intranasal delivery is one of those subjects where the details matter more than the headlines. This page pulls together the background, the mechanisms, and the practical points readers ask about most.
Updated 2026-02-02. Numbers and descriptions here follow the published literature rather than marketing material.
The C-terminal Pro-Gly-Pro extension is not incidental. Proline-rich tails are known to resist several common peptidases, and the published literature attributes the longer half-life of Semax, relative to unmodified ACTH fragments, to this feature. The modification also removes the melanocyte-stimulating and corticosteroidogenic activity that characterizes longer ACTH-derived sequences. Because the molecule is small and hydrophilic, it is typically formulated as an aqueous solution for intranasal or parenteral delivery. Acetylation or amidation at the termini appears in closely related research peptides and shifts the mass by a fixed increment.
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.
Solid semax is typically supplied as a lyophilised powder that is hygroscopic and sensitive to moisture, light, and repeated temperature cycling. Long-term storage of the dry peptide is generally recommended at approximately -20 degrees Celsius, while shorter working periods may use refrigeration at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius. Vials should remain tightly closed and desiccated when brought to room temperature, because condensation can damage the material before it is weighed. Dividing a batch into aliquots is preferable to thawing one container repeatedly.
Dissolution is normally performed in water, phosphate-buffered saline, or normal saline, since the peptide is freely soluble in aqueous media and is rarely handled with strong organic solvents. Solution pH should be kept near neutral, because extreme acidity or alkalinity accelerates backbone hydrolysis and encourages oxidation of the methionine side chain. Once dissolved, the material is less stable than the dry powder and is commonly divided into single-use portions and frozen. Buffers containing primary amines, such as Tris, are often avoided because of possible side reactions.
Purity assessment relies mainly on reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, which separates the target heptapeptide from truncated sequences, deletion analogues, and oxidised forms. Mass spectrometry, usually coupled to liquid chromatography, confirms identity through the expected molecular ion and reveals modifications such as methionine sulfoxide formation. Amino acid analysis can verify composition, and tandem mass spectrometry supports sequence confirmation. Ultraviolet detection near 254 to 280 nanometres is convenient because the phenylalanine and histidine residues absorb in that region. Nuclear magnetic resonance is rarely used for routine release testing.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Molecular weight | ~813.9 Da (free heptapeptide) | N-acetylated form is about 42 Da heavier |
| Residue count | 7 (heptapeptide) | Four residues from ACTH(4-10), three added |
| Appearance | White to off-white powder | Usually supplied lyophilized |
| Solubility class | Freely soluble in water | Also dissolves in DMSO and polar organic solvents |
| Related parent fragment | ACTH(4-10) | Parent motif is Met-Glu-His-Phe |
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。
研究兴趣主要集中在神经营养因子相关的路径上，包括脑源性神经营养因子与神经生长因子的表达变化。部分实验报告称在特定条件下观察到这些因子的水平上升，但具体信号通路和剂量依赖关系仍未完全厘清。多数公开数据来自细胞模型和动物实验，人体对照研究数量有限。因此，该化合物的作用机制在文献中属于活跃讨论，而非已经确立的定论。
Pharmacokinetic accounts emphasize rapid breakdown. After intravenous dosing the intact peptide disappears from blood within minutes, and nasal delivery produces low but measurable concentrations. Metabolites rather than the parent molecule may account for part of the observed activity, although the relative contribution is unresolved. Dosing in the literature varies widely and no optimal schedule has been agreed. These gaps are regularly cited as a reason the findings have not produced broad clinical adoption beyond the original research setting.
Proposed mechanisms center on neurotrophic signaling rather than on classical melanocortin receptor activation. Rodent experiments have reported shifts in the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and nerve growth factor after administration, together with changes in the associated receptor systems. Several authors argue that the peptide acts largely through its degradation products and their interaction with peptidergic pathways, but this remains a hypothesis rather than a settled finding. No single molecular target has been identified in a way that the field broadly accepts.
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 research on this peptide originates mainly from Russian laboratories, and the wider international literature is comparatively thin. Studies have used rodent models of stroke, hypoxia, and memory tasks, with a smaller number of human trials reported. Reported outcomes include changes in attention and memory measures, along with effects on neurotrophic factor expression in some experiments. Small sample sizes, inconsistent dosing protocols, and limited independent replication are widely noted limitations, so the strength of the clinical evidence remains an open question.
