ACTH(4-10) raises a handful of sensible questions. This page answers them in order, starting with the fundamentals and moving to applications.
This page was last updated on 2026-01-11 and is reviewed periodically as new material appears.
Terminology around the compound varies by source. It appears in catalogues and papers as Semax, as the heptapeptide ACTH(4-7)-Pro-Gly-Pro, and under various alphanumeric laboratory codes used by individual suppliers. These names refer to the same sequence but may imply different salt forms, purity grades, or counter-ions. Peptide databases usually list the free base mass, while product descriptions sometimes report acetate or trifluoroacetate salts with a different formula weight. Because naming conventions for research peptides are not standardised across vendors, checking the declared sequence and measured mass is more reliable than relying on a trade name alone.
Semax is a synthetic heptapeptide with the sequence Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro. Its design combines the ACTH(4-7) core fragment with a C-terminal Pro-Gly-Pro extension, a modification intended to improve stability and prolong activity. The molecule is hydrophilic, carries no lipid chains or glycosylation, and has a theoretical mass just over 810 daltons in its free form. All seven residues are proteinogenic amino acids, so no non-natural building blocks appear in the backbone. A free N-terminal methionine and C-terminal proline define the unmodified parent peptide.
The compound was developed during the 1980s at the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Moscow as part of research on fragments of adrenocorticotropic hormone. Early work examined short ACTH-derived sequences that retained neurotrophic effects while lacking the endocrine activity of the full hormone. Semax entered clinical use in Russia during the 1990s, where it received registration for several neurological indications. Outside that region it remained primarily a laboratory research material rather than an approved therapeutic. English-language literature on it grew more slowly and frequently cited the original Russian studies.
当时的短肽研究普遍关注能否穿越血脑屏障、在低剂量下产生中枢效应，Semax 属于这一路线。鼻内给药是其主要使用方式，俄语文献报道的适应症涵盖缺血性卒中、短暂性脑缺血发作、认知功能减退以及视神经病变。这些研究大多发表在当地期刊上，样本规模与终点设置同西方试验惯例存在差异，国际同行对其临床证据的强度看法不一。
各国监管态度分化明显。俄罗斯按处方药管理，部分东欧国家留有使用记录；欧盟与美国未批准其作为药物上市，市面流通品通常标注为研究用化学品。身份差异意味着标示含量、纯度与无菌性缺少统一核查。体育领域还牵涉反兴奋剂名录，跨境携带则受目的地药品法规约束。
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical class | Synthetic heptapeptide | ACTH(4-7) analogue |
| Sequence | Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro | Free N terminus, unmodified side chains |
| Molecular weight | 813.9 Da | Free base; salt forms differ |
| Appearance | White to off-white powder | Lyophilised solid |
| Solubility | Freely soluble in water | Hydrophilic; polar solvents preferred |
Regulatory status varies sharply by country. Semax is registered for medical use in Russia, where it appears in formularies as a nasal solution, and it also holds registration in a small number of neighbouring states. It has no approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration or the European Medicines Agency, and it is not a scheduled controlled substance in most jurisdictions. Elsewhere it circulates mainly as laboratory material, so purity documentation comes from suppliers rather than from a national pharmacopoeia.
Semax is a synthetic peptide created in the Soviet Union during the early 1980s by researchers working in Moscow. It was built from the short adrenocorticotropic hormone fragment known as ACTH(4-10), and the chain was then extended with three additional amino acids. The resulting molecule was named semax and entered clinical use in Russia in 1994. It is generally described as a nootropic and neuroprotective agent rather than as a hormone analogue.
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.
Semax is a synthetic heptapeptide whose sequence is Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro. The first four residues correspond to the ACTH(4-10) fragment, while the terminal Pro-Gly-Pro extension was added to improve metabolic stability. Its molecular formula is C37H51N9O10S and its monoisotopic mass is approximately 813.9 Da. The compound is classified as a peptide research chemical and as a registered pharmaceutical product in Russia, but it does not hold marketing approval in the European Union or the United States. Naming conventions vary across supplier catalogs.
Blumofe (1930), producer of Bound for Glory, nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture Ben Maddow (1930), screenwriter for The Asphalt Jungle, God's Little Acre and The Mephisto Waltz Albert Maltz (1930), screenwriter for Destination Tokyo and one of the Hollywood Ten Arnold M. Auerbach (1932), Primetime Emmy Award-winning American comedy writer William Ludwig (1932), Academy Award-winning screenwriter, Interrupted Melody Martin Manulis (1935), CBS television and movie producer, Days of Wine and Roses, The Best of Broadway, Climax!, Suspense; creator of Playhouse 90; former president of 20th Century Fox Television Charles H. Schneer (1940), film producer known for his collaboration with Ray Harryhausen I.A.L. Diamond (1941), screenwriting partner of Billy Wilder; co-author of Some Like It Hot; co-winner of the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for The Apartment Don M.
