Semax
Also referred to as: ACTH(4-7) analog, Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro
A lab-made peptide based on a piece of a natural hormone, studied in brain and nervous-system research. Most studies come from Russia.
In plain terms: Semax is a lab-made peptide based on a small piece of a natural body hormone, changed so it lasts longer. Researchers study it for the nervous system — especially proteins that help nerve cells grow and survive. Most of the research comes from Russia and is done in animals.
- Name
- Semax
- Aliases
- ACTH(4-7) analog, Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro
- Classification
- Synthetic peptide (ACTH fragment analog)
- Areas studied
- Nerve-cell growth, BDNF, Neuroscience research
What it is
Semax is a lab-made peptide built from a short piece of a natural hormone called ACTH, with changes to make it more stable. Unlike the full hormone, it is studied for its effects on the brain and nervous system rather than on stress hormones.
Much of the published research comes from Russian institutions, where it has been studied extensively in animals.
Mechanism
In lab studies, Semax has been linked to higher levels of proteins that help nerve cells grow and survive — especially one called BDNF — and to changes in the brain's chemical messenger systems. Even though it comes from a piece of the ACTH hormone, it is studied for these brain effects rather than the hormone's usual stress-related role.
These effects have mostly been seen in animals and cells.
Areas studied & investigated
The categories below summarize where Semax appears in the research literature. They describe what the compound is studied for and investigated in — not approved uses, and not guidance for any kind of use.
Nerve-growth proteins
Linked in lab studies to proteins like BDNF that help nerve cells grow and survive.
Brain messengers
Studied for effects on the brain's chemical messenger systems in animals.
Nerve protection
Looked at in animal models of stress and injury to nerve tissue.
Hormone-piece biology
An example of how a small piece of a hormone can be studied apart from the hormone's usual job.
Research history
Semax was developed from research into short pieces of the ACTH hormone that act on the brain, and it has a large body of animal research, much of it from Russian research groups.
State of the literature
The published research is mostly in animals, with limited internationally indexed human research. It is not an approved drug outside specific countries and is studied for research purposes.
What to keep in mind
A lot of the Semax research is published in settings that are harder to independently check, and much of it has not been repeated by labs elsewhere — so the evidence is both thin and less verified than it can appear. When most studies come from one place and have not been confirmed widely, that is a reason for extra caution, not less. Read the citations and notice how much of it is animal-only.
Research tools
Evaluating a Semax batch for laboratory research? These free, research-use-only calculators help you work the numbers and read the paperwork: the reconstitution calculator solves vial concentration and draw volume, and the COA reader walks a certificate line by line. For how much and how often Semax is commonly used, see the dosing guides.
Batch-tested with published COAs
See what a published COA looks like
Midwest Compounds does not currently list Semax. Every compound it does sell is tested by an independent lab, with a batch-linked certificate of analysis you can check before you buy.
Citations
The summary above is drawn from published, peer-reviewed sources. Links open the abstract on PubMed, or the free full text on PubMed Central (PMC) where marked.
- Dolotov OV, et al. Semax, an analog of ACTH(4-10) with cognitive effects, regulates BDNF and trkB expression in the rat hippocampus. Brain Research, 2006. Abstract
- Medvedeva EV, et al. The peptide semax affects the expression of genes related to the immune and vascular systems in rat brain. BMC Genomics, 2014. Abstract