If you have been reading about ACTH(4-10) 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.
Last reviewed on 2026-01-11. Where a claim depends on a specific study, the study is described rather than over-claimed.
Development took place during the 1980s at institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences, where peptide fragments of ACTH were screened for cognitive and neuroprotective effects. The compound received regulatory approval in Russia as a nasal preparation, marketed for conditions such as ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attacks, and optic nerve disorders. Registration in other countries has not followed. Most published clinical reports originate from a small number of Russian research groups, and independent replication outside that setting remains limited. The regulatory status therefore differs sharply between Russia and the rest of the world.
Laboratory work points toward modulation of neurotrophic signaling, particularly expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and nerve growth factor in hippocampal tissue. Studies also describe effects on monoamine turnover, inflammatory mediators, and oxidative markers. These observations come mainly from animal models and cultured cells, so the causal chain in humans is not firmly established. Whether the reported molecular changes translate into measurable clinical benefit is an open question. Reviews generally present the mechanism as plausible rather than demonstrated.
Clinical evidence consists largely of small trials with modest sample sizes, often without independent replication. Reported endpoints include cognitive scores, recovery after stroke, and visual function, but study designs vary widely and few trials meet contemporary reporting standards. Systematic reviewers have noted a high risk of bias in several of these reports. No large multicenter trial conducted outside Russia has been published. The compound is therefore best described as investigational in most jurisdictions, with its clinical role still unresolved.
The peptide is prone to several degradation pathways. Oxidation of the methionine residue produces a sulfoxide that elutes close to the parent peak in many chromatographic systems. Hydrolysis of peptide bonds and deamidation of susceptible residues in related sequences also reduce purity over time. Lyophilised material kept dry at minus twenty degrees Celsius and shielded from light is the most stable form commonly described in laboratory practice.
Material sold for laboratory use varies widely in stated purity and documentation. A certificate of analysis should list the analytical method, the column and detector used, and the observed purity value. Independent verification by an outside laboratory is the practical way to confirm identity when documentation is absent or internally inconsistent. Regulatory status differs by country, and a product legal in one jurisdiction may be unapproved or controlled in another.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sequence | Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro | Heptapeptide; ACTH(4-10) analog extended at C-terminus |
| Molecular mass | ~813.9 Da | Free peptide, unmodified |
| Appearance | White to off-white powder | Typical lyophilized solid |
| Solubility | Soluble in water and saline | Also soluble in common aqueous buffers |
| Storage (solid) | -20 °C, desiccated | Protect from moisture and repeated thawing |
Regulatory status differs sharply between jurisdictions. In Russia the peptide is registered as a prescription nasal preparation, while agencies such as the United States Food and Drug Administration have not approved it for any indication. Products sold elsewhere are typically labeled for laboratory research only, and such labels shift responsibility for safe handling to the purchaser. Because the same name covers pharmaceutical-grade nasal drops and bulk research powder, identity and purity documentation becomes the main practical concern when comparing sources.
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.
Published studies are dominated by animal models of stroke, ischemia, and cognitive impairment, with a smaller number of human trials conducted in Russia. Many of the human reports are small, single-center, and published in Russian-language journals, which limits independent scrutiny. Outcome measures vary between studies and often rely on clinician-rated scales rather than objective biomarkers. Systematic reviews have noted the methodological weaknesses and called for larger, preregistered trials before firm conclusions can be drawn.
Claims about enhanced focus, memory, or mood in healthy people rest mostly on anecdotal reports and community discussion rather than on controlled data. It remains unclear whether any cognitive benefit observed in patients recovering from brain injury would extend to uninjured users. Dose-response relationships, long-term safety, and interactions with other drugs are not well characterized in the peer-reviewed literature. Questions about optimal route of administration and treatment duration likewise remain open.
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.
=== Rattlesnakes === In more heavily (human) populated and trafficked areas, reports have been increasing of rattlesnakes that do not rattle. This phenomenon is commonly attributed to selective pressure by humans, who often kill the snakes when they are discovered. Non-rattling snakes are more likely to go unnoticed, so survive to reproduce offspring that, like themselves, are less likely to rattle.
