This is a working overview of ACTH(4–10), written for readers who want more than a one-paragraph summary but less than a textbook.
This page was last updated on 2025-12-24 and is reviewed periodically as new material appears.
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.
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.
常规纯度与身份确认依赖反相高效液相色谱，并辅以质谱测定分子量。氨基酸组成分析可用于验证序列构成，肽图分析则能进一步定位修饰或降解产物。杂质谱通常关注缺失序列肽、截短片段和氧化产物。不同方法的检出限并不相同，因此各实验室报告的纯度数值不宜直接横向比较。
多数实验室与市售的 Semax 以冻干粉形式提供。冻干粉通常建议保存在 -20 °C 或更低温度下，同时避免光照与反复升温。短期运输有时采用冷藏条件，但长期保存仍以冷冻为主。分包操作应尽量减少开盖次数，以降低吸湿和微生物污染的风险。开封后若未一次用完，建议在干燥环境中密封并尽快放回低温储存。
溶液状态的稳定性明显低于冻干粉。肽类在水溶液中可能经历水解、氧化与聚集，其中甲硫氨酸和天冬酰胺等残基常是敏感位点。Semax 含有甲硫氨酸，因此氧化风险相对突出。工作液一般主张现配现用，或冷藏并在数日内用尽。缓冲液种类、pH 和离子强度都会影响降解速率，而关于最佳条件的公开数据并不统一。
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical class | Synthetic heptapeptide (ACTH fragment analog) | Not a steroid; does not belong to the melanocortin agonist drugs by marketing category |
| Molecular formula | C37H51N9O10S (commonly cited) | Reported values vary slightly with salt and counter-ion content |
| Appearance | White to off-white lyophilized powder | A single batch may appear as a loose cake or fluffy solid |
| Solubility | Freely soluble in water and aqueous buffer | Stock solutions are usually prepared in sterile water or saline |
| Typical storage | −20 °C or below, desiccated and protected from light | Seal opened vials promptly to limit moisture uptake |
The compound was developed in the 1980s at the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Moscow, where it emerged from research on short ACTH fragments and their effects on the central nervous system. Russian pharmaceutical listings describe it as a nootropic and neuroprotective agent, most often formulated as nasal drops. It is not a marketed medicine in the United States or the European Union, and no pharmacopoeial monograph covers it. Consequently, most published clinical experience with the substance originates from a small number of research centres, mainly in Russia and neighbouring countries.
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.
Lyophilized material is chemically stable for extended periods when kept dry, cold, and protected from light. The powder is hygroscopic, so vials should be warmed to room temperature before opening to reduce condensation on the contents. Once dissolved, the peptide is far less stable because peptide bonds are susceptible to hydrolysis and the methionine residue can oxidize. Solutions are typically aliquoted and held at 2-8 °C for short intervals or frozen for longer ones, and repeated freeze-thaw cycles should be avoided.
Routine characterization relies on reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography to establish purity and on mass spectrometry to confirm molecular identity. Electrospray ionization and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization are both used for mass verification. Amino acid analysis and peptide mapping can detect sequence errors. Common impurities include truncated sequences, methionine sulfoxide formed by oxidation, and deamidated products. Chromatograms are usually recorded near 214 nm, where the peptide backbone absorbs, and purity is reported as the percentage area of the principal peak.
== Research == Some of Patton's earliest research in collaboration with D. V. Josephson revealed that a change in methionine in milk was responsible for the off flavor produced when milk is exposed to light. In other of his early work Patton discovered that malonic dialdehyde is a product of lipid oxidation and the basic reactant in the thiobarbituric acid and Kreis tests for lipid oxidation. One of the first to use gas chromatography, mass spectrometry and thin layer chromatography in flavor research, Patton proved, using these techniques, that methyl sulfide is a key component in the flavor of milk, methods his student Allen Day, who went on to become vice-president for research at IFF, put to good use. At Penn State, "in the 1960s and 1970s, Patton would lead a departmental redirection into lipid research with important insights on mammary gland milk fat synthesis,” but he attributed the turn in his research from the characterization of milk lipids to milk synthesis and secretions to Robert McCarthy. Patton's research in this area is summarized in Biomedical Aspects of Lactation. While lipid research continued to be a focus of Patton's investigations on the various expeditions he participated on with Andrew Benson, (for example, the importance of triglyceride in the salmon's heart function; the chemical characterization of unique lipids in marine animals), an investigation that demonstrated the high food value of the red tide organism (the phytoplankton bloom), remains under explored.
