Selank is a synthetic heptapeptide analog of the endogenous immunomodulatory tetrapeptide tuftsin (Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg), developed in Russia at the Institute of Molecular Genetics. With the sequence Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro, Selank was designed to combine tuftsin-like biological activity with enhanced metabolic stability, as the Pro-Gly-Pro C-terminal extension confers resistance to proteolytic degradation.
In laboratory and preclinical research, Selank has been investigated for its effects on anxiolytic-like behavior in animal models, as well as for its interactions with the GABAergic system, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression, and enkephalin metabolism. Research has also examined its putative immunomodulatory properties in the context of its tuftsin-derived sequence.
Selank represents a research model for studying the intersection of neuropeptide pharmacology and immune modulation, and has served as a tool in preclinical neuroscience to probe anxiety-related circuitry and peptidergic modulation of CNS function.