LIVE
Peptides targeting cognition, mood, and neuroprotection — Semax, Selank, Cerebrolysin, PT-141, and other CNS-active research compounds.
Nootropic and CNS-active peptides cluster around several distinct mechanisms. The Semax and Selank family are heptapeptide analogs developed at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Semax is a Pro-Gly-Pro–extended fragment of ACTH(4-10) studied for ischemic stroke, cognitive enhancement, and BDNF modulation. Selank is a synthetic tuftsin analog with anxiolytic properties. Both have longer-acting N-acetyl variants engineered for peripheral stability.
Sleep and circadian peptides include DSIP (delta sleep-inducing peptide), a nonapeptide originally isolated from the cerebral venous blood of sleep-deprived rabbits. Growth-associated peptides P-21 and PE-22-28 are CNTF-derived fragments studied for hippocampal neurogenesis. FGL (FG loop peptide) is a mimic of the second fibronectin-type-III domain of the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM), probing NCAM–FGFR signaling.
Larger CNS protein-derived preparations sit alongside the defined peptides. Cerebrolysin is a porcine-brain-derived hydrolysate of low-molecular-weight neurotrophic peptides and free amino acids; it is used clinically for stroke and dementia in parts of Europe, Asia, and Latin America but is not FDA-approved. DNSP-11 is an 11-amino-acid fragment of the pro-region of glial cell line–derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), studied for dopaminergic neuroprotection. VIP (vasoactive intestinal peptide) is a 28-amino-acid neuromodulator with CNS, gastrointestinal, and immune roles.
PT-141 (bremelanotide) is a melanocortin-receptor agonist FDA-approved under the brand Vyleesi for hypoactive sexual desire disorder in premenopausal women; it is grouped here because its primary mechanism is central rather than peripheral.
Outside PT-141 and Cerebrolysin (in jurisdictions where the latter is approved), members of this category are research-use-only.