=== Toxins === Some cases of biliary atresia may result from exposure to aflatoxin B1, and to a lesser extent aflatoxin B2 during late pregnancy. Intact maternal detoxification protects baby during intrauterine life, yet after delivery, the baby struggles with the aflatoxin in its blood and liver. Moreover, the baby feeds aflatoxin M1 from its mom, as aflatoxin M1 is the detoxification product of aflatoxin B1. It is a milder toxin that causes cholangitis in the baby. There are isolated examples of biliary atresia in animals. For instance, lambs born to sheep grazing on land contaminated with a weed (Red Crumbweed) developed biliary atresia at certain times. The plants were later found to contain a toxin, now called biliatresone. Studies are ongoing to determine whether there is a link between human cases of biliary atresia and toxins such as biliatresone. There are some indications that a metabolite of certain human gut bacteria may be similar to biliatresone.
=== Making use of the differences === The differences between the bacterial and eukaryotic ribosomes are exploited by pharmaceutical chemists to create antibiotics that can destroy a bacterial infection without harming the cells of the infected person. Due to the differences in their structures, the bacterial 70S ribosomes are vulnerable to these antibiotics while the eukaryotic 80S ribosomes are not. Even though mitochondria possess ribosomes similar to the bacterial ones, mitochondria are not affected by these antibiotics because they are surrounded by a double membrane that does not easily admit these antibiotics into the organelle. A noteworthy counterexample is the antineoplastic antibiotic chloramphenicol, which inhibits bacterial 50S and eukaryotic mitochondrial 50S ribosomes. Ribosomes in chloroplasts, however, are different: Antibiotic resistance in chloroplast ribosomal proteins is a trait that has to be introduced as a marker, with genetic engineering.
In the earliest known records, slavery is treated as an established institution. The Code of Hammurabi (c. 1760 BC), for example, prescribed death for anyone who helped a slave escape or who sheltered a fugitive. The Bible mentions slavery as an established institution. Slavery existed in Pharaonic Egypt, but studying it is complicated by terminology used by the Egyptians to refer to different classes of servitude over the course of history. Interpretation of the textual evidence of classes of slaves in ancient Egypt has been difficult to differentiate by word usage alone. The three apparent types of enslavement in ancient Egypt were chattel slavery, bonded labour, and forced labour. Following the Islamic conquests of the 7th and 8th century, slavery was regulated by the Islamic law, in parallel to the Middle East being more or less united by a succession of Islamic empires. The history of slavery in the Muslim Middle East was therefore reflected in the slavery of the Islamic empires that succeeded each other between the 7th and the 20th century. Slavery was hence reflected in the institution of slavery in the Rashidun Caliphate (632–661), slavery in the Umayyad Caliphate (661–750), slavery in the Abbasid Caliphate (750–1258), slavery in the Mamluk Sultanate (1258–1517) and slavery in the Ottoman Empire (1517–1922), before slavery was finally abolished in one Muslim country after another during the 20th century.
==== Carpatho-Rusyn (Ruthenian) ==== Greek Catholic Union of the USA United Societies of the USA - First founded in 1903 by three ecclesiastical lodges of the Greek Catholic Union in McKeesport and one from Glassport, Pennsylvania, as the United Societies of the Greek Catholic Religion of the United States. Original purpose not to form a fraternal group but to spread Greek Catholicism, foster Ruthenian nationalism, organize Greek Catholic schools and help sick or disabled members and the families of deceased members. Headquarters in McKeesport, Pennsylvania. Local groups are "subordinate lodges". National convention, which meets quadrennially, is the "Supreme Governing Body". Membership is open to any member of the Greek or Latin rite of the Catholic church. 4,900 in 190 lodges in 1968. 4,400 in 142 lodges in 1979. 3,875 members in 1995. No ritual, but there is an oath; saved some churches from going on sheriffs' auctions, "came to the defense of some falsely maligned" Greek Catholic clergy in the 1930s.
=== Crop development === Given the enormous damage that citrus canker, citrus greening, bacterial soft rot and wildfire disease cause to food and cash crops each year, there is interest in developing new plant varieties that are more resistant to infection. One possible solution is to enhance the natural defenses of crops using antimicrobial peptides. Necrophagous insects are a rich source of these peptides, and transgenic research in Japan, the USA, and Brazil has shown that sarcotoxin IA (from Sarcophaga peregrina) can help protect orange trees and other crops.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
== Adverse effects == Ten to forty percent of people will experience nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, itching skin, increased body temperature, trembling and weakness. One to five percent of peoples may experience back and chest pain, dizziness, anemia, chills and sweating, metallic taste, tachycardia and respiratory distress. Contraindications for the use of carbetocin include inappropriate timing during labor and delivery (such as before parturition or to induce labor) or allergic reactions to carbetocin or other oxytocin homologues. Additionally, carbetocin should not be used if a person has high blood pressure or cardiovascular problems. Overdosage or repeated use of carbetocin, particularly if used during pregnancy, could cause hyper-excitation of the oxytocin receptors resulting in excessive and prolonged stimulation of uterine contractions, increasing risk of uterine rupture, placental abruption, fetal respiratory distress and postpartum hemorrhage.