The CAP Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the organization and is classified as a 501(c)(3) charitable entity. Its flagship program, See, Test & Treat, partners with hospitals and clinicians to provide free cancer and HPV screening, as well as educational events, to underserved communities. The program served over 900 women in 2017.
=== Journals === ACS Chemical Biology – The new Chemical Biology journal from the American Chemical Society. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry – The Tetrahedron Journal for Research at the Interface of Chemistry and Biology ChemBioChem – A European Journal of Chemical Biology Chemical Biology – A point of access to chemical biology news and research from across RSC Publishing Cell Chemical Biology – An interdisciplinary journal that publishes papers of exceptional interest in all areas at the interface between chemistry and biology. chembiol.com Journal of Chemical Biology – A new journal publishing novel work and reviews at the interface between biology and the physical sciences, published by Springer. link Journal of the Royal Society Interface – A cross-disciplinary publication promoting research at the interface between the physical and life sciences Molecular BioSystems – Chemical biology journal with a particular focus on the interface between chemistry and the -omic sciences and systems biology. Nature Chemical Biology – A monthly multidisciplinary journal providing an international forum for the timely publication of significant new research at the interface between chemistry and biology. Wiley Encyclopedia of Chemical Biology link
Previously, these holes had been explained by the bacterious bone infection Actinomycosis or by intraspecific attacks. A subsequent study found that while trichomoniasis has many attributes of the model proposed, the observed sharp margins with little reactive bone shown by the radiographs of Trichomonas-infected birds are dissimilar to the reactive bone seen in the affected T. rex specimens. Also, trichomoniasis can be very rapidly fatal in birds (14 days or less) albeit in its milder form, and this suggests that if a Trichomonas-like protozoan is the culprit, trichomoniasis was less acute in its non-avian dinosaur form during the Late Cretaceous. Finally, the relative size of this type of lesions is much larger in small bird throats, and may not have been enough to choke a T. rex. A more recent study examining the pathologies concluded that the osseous alteration observed most closely resembles those around healing human cranial trepanations and healing fractures in the Triassic reptile Stagonolepis, in the absence of infection. The possible cause may instead have been intraspecific combat.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
=== Actin and myosin === Muscles contract and stretch via the steerable sliding/grasping of the myosin interacting with actin fibers. Actin consists of two polypeptides in a helix and myosin has a small heart-shaped structure, cross-bridge. The bind and unbind processes of cross-bridge attaching on actin filament help relative movement of these collagens and hence the whole muscle.
== History == Following the 1898 discovery of radium through chemical analysis of radioactive ore, Marie and Pierre Curie observed a new radioactive substance emanating from radium in 1899 that was strongly radioactive for several days. Around the same time, Ernest Rutherford and Robert B. Owens observed a similar (though shorter-lived) emission from thorium compounds. German physicist Friedrich Ernst Dorn extensively studied these emanations in the early 1900s and attributed them to a new gaseous element, radon. In particular, he studied the product in the uranium series, radon-222, which he called radium emanation. In the early 20th century, the element radon was known by several different names. Chemist William Ramsay, who extensively studied the element's chemical properties, suggested the name niton, and Rutherford originally suggested emanation. At that time, radon only referred to the isotope 222Rn, whereas the names actinon and thoron denoted 219Rn and 220Rn, respectively. In 1957, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) promoted the name radon to refer to the element rather than just 222Rn; this was done under a new rule concerning isotope naming conventions. This decision was controversial because it was believed to give undue credit to Dorn's identification of radon-222 over Rutherford's identification of radon-220, and the historical use of the name radon created confusion as to whether the element or the isotope 222Rn was being discussed.
== Medical uses == In the United States, dapagliflozin/saxagliptin/metformin is indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes. In the European Union it is indicated in adults aged 18 years and older with type 2 diabetes:
=== Chinese involvement === Two China based companies were sanctioned by America in 2024 for providing "dual-use materials and components needed to manufacture, maintain, and deploy an arsenal of advanced missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) against U.S. and allied interests." A report by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies stated that the Houthis were using weapons made in China for their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea in exchange for Chinese ships having safe passage through the Sea. Another report from Israel's i24 News stated that China provided the Houthis with "advanced components and guidance equipment" for their missiles. The Institute for the Study of War reported that the Houthis supplement their weaponry through additional arms and dual use components sourced from Russia or China. For example, Yemeni border customs seized 800 Chinese-made drone propellers in a shipment bound for the Houthis, and in August 2024 had also purchased Hydrogen Fuel Cylinders from Chinese suppliers which aimed to increase the range and payloads of the Houthis' drones. According to The Wall Street Journal, the Houthis sent a group from Saada to Beijing to study Mandarin and manage the supply of drones and missile guidance systems from China and Hong Kong to Yemen. According to the United States Department of State, Chinese state-owned Chang Guang Satellite Technology Corporation has provided geospatial intelligence to the Houthis to target U.S. warships in the Red Sea.