Because lichens accumulate pollutants over time, they allow for high-density spatial sampling, even in areas lacking automated monitoring stations. This makes X. parietina particularly useful for retrospective pollution assessments and long-term environmental monitoring. Findings from the Adriatic Italy study support its role as a reliable tool for tracking pollution trends, identifying pollutant sources, and informing environmental planning and public health strategies. Environmental influences on growth rate have important implications for biomonitoring studies that use X. parietina to assess air quality. Because the lichen accumulates pollutants over time, differences in growth rates between populations can affect pollutant load measurements. Thalli in humid, cooler environments may accumulate contaminants at a lower rate than those in drier, warmer habitats simply due to differences in growth and dilution effects. Consequently, lichen-based biomonitoring efforts must consider local climatic conditions to ensure accurate comparisons of atmospheric pollution levels across regions.
Icotrokinra, sold under the brand name Icotyde, is a medication used for the treatment of plaque psoriasis. It is a cyclic peptide that functions as a selective interleukin 23 (IL-23) receptor antagonist. It is a synthetic peptide that binds selectively to the IL-23 receptor (IL-23R) with high affinity and competitively antagonizes the binding of IL-23. It is an immunosuppressant and interleukin inhibitor. It is being developed by Johnson & Johnson. Icotrokinra was approved for medical use in the United States in March 2026.
The ILEA also ran a watersports centre at Greenland Dock in Bermondsey, and the Centre For Life Studies, a training centre for biologists in secondary education, at London Zoo; and funded the zoological collections Horniman Museum in Forest Hill, south London, and the Geffrye Museum, now the Museum of the Home, in Hoxton. The ILEA also had its own boarding school at Wolverstone Hall, near Ipswich in Suffolk.
First, in a series of Commission decisions, Google and Amazon were fined for competition violations. In the Google Shopping case, the Commission fined Google €2.4 billion for giving preference to its own shopping results over others in Google's search, leading to huge increases in traffic for Google over rivals. In the Google Android case the Commission fined Alphabet Inc (by then Google's rebranded parent name) €4.34 billion, or 4.5% of worldwide turnover, for paying phone manufacturers to pre-install its apps, such as Google search or Chrome, as a condition to license its app marketplace Google Play. In the Google AdSense case, the Commission fined Google €1.49 billion for stopping third-party websites displaying their adverts in Google's embedded search widgets, given that it was dominant in the ad market, and unfairly excluding competitors from results. In the Amazon Marketplace case an investigation for abuse of dominant position was launched for Amazon using other traders' data to benefit its own retail business, and preferencing itself in its "Buy Box" and in access to "Prime" seller status. This was settled after Amazon committed in 2022 "not to use non-public data relating to, or derived from, the independent sellers' activities on its marketplace, for its retail business", and to not discriminate against third parties in its Buy Box and Prime services. The Digital Markets Act codifies many of these standards.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
=== Signaling cascade === Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) is released by projections of the hypothalamus into the anterior pituitary gland. Gonadotrophs are stimulated to produce follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), which are released into the bloodstream to act upon the ovaries. Luteinizing hormone serves to directly stimulate theca cells. Together, these organs comprise the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis (HPG axis). Within the ovaries, the LH receptor (a G protein-coupled receptor) binds to LH in the bloodstream, and the signal is transduced to the interior of theca cells through the action of the second messenger cAMP and third messenger protein kinase A (PKA). Theca cells are then stimulated to produce the androgen, androstenedione, which is sent in a paracrine fashion to neighboring granulosa cells for conversion into estrone and eventually estradiol.
Interstitial fibrosis, which is nonspecific, having been described in congestive heart failure, hypertension, and normal aging. Subepicardial fibrosis, which is associated with non-infarction diagnoses such as myocarditis and non-ischemic cardiomyopathy.
Liquid helium below its lambda point (called helium II) exhibits very unusual characteristics. Due to its high thermal conductivity, when it boils, it does not bubble but rather evaporates directly from its surface. Helium-3 also has a superfluid phase, but only at much lower temperatures; as a result, less is known about the properties of the isotope.