Gangs and traditional criminal organizations cannot be universally linked (Decker, 1998), however there are clear benefits to both the adult and youth organization through their association. In terms of structure, no single crime group is archetypal, though in most cases there are well-defined patterns of vertical integration (attempting to control all or part of the supply chain), as is the case in arms, sex and drug trafficking.
=== Similar diseases with overlapping symptoms === Bullous Pemphigoid, Cicatricial Pemphigoid, Drug Eruptions. Epidermolysis Bullosa, Epidermolysis Bullosa Acquisita, Erythema Multiforme, Lichen Planus, pemphigus vulgaris, Stevens–Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis. PNP is most commonly mistaken for pemphigus vulgaris, due to the extreme similarities of the lesions that develop. However, the difference lies in the specificity of the autoreactive antibodies in each case.
In the expansion years of the 1950s and 1960s, franchisees were signing 20- or 25-year contracts under the older model. The chain expanded into Canada in 1956, opening restaurants in Winnipeg and Montreal. By 1960, A&W had 2,000 restaurants. In November 1956, F. R. "Fran" Loetterle became the president of the chain. In 1963, the chain opened its first store on Okinawa, which at the time was under American control. In the following years, the chain branched into other foreign markets, including Guam (first territory outside of the North American continent to open a restaurant, in 1961), opened by Scotty Moylan, Mexico, the Philippines (some sources say it opened in the 1990s) and Malaysia. The first restaurant in Malaysia (Malaya at the time) was opened on December 24 that year by Al and Geri Lieboff, a couple from Las Vegas, who got the franchising rights for Malaysia and Singapore. Setting up the chain seemed to be complicated, as they were unable to find a proper site, and in the recruitment process, Malayans had no consent to adorning Western "cabaret girl" style clothes. Already at the time of setup, kids were starting to favor chicken, burgers, and hot dogs rather than rice and curry, and within the next five years, would also see a rise in new locations up to 22 within five years. The first restaurant in Europe opened in Mannheim (near Stuttgart), West Germany in 1962.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
This research provided a new drug that could serve as a new treatment for amebiasis caused by the Entamoeba histolytica. In 2017, auranofin completed phase I clinical trials against Entamoeba histolytica and Giardia The Barrios Lab in the Department of Pharmacy at the University of Utah largely focuses on developing chemical probes to study biological substrates, substrate selectivity, cellular regulation, and druggability for use in therapeutics. Human protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) hold substantial relevance in human autoimmunity and T-cell receptor signaling, as well as cell signaling in diseases. Novel chemical probes to better understand the activity and regulation of this family of enzymes aids in developing human therapeutics. These developments in the Barrios Lab include fluorogenic probes to investigate PTP activity, along with profiling substrate selectivity for the use of developing potent, selective inhibitors. Additionally, the Barrios Lab also focuses on chemical tools used to study the therapeutic roles of metal ions as biological targets of gold-based compounds.
== Career == Beginning in the late 1970s, at Columbia University, Wigler, Richard Axel and Saul Silverstein developed methods for engineering animal cells. These methods are the basis for many discoveries in mammalian genetics, and the means for producing protein therapeutics such as those used to treat heart disease, cancer and strokes. After moving to CSHL, Wigler continued his studies of gene transfer into mammalian cells, exploring the integration of foreign DNA and its stability of expression in host cells, demonstrating the inheritance of DNA methylation patterns, and isolating the first vertebrate genes, and first human oncogenes, using DNA transfer and genetic selection. His laboratory was among the group that first showed the involvement of members of the RAS gene family in human cancer, and that point mutations can activate the oncogenic potential of cellular genes. Wigler's laboratory was the first to demonstrate that some regulatory pathways have been so conserved in evolution that yeast can be used as a host to study the function of mammalian genes and in particular genes involved in signal transduction pathways and cancer. This led to deep insights into RAS function, eventually solving the RAS biochemical pathway in yeast and humans, and demonstrating the multifunctional nature of this important oncogene. From this work in fungi new cellular mechanisms were recognized for "insulating" signal transduction pathways with protein scaffolds that reduce cross-talk and for processing and localization of proteins.