Skeletal muscle cells, also called muscle fibers are the individual contractile cells within a muscle. A single muscle such as the biceps in a young adult male contains around 253,000 muscle fibers. Skeletal muscle fibers are multinucleated with the nuclei often referred to as myonuclei. This occurs during myogenesis with the fusion of myoblasts each contributing a nucleus. Fusion depends on muscle-specific proteins known as fusogens called myomaker and myomerger. Many nuclei are needed by the skeletal muscle cell for the large amounts of proteins and enzymes needed to be produced for the cell's normal functioning. A single muscle fiber can contain from hundreds to thousands of nuclei. A muscle fiber for example in the human biceps with a length of 10 cm can have as many as 3,000 nuclei. Unlike in a non-muscle cell where the nucleus is centrally positioned, the myonucleus is elongated and located close to the sarcolemma (membrane). The myonuclei are quite uniformly arranged along the fiber with each nucleus having its own myonuclear domain where it is responsible for supporting the volume of cytoplasm in that particular section of the myofiber. A group of muscle stem cells known as myosatellite cells, also satellite cells are found between the basement membrane and the sarcolemma of muscle fibers. These cells are normally quiescent but can be activated by exercise or pathology to provide additional myonuclei for muscle growth or repair.
=== Hormonal treatment === D-chiro-inositol has been used to induce ovulation in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. DCI depresses the expression of the steroidogenic enzyme aromatase, which is responsible for the conversion of androgens to estrogens. One pilot study found males taking DCI had increased androgens and reduced estrogen.
=== Postwar and Cold War === In 1947, the TA was restructured and expanded through the reactivation of some of the 1st Line divisions that were initially disbanded after the war, keeping its former role of supplying complete divisions to the regular Army until 1967. For the first time, TA units were formed in Northern Ireland. The maneuver divisions established or re-established in 1947 were:
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
The structure of TEV protease has been solved by X-ray crystallography. It is composed of two β-barrels and a flexible C-terminal tail and displays structural homology to the chymotrypsin superfamily of proteases (PA clan, C4 family by MEROPS classification). Although homologous to cellular serine proteases (such as trypsin, elastase, thrombin etc.), TEV protease uses a cysteine as its catalytic nucleophile (as do many other viral proteases). Covalent catalysis is performed with an Asp-His-Cys triad, split between the two barrels (Asp on β1 and His and Cys on β2). The substrate is held as a β-sheet, forming an antiparallel interaction with the cleft between the barrels and a parallel interaction with the C-terminal tail. The enzyme therefore forms a binding tunnel around the substrate and side chain interactions control specificity.
Taiwan's migrant worker population—estimated in 2018 to be up to 660,000 in number—have reportedly faced slavery-like conditions involving sexual abuse in the domestic work sector and forced labor in fishing sectors. Taiwan is among a minority of places in the world that legally allows labor brokers to charge migrant workers for services which elsewhere are covered by employers as human resource costs. A few Taiwanese universities have reportedly tricked students from Eswatini, Uganda and Sri Lanka into forced labour at factories as payment for the university programs. Some charity groups in 2007 also insisted that foreign women—mostly from China and Southeast Asia—were being forced into prostitution, although local police in Tainan disagreed and said they deliberately came to Taiwan "to sell sex".
== Cost-of-living == Mercer Cost of Living Survey 2016: Bangkok ranked 74 of 209 cities (1=most expensive; 209=least expensive). The Mercer survey measures the comparative cost of more than 200 items in each city, including housing, transportation, food, clothing, household goods, and entertainment. It is designed for multinationals and governments to use in determining compensation for expatriate employees. Cost of Living Index 2015 mid-year: Thailand ranked 89 of 125 nations (1=most expensive; 125=least expensive).
Purified water is water that has been mechanically filtered or processed to remove impurities and make it suitable for use. Distilled water was the most common form of purified water but water is more frequently purified by other processes including capacitive deionization, reverse osmosis, carbon filtering, microfiltration, ultrafiltration, ultraviolet oxidation, or electrodeionization. Combinations of a number of these processes have come into use to produce ultrapure water of such high purity that its trace contaminants are measured in parts per billion (ppb) or parts per trillion (ppt). Purified water has many uses, largely in the production of medications, in science and engineering laboratories and industries, and is produced in a range of purities. It is also used in the commercial beverage industry as the primary ingredient of any given trademarked bottling formula, in order to maintain product consistency. It can be produced on-site for immediate use or purchased in containers. Purified water in colloquial English can also refer to water that has been treated ("rendered potable") to neutralize, but not necessarily remove contaminants considered harmful to humans or animals.
