Selank Neuroprotective Properties Investigated in New Animal Model

A research group has published findings from an animal study investigating the neuroprotective properties of Selank in a rodent model of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). The study, published in a neuropharmacology journal, adds to the body of preclinical evidence for this synthetic peptide analogue of the naturally occurring immunomodulatory peptide tuftsin.

Selank (Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro) was developed at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences and has been approved in Russia as an anxiolytic nasal spray. However, it has not been evaluated by regulatory agencies in the US, UK, EU, Australia, or Canada, and remains an unapproved research compound in these jurisdictions.

The study used a controlled cortical impact model in adult male rats to simulate mild traumatic brain injury. Animals received Selank (300 mcg/kg intranasal, daily for 14 days post-injury) or vehicle control. Behavioural assessments included the elevated plus maze for anxiety-like behaviour, the Morris water maze for spatial learning and memory, and the novel object recognition test for recognition memory.

Results showed that Selank-treated animals demonstrated reduced anxiety-like behaviour and improved performance on spatial memory tasks compared to vehicle-treated controls at 14 and 28 days post-injury. Histological analysis revealed lower levels of neuroinflammatory markers (IL-1beta, TNF-alpha) and reduced astrocyte activation in the hippocampus and cortex of Selank-treated animals.

The authors acknowledge several limitations: the study used only male animals, the mTBI model does not perfectly replicate human concussion, and the intranasal delivery method and dosing may not translate directly to human pharmacokinetics. They conclude that while the results are encouraging for further preclinical investigation, no conclusions about clinical efficacy in humans can be drawn from this study.