While Seaborg applied for funding, Harvey worked on the einsteinium target, while Thomson and Choppin focused on methods for chemical isolation. Choppin suggested using α-hydroxyisobutyric acid to separate the mendelevium atoms from those of the lighter actinides. The initial separation was done by a recoil technique suggested by Albert Ghiorso: the einsteinium was placed on the opposite side of the target from the beam, so that the momentum of the recoiling mendelevium atoms would allow them to leave the target and be caught on a gold catcher foil behind it. This recoil target was made by an electroplating technique, developed by Alfred Chetham-Strode. This technique gave a very high yield, which was absolutely necessary when working with such a rare and valuable product as the einsteinium target material. The recoil target consisted of 109 atoms of 253Es which were deposited electrolytically on a thin gold foil. It was bombarded by 41 MeV alpha particles in the Berkeley cyclotron with a very high beam density of 6×1013 particles per second over an area of 0.05 cm2. The target was cooled by water or liquid helium, and the foil could be replaced. Initial experiments were carried out in September 1954. No alpha decay was seen from mendelevium atoms; thus, Ghiorso suggested that the mendelevium had all decayed by electron capture to fermium-256, correctly believed to decay primarily by fission, and that the experiment should be repeated, this time searching for those spontaneous fission events. This version of the experiment was performed in February 1955.
For services to People with Dementia and their Families. Dr. Emma Lucy Wilson. Director of Technical, Production and Costume, Royal Opera House. For services to the Performing Arts. William Wilson. Senior Officer, National Crime Agency. For services to Law Enforcement. Belinda Ann Winstone. Team Leader, Army Bereavement and Aftercare Services. For services to Military Families. Joan Harris Winterkorn. Archive and Manuscript Consultant and Member, Acceptance in Lieu Panel, Arts Council England. For services to Heritage and Culture. Theresa Wise. Chief Executive, Royal Television Society. For services to Broadcasting. Nicola Clare Wood. Senior Independent Director, Information Commissioner's Office. For services to Regulation. Mary Elizabeth Woods. Lately Nurse Consultant, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust. For services to Lymphoedema. Caroline Valerie Wright. Early Childhood Director, Bright Horizons Nursery. For services to Early Years Education. Judith Kathleen Wright. Trustee, Orders of St John Care Trust and lately Chair, St John Priory Group for Buckinghamshire. For voluntary service to the Order of St John. Stephen Richard Wright. Broadcaster. For services to Radio. Gloria Ingrid Wyse. Head of Research and Content, Business in the Community. For services to Diversity and Inclusion. Dr. Richard Kenneth Howard Wyse. Director of Clinical Development, Cure Parkinson's. For services to Medicine in Parkinson's Disease. Susan Yates. Officer, National Crime Agency. For services to Law Enforcement. Allan Reid Young. Head of Instrumental Music, Perth and Kinross.
=== Detection === A procedure of retrospective detection of Novichok type poisons in victim's tissues was proposed in 2021-2. This method is a modification of the procedure that was developed earlier for identification of sarin poisoning. This method capitalizes on the fact that poisoning by organic phosphonates occurs via phosphonylation of the hydroxy group of serine in the active site of cholinesterases, and that severe poisoning occurs when a major part of these enzymes are inactivated. The concentration of butyryl cholinesterase (HuBuChE) in human plasma is normally about 80 nM. That makes it a good source of adducts that can be subjected to analysis. The procedure consists of three steps (see the Figure A). First, HuBuChE is obtained from the victim's plasma. Second, the enzyme is subjected to pepsin proteolysis. Third, the peptide mixture obtained is subjected to LC-MSMS analysis. If no poisoning took place, the peptide mixture contains a non-modified nonapeptide FGESAGAAS. However, cholinesterases are inactivated due to a chemical reaction with Novichok type nerve agent, the modified nonapeptide is be detected, and its exact (high resolution) mass (along with the mass of the secondary ion produced during collision induced dissociation) allows unambiguous identification of the fact of poisoning and the exact structure of the poison. Thus, the example at Figure A shows the masses of the primary and secondary ions obtained from the plasma of the victim poisoned by A-230. If a victim is poisoned by other Novichok type agents, the masses are different.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
The sequence is Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro, a seven-residue peptide. The first four residues correspond to the ACTH(4-10) fragment, and Pro-Gly-Pro is added at the C-terminus. N-acetylated versions also appear in the literature and differ in mass.
Semax is a synthetic analog of the ACTH(4-10) fragment rather than a copy of the full hormone. Truncation plus the added tail removes the steroidogenic portion of ACTH. That distinction explains why it is studied for nervous-system effects instead of adrenal stimulation.
It is registered as a prescription product in Russia and has been used there clinically, chiefly by the intranasal route. No approval exists in the United States or the European Union. Availability elsewhere typically falls under research-chemical distribution, with varying purity documentation.
Dry powder is usually kept at about -20 degrees Celsius for long-term storage and at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius for short working periods. Containers should stay sealed and protected from light and moisture to limit degradation.