prevents their diffusion into the brain. This is counteracted by a focused ultrasound. The ultrasound increases the permeability of the blood–brain barrier by causing interference in the tight junctions in localized areas. This combined with the microbubbles allows for a very specific area of diffusion for the microbubbles, because they can only diffuse where the ultrasound is disrupting the barrier. The hypothesis and usefulness of these is the possibility of loading a microbubble with an active drug to diffuse through the barrier and target a specific area. There are several important factors in making this a viable solution for drug delivery. The first is that the loaded microbubble must not be substantially greater than the unloaded bubble. This ensures that the diffusion will be similar and the ultrasound disruption will be enough to induce diffusion. A second factor that must be determined is the stability of the loaded micro-bubble. This means is the drug fully retained in the bubble or is there leakage. Lastly, it must be determined how the drug is to be released from the microbubble once it passes through the blood–brain barrier. Studies have shown the effectiveness of this method for getting drugs to specific sites in the brain in animal models.
Wikimedia Atlas of Singapore Official website Singapore Government Portal Geographic data related to Singapore at OpenStreetMap Singapore Department of Statistics "Key Facts & Figures". Ministry of Transport, Singapore. Retrieved 11 January 2003. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Singapore WikiSatellite view of Singapore at WikiMapia "About Us" from Singapore's National Library Board; numerous well-researched and well-documented essays on key events and important figures, as well as topics regarding culture, architecture, nature, etc. Singapore profile from the BBC News
Full clients verify transactions directly by downloading a full copy of the blockchain. They do not require trust in any external parties. Full clients check the validity of mined blocks, preventing them from transacting on a chain that breaks or alters network rules. Because of its size and complexity, downloading and verifying the entire blockchain is not suitable for all computing devices. Lightweight clients consult full nodes to send and receive transactions without requiring a local copy of the entire blockchain (see simplified payment verification – SPV). This makes lightweight clients much faster to set up and allows them to be used on low-power, low-bandwidth devices such as smartphones. When using a lightweight wallet, however, the user must trust full nodes, as it can report faulty values back to the user. Lightweight clients follow the longest blockchain and do not ensure it is valid, requiring trust in full nodes. Third-party internet services called online wallets or webwallets offer similar functionality but may be easier to use. In this case, credentials to access funds are stored with the online wallet provider rather than on the user's hardware. As a result, the user must have complete trust in the online wallet provider. A malicious provider or a breach in server security may cause entrusted crypto to be stolen. An example of such a security breach occurred with Mt. Gox in 2011.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
=== Automotive === American Automobile Association (AAA), aka Triple A Australian Automobile Association AG für Akkumulatoren- und Automobilbau, German automobile manufacturer Ateliers d'Automobiles et d'Aviation, a French automobile manufacturer American Ambulance Association AAA Cooper Transportation, an American less-than-truckload freight carrier
From 1994 through to 1997, the government initiated cleansing committees to root out corruption, particularly in the economic sector. In the aftermath of the 1986 US attack, the army was purged of perceived disloyal elements, and in 1988, Gaddafi announced the creation of a popular militia to replace the army and police. In 1987, Libya began production of mustard gas at a facility in Rabta, although publicly denied it was stockpiling chemical weapons, and unsuccessfully attempted to develop nuclear weapons. The period also saw a growth in domestic Islamist opposition, formulated into groups like the Muslim Brotherhood and the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group. Several assassination attempts against Gaddafi were foiled, and in turn, 1989 saw the security forces raid mosques believed to be centres of counter-revolutionary preaching. In December 1993, former Libyan foreign minister Mansour Rashid El-Kikhia, a leader of an anti-Gaddafi coalition in exile, was abducted in Cairo. His body was not found until 2012 in a morgue that belonged to Gaddafi's intelligence chief Abdullah Senussi. In October 1993, elements of the increasingly marginalized army, led by officers from the powerful Warfalla tribe, initiated a failed coup in Misrata and Bani Walid allegedly with help from the National Front for the Salvation of Libya, Khalifa Haftar, and the CIA, while in September 1995, Islamists launched an insurgency in Benghazi, and in July 1996 an anti-Gaddafist football riot broke out in Tripoli.