== External links == Quantities, Units and Symbols in Physical Chemistry (IUPAC green book) An introductory video on Mass Spectrometry The Royal Society of Chemistry NIST Standard Reference Database 1A v17
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
This makes it a highly effective treatment for negative and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia since 5HT2A antagonism increases dopamine release in the mesocortical pathway which is hypoactive in those with schizophrenia. Interestingly, lumateperone indirectly augments glutamatergic neurotransmission through its activity at D1 receptors, which causes phosphorylation of GluN2B subunits of NMDA receptors in the mesolimbic pathway. This is significant since NMDA receptor hypofunction, reduced D1 binding, and glutamatergic abnormalities have been implicated in contributing to the cognitive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. It has also been identified as a potent vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) inhibitor (IC50Tooltip half-maximal inhibitory concentration = 62 nM).
=== Infectious diseases and public health === A 2023 study published in Vaccine assessed the risk of COVID-19 breakthrough infection and hospitalization among individuals with comorbidities using data from U.S. health-system records, including those from Truveta-affiliated systems. A 2023 study in Frontiers in Public Health evaluated racial inequalities in COVID-19 treatment and in-hospital length of stay in the United States over time, using data derived from large health-system datasets including those affiliated with Truveta. A 2025 study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine analyzed trends in syphilis incidence among U.S. adults from January 2017 to October 2024 using Truveta data. Another 2025 study in Sexually Transmitted Diseases assessed the need for creating ICD-10 codes to improve monitoring of doxycycline postexposure prophylaxis prescriptions in the United States.
=== Characteristics of elution mode === In elution mode, solutes are applied to the column as narrow bands and, at low concentration, move down the column as approximately Gaussian peaks. These peaks continue to broaden as they travel, in proportion to the square root of the distance traveled. For two substances to be resolved, they must migrate down the column at sufficiently different rates to overcome the effects of band spreading. Operating at high concentration, where the isotherm is curved, is disadvantageous in elution chromatography because the rate of travel then depends on concentration, causing the peaks to spread and distort. Retention in elution chromatography is usually controlled by adjusting the composition of the mobile phase (in terms of solvent composition, pH, ionic strength, and so forth) according to the type of stationary phase employed and the particular solutes to be separated. The mobile phase components generally have lower affinity for the stationary phase than do the solutes being separated, but are present at higher concentration and achieve their effects due to mass action. Resolution in elution chromatography is generally better when peaks are strongly retained, but conditions that give good resolution of early peaks lead to long run-times and excessive broadening of later peaks unless gradient elution is employed. Gradient equipment adds complexity and expense, particularly at large scale.
It is very easy for the Moroccan mafia to infiltrate Belgian politics. They do more damage than the drugs itself. I think it is unfair for leaders of political parties to see their party collapse. I already prefer to warn them that my political party will not be a potential collaborator. These organisations are content with an incredible turnover that can make them amongst the richest in Morocco. This week we have created the Kali-team. A team that is made up of 40 investigators to combat the Moroccan mafia in the Port of Antwerp.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Semax is a synthetic seven-amino-acid peptide derived from a fragment of corticotropin. It is used in Russia as a nasal preparation, while elsewhere it is studied as a research compound. It is not approved as a medicine in most countries.
Its sequence corresponds to the 4-10 region of corticotropin extended by three residues. This fragment lacks the region responsible for adrenal steroid release, so it is explored for neural rather than hormonal effects. The relationship explains the compound's classification among ACTH-derived peptides.
It holds approval in Russia for several neurological indications as a nasal spray or drop formulation. Regulatory agencies in the United States and the European Union have not approved it. Products sold elsewhere are generally labeled for research use only.
Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography is the standard method, with detection in the ultraviolet range. Peak area percentage yields a purity figure for the main component. Mass spectrometry is normally run alongside to confirm molecular identity.