== Clinical correlation == Nerve entrapment is a complex lesion involving the multiple tissue types in a fascicle. There may be mixed lesions where individual tissue lesions contribute to the whole of the symptoms. Tissue injury may contribute to positive and/or negative symptoms, which can be attributed to the loss of nerve function and the hyperexcitability of nerve tissue. Additionally, nerve fibers may be differently affected by compression/ischema depending on their size, location and topography. Studies on human tissues have no found a clear correlation between the amount of structural damage to a nerve and the degree of symptoms. Patients can have significant symptoms without nerve fiber changes.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
After a few warmup gigs throughout the Bay Area in 1969, Dawson, Nelson, and Torbert began to tour in May 1970 as part of a tripartite bill advertised as "An Evening with the Grateful Dead". An acoustic Grateful Dead set that often included contributions from Dawson and Nelson would then segue into New Riders and electric Dead sets, obviating the need to hire external opening acts. By the time the New Riders recorded their first album, there were several personnel changes. Hart temporarily left the Grateful Dead in February 1971. Although Hart contributed to two tracks on the album, former Jefferson Airplane drummer Spencer Dryden replaced him in the New Riders prior to his departure from the parent group. Dryden would remain with the group for ten years, ultimately serving as the band's manager. Their first album, eponymously titled was released on Columbia Records (under a contract informed by Clive Davis's long-term aspiration to sign the Grateful Dead) in late 1971. It proved to be a moderate success comparable to the Dead's releases of the era, peaking at No. 39 on the Billboard 200 chart. Entirely composed by Dawson (in comparison to the more egalitarian songwriting of later releases), the record was driven by Garcia's pedal-steel playing. With the New Riders desiring to become more of a self-sufficient group and Garcia needing to focus on his other responsibilities, the musician parted ways with the group in November 1971. Seasoned pedal steel player Buddy Cage was recruited from Ian and Sylvia's Great Speckled Bird to replace Garcia.
Paracetamol is available in oral, suppository, and intravenous forms. Intravenous paracetamol is sold under the brand name Ofirmev in the United States. In some formulations, paracetamol is combined with the opiate codeine, sometimes referred to as co-codamol (BAN) and Panadeine in Australia. In the U.S., this combination is available only by prescription. As of 1 February 2018, medications containing codeine also became prescription-only in Australia. Paracetamol is also combined with other opioids such as dihydrocodeine, referred to as co-dydramol (British Approved Name (BAN)), oxycodone or hydrocodone. Another very commonly used analgesic combination includes paracetamol in combination with propoxyphene napsylate. A combination of paracetamol, codeine, and the doxylamine succinate is also available. Paracetamol is also available combined with butalbital and caffeine as a treatment for tension and migraine headaches. Paracetamol is sometimes combined with phenylephrine hydrochloride. Sometimes a third active ingredient, such as ascorbic acid, caffeine, chlorpheniramine maleate, or guaifenesin is added to this combination.
Such arrangements are less common than a random distribution of orientations would suggest, suggesting that this pattern is less stable than the anti-parallel arrangement, however bioinformatic analysis always struggles with extracting structural thermodynamics since there are always numerous other structural features present in whole proteins. Also proteins are inherently constrained by folding kinetics as well as folding thermodynamics, so one must always be careful in concluding stability from bioinformatic analysis. The hydrogen bonding of β-strands need not be perfect, but can exhibit localized disruptions known as β-bulges. The hydrogen bonds lie roughly in the plane of the sheet, with the peptide carbonyl groups pointing in alternating directions with successive residues; for comparison, successive carbonyls point in the same direction in the alpha helix.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
It is a short synthetic peptide built from seven amino acids: methionine, glutamic acid, histidine, phenylalanine and three prolines. The sequence derives from the 4-10 fragment of adrenocorticotropic hormone with an added proline-glycine-proline tail. No plant or animal extract is involved; the material is produced by solid-phase peptide synthesis.
It was developed in the Soviet Union during the early 1980s by groups at the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Moscow. Russian approval for intranasal use followed, and it has been marketed there since. Western laboratories encountered it mainly through translated literature and, later, through online research-chemical trade.
It holds a Russian registration as a prescription nasal product but has no approval from the European Medicines Agency or the United States Food and Drug Administration. Buyers outside Russia usually receive material sold strictly for laboratory research. That distinction matters because research-grade and pharmaceutical-grade products carry different documentation and testing expectations.
一般不建议常温长期保存。多数说明指向 -20 °C 冷冻避光。常温运输通常被视为短期可接受，但会加快降解风险。