=== Diving === Barotrauma may be caused when diving, either from being crushed, or squeezed, on descent or by stretching and bursting on ascent; both can be avoided by equalising the pressures. A negative, unbalanced pressure is known as a squeeze, crushing eardrums, dry suit, lungs or mask inwards and can be equalised by putting air into the squeezed space. A positive unbalanced pressure expands internal spaces rupturing tissue and can be equalised by letting air out, for example by exhaling. Both may cause barotrauma. There are a variety of techniques depending on the affected area and whether the pressure inequality is a squeeze or an expansion:
== Chemistry == The substance is a white crystalline powder. It is freely soluble in methanol and acetone; soluble in water, ethanol, 0.01 M hydrochloric acid, and 0.01 M sodium hydroxide; sparingly soluble in isopropyl alcohol and acetonitrile; slightly soluble in diethyl ether; and very slightly soluble in isopropyl ether.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
=== Cancer === It was first proposed by Otto Heinrich Warburg that cancer originated from irreversible injury to mitochondrial respiration, but the structural basis for this injury has remained elusive. Since cardiolipin is an important phospholipid found almost exclusively in the inner mitochondrial membrane and very essential in maintaining mitochondrial function, it is suggested that abnormalities in CL can impair mitochondrial function and bioenergetics. A study published in 2008 on mouse brain tumors supporting Warburg's cancer theory shows major abnormalities in CL content or composition in all tumors.
Nutrient Uptake: Uniporters facilitate the transport of essential nutrients into the cell. Glucose transporters (GLUTs) are uniporters that uptake glucose for energy production. Ion homeostasis: Uniporters facilitate in maintaining the balance of ions (i.e., Na+ K+, Ca2+, Cl−) within cells Metabolism: Uniporters are involved in the transport of essential ions, amino acids and molecules required for the metabolic pathway, protein synthesis and energy production Cell signaling: Calcium uniporters help regulate intercellular calcium levels essential for signal transduction Waste removal: Uniporters aid in removing metabolic waste products and toxins from cells pH regulation: Transport of ions by uniporters also helps to maintain the overall acid-base balance within cells
1985 Franz Hillenkamp, Michael Karas and co-workers describe and coin the term matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI). 1987 Koichi Tanaka uses the "ultra fine metal plus liquid matrix method" to ionize intact proteins. 1989 Wolfgang Paul receives the Nobel Prize in Physics "for the development of the ion trap technique". 1999 Alexander Makarov presents the Orbitrap mass spectrometer.
=== Diagnostic === Intravenous injection of TRH has been used for diagnostic purposes in the context of the TRH test; administration of exogenous TRH can be used to determine whether hypothyroidism is of hypothalamic or hypophyseal etiology. However, this diagnostic approach has been superseded by ultrasensitive TSH assays and is nowadays only seldom employed.
== Early life and education == Langer was born in The Bronx, New York. She grew up in a two-bedroom Yonkers apartment she shared with her parents and older sister. She received a bachelor's degree in psychology from New York University, where she initially majored in chemistry. Langer decided to major in psychology after taking a Psych 101 course with Phillip Zimbardo at NYU. She received her Ph.D. in social and clinical psychology from Yale University in 1974.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Each freeze-thaw cycle can degrade a fraction of the peptide and promote aggregation. Dividing a stock solution into single-use volumes removes repeated cycling as a variable. It also limits the time a thawed solution spends at room temperature.
A high main-peak percentage says little about identity, counter-ion content, or residual solvents. It also does not distinguish an isomer or a closely eluting analog. Mass confirmation and the accompanying documentation cover those gaps.
Salt form changes mass, solubility, and hygroscopicity, and acetate and trifluoroacetate salts behave differently in solution. Storage guidance still centers on -20 °C for powder and lower temperatures for solutions. The certificate should state which salt is present.
It is a short synthetic peptide built from seven amino acids: methionine, glutamic acid, histidine, phenylalanine and three prolines. The sequence derives from the 4-10 fragment of adrenocorticotropic hormone with an added proline-glycine-proline tail. No plant or animal extract is involved; the material is produced by solid-phase peptide synthesis.