Semax

What Is Semax ?

Semax is a synthetic derivative of adrenocorticotrophic hormone. Research suggests that it can increase BDNF and may help improve immune function, protect neurons, and improve cardiovascular function. It may also be beneficial in pain control and blood clotting.
Semax, which was developed in Russia, has been found to have benefit in the settings of stroke, cognitive impairment, dementia, and inflammation of the optic nerve. It has also been tested as a potential immune system booster and has been found to have antidepressant and anxiolytic properties as well. Research shows that Semax increases levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the central nervous system as well as levels of serotonin and dopamine.

Sequence: Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro
Molecular Formula: C37H51N9O10S
Molecular Weight: 813.92 g/mol
CAS Number: 80714-61-0
Synonyms: Pro-Gly-Pro-ACTH

Semax Affects Resting Brain Structure
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) shows that Semax enhances the activity of the default mode network in the brain. The default mode network is a group of brain areas that are more active when you’re resting than when you’re focused on a specific task. Scientists don’t fully understand this network, but recent studies suggest it helps with social thinking and keeping track of what’s happening around you. It acts like a background system that monitors the world when you’re not concentrating on something specific. This makes it important for attention, as it helps shift your brain from a relaxed state to a focused one, especially for events involving other people. In fact, problems with the default mode network are often seen in conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, which supports its role in social awareness.
By increasing activity in the default mode network, Semax makes you more alert and aware of your surroundings, especially in social settings, even when you’re at rest. This can make you feel more focused and attentive. In other words, Semax may improve the brain’s ability to monitor the environment and switch from a resting state to a focused one.
Additionally, higher activity in the default mode network is often linked to stronger connections between different parts of the brain. These connections are associated with better problem-solving, improved memory, and increased creativity. While no studies directly prove that Semax has these effects, it’s possible that the peptide could enhance brain connections, leading to improved overall brain function.
Semax in the Setting of Stroke
Semax is used in Russia for the treatment of acute cerebral hypoxia, such as would be the case with stroke or traumatic brain injury. Research in rats has found Semax stimulates a number of molecular mechanisms involved in gene transcription in the central nervous system (CNS). In concrete terms, Semax stimulates changes in the expression of 24 different genes related to blood vessels function in the brain and spinal cord. These genes regulate everything from smooth muscle cell migration to red blood cell formation and the generation of new blood vessels. This correlation may explain why Semax has shown neuroprotective properties in the setting of stroke. It appears that the peptide promotes the survival of neurons, stabilizes mitochondria and thus energy production, and improves the supply of nutrition to the brain.
Research carried out in Russia on patients involved in rehabilitation following a stroke indicates that the Semax accelerates the rate at which function returns and results in greater overall level of function at the completion of therapy. According to Gusev et. al., “early rehabilitation and administration of Semax increase BDNF plasma levels, speed functional recovery, and improve motor performance.”
BDNF is a natural brain peptide that stimulates learning and memory. It is possible that Semax, by stimulating BDNF, improves neuroplasticity in the brain and makes it easier for undamaged regions of the brain to learn tasks that were previously the responsibility of the damaged regions. Semax also activates the default mode network, as mentioned above, which is a critical component of resting attention and social function.
Semax and Gene Expression in the Brain
The changes to gene expression in the brain secondary to Semax are not only seen in the setting of stroke. Research in healthy rats has indicated that a single intranasal administration of Semax can have an effect on a number of different genes in both the hippocampus and frontal cortex. This is significant because the hippocampus plays critical roles in memory and learning while the frontal cortex is important in concentration, planning, and organizing information. In both tissues, gene expression is seen within 20 minutes of Semax administration and has particularly potent effects on nerve growth factor (NGF) and BDNF. As is explained in the following section, the impact of Semax on genes in regions of the brain dedicated to concentration, learning, and executive function is one reason that researchers speculate that the peptide could open up channels for exploring how we learn and process information. There is even hope that Semax can help us understand how to improve cognition and make learning easier and more permanent for everyone.
Semax and Cognitive Performance
There is reason to believe that Semax is an effective means of boosting learning and memory, particularly in individuals suffering from neurological impairment of these functions. According to research out of Canada, the United States, and China, ACTH, the natural protein on which Semax is based, protects learning and memory function in mouse models of epilepsy. The protein has long been used in the treatment of epileptic disorders as a first-line defense against development arrest or regression.
According to Dr. Scantlebury, Semax is a very effective derivative of ACTH and may offer benefits that the natural peptide does not. Though more research needs to be done, he points out that ACTH, even at low doses, can prevent learning and memory dysfunction in the setting of seizure. This may, in turn, suggest that ACTH and Semax have nootropic properties and that they may be able to not only offset learning and memory deficits in the setting of disease, but may also boost cognitive performance if administered regularly and in low doses.
Semax and Depression
Research in mice has shown that increasing levels of BDNF can help to regulate the function of the brain in the setting of depression. Current antidepressants, like SSRIs, tend to indirectly affect serotonin signaling in the brain to achieve an effect, but several weeks of treatment are often required before any effect is seen. For years, this has presented a paradox to scientists who study brain chemistry because the effects should be much more immediate. Now, it appears, thanks to insight gained from Semax and other BDNF stimulating proteins, that SSRIs may take a long time to work because their actual therapeutic effect is related to their ability to increase BDNF levels and thus stimulate neurogenesis in the depressed brain. If this is true, it opens up an entirely new way of understanding depression and its treatment. According to Deltheil et. al., there is good reason to thank that combining BDNF stimulators, like Semax, with SSRI treatment could vastly improve efficacy and make it easier to treat depression. Of course, a great deal of research needs to be done to determine if these results can be replicated and extended.