=== Cure rate variation === Some of Mohs' data revealed a cure rate as low as 96%, but these were often very large tumors, previously treated by other modalities. Some authors claim that their 5-year cure rate for primary basal-cell cancer exceeded 99% while other noted more conservative cure rate of 97%. The quoted cure rate for Mohs surgery on previously treated basal-cell cancer is about 94%. Reasons for variations in the cure rate include the following.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
=== 1986 === January 1, 1986 – Reagan and Gorbachev give the other's nation a new year's address. February 22–25, 1986 – People Power Revolution successfully overthrows Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines. April 26, 1986 – The Chernobyl Disaster. October 11–12 – The Reykjavik summit.
== Career and research == While a graduate student at the University of Iowa, Sherman also worked in the campus library and as a janitor in addition to his research assistant duties. In 1953, while working as a research associate in the university's Department of Urology, Sherman refined a process that had been developed in 1949 by A.S. Parkes and two British scientists, which involved the use of glycerol to preserve animal sperm during freezing and thawing. Combined with the glycerol method, Sherman introduced slow cooling and use of solid carbon dioxide as a refrigerant during storage. Sherman collaborated on these experiments with urologist Dr. Raymond Bunge, who arranged for Sherman to be hired in the urology department and who was affiliated with the university's new fertility clinic, which had opened in early 1952. Bunge and Sherman had met while Sherman was painting the former's house in another side job. In 1953, three patients at the clinic were impregnated using frozen sperm, with Dr. William Keettel, an obstetrician at the fertility clinic, overseeing the patients. The same year, Sherman established the first sperm cryobank in the world in Iowa City to assist these pregnancies. Bunge and Sherman published their findings first in the Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine and later Nature magazine.
History of nutritional science – progress in general health- and lifespan-related nutritional science List of causes of death by rate – such as R&D on the reduction of environmental toxins Years of potential life lost (YPLL) and Loss of life expectancy (LLE) General medicine and preventive healthcare and interventions against any specific aging-related disease Progress in tools and knowledge that can be used for anti-aging purposes such as CRISPR gene editing General regeneration in humans, organ printing and xenotransplantation progress Research about sustained brain health in general Maintaining health – conventional ways of maintaining and protecting health for life extension Health effects of exercise Neurobiological effects of physical exercise Public health / health policy including environmental policy and consumer protection
=== CaMK2D === CaMK2D appears in both neuronal and non-neuronal cell types. It is characterized particularly in many tumor cells, such as a variety of pancreatic, leukemic, breast and other tumor cells. found that CaMK2D is downregulated in human tumor cells.
=== Natural disasters and conservation === Kennedy has advocated for natural disaster aid for Louisiana to address hurricane damage as a member of the Appropriations Committee. He worked to reform the National Flood Insurance Program because he believes flood insurance is too expensive for coastal communities, including those in Louisiana. In 2023, Kennedy called on FEMA to disclose the algorithm it uses to determine flood insurance prices after premiums increased rapidly under FEMA's Risk Rating 2.0, saying, "Since millions of Louisianians depend on the NFIP to protect their homes from natural disasters, FEMA must come clean about why premiums are skyrocketing under Risk Rating 2.0. In the meantime, my bills would ensure fairer rates for the people of Louisiana." As treasurer, Kennedy believed in investing in coastal restoration and conservation. He worked to ensure that settlement money from the BP oil spill was used for coastal protection and restoration. Kennedy also fought to protect tobacco settlement money that had been allocated toward coastal restoration after the governor proposed using the money to cover other state debts.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
It is a synthetic seven-amino-acid peptide built from the ACTH(4-7) sequence plus a Pro-Gly-Pro tail. It belongs to the family of short ACTH fragments studied for nervous-system effects. Its backbone contains only standard amino acids.
It contains the 4-7 fragment of adrenocorticotropic hormone extended at the C terminus. That truncation removes the region associated with steroidogenic activity. The design intent was to keep neurotrophic properties while avoiding full hormonal effects.
No natural source of the intact heptapeptide is known. It is produced by solid-phase peptide synthesis. Some related ACTH fragments arise as hormone processing products, but the Pro-Gly-Pro extension is a designed addition rather than a natural sequence.
不存在。它是依据 ACTH 的一段序列人工设计的分子，天然蛋白质中找不到与之完全相同的七肽。名称属于研究代号，而非天然物质名。