Brain Blend
Combined cognition and calm formula: Semax and Selank
Brain Blend brings together, in equal parts and in a single pen, the two peptides developed at the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Moscow: Semax, studied for focus, and Selank, studied for anxiety. The 30 mg pen contains 15 mg of each.
In a Russian trial of 62 patients, Selank had an effect on anxiety comparable to that of medazepam, a reference anxiolytic, without sedation (Zozulya, 2008).
Both are approved in Russia as nasal solutions. Semax increases the expression of BDNF, the protein that maintains neurons and their connections, and of its receptor TrkB (Dolotov, 2006).
- Half-life
- Very short in the blood for both; the effects on gene expression and receptors last from hours to days.
- Route
- Subcutaneous injection, a single pen; the Russian trials used the nasal route.
Technical sheet
- Family
- Combined cognition and calm formula: Semax and Selank
- Half-life
- Very short in the blood for both; the effects on gene expression and receptors last from hours to days.
- Route
- Subcutaneous injection, a single pen; the Russian trials used the nasal route.
- Time to effect
- Clarity and calm reported by some the same day or within a few days; the underlying effect is described after one to two weeks.
- Level of evidence
- Laboratory research : In humans: no trial of the blend; Semax and Selank, small Russian trials by the nasal route; under the skin, no trial.
Chemical identity
Semax
- Form
- Synthetic peptide, values for the base form
- CAS No.
- 80714-61-0
Selank
- Form
- Synthetic peptide, values for the base form
- CAS No.
- 129954-34-3
Salt form: as stated on the lot's certificate of analysis.
Semax: focus and plasticity
Derived from a fragment of ACTH without its hormonal effect, Semax increases BDNF and its receptor TrkB in the laboratory, especially in the hippocampus, and modulates dopamine and serotonin. In humans, a Russian trial after ischemic stroke measured a rise in blood BDNF.
Selank: studied for anxiety
Derived from tuftsin, Selank adjusts the sensitivity of GABA-A receptors in the laboratory through allosteric modulation, acts on serotonin, and also stimulates BDNF. In a Russian trial, its effect on anxiety was comparable to that of a reference anxiolytic, without a sedative effect.
Why both in one pen
Semax is studied for focus, Selank for anxiety, and in the lab both increase BDNF and slow the breakdown of enkephalins. The pen delivers them in one injection.
Studied effects and observed timelines
Focus: Semax increases BDNF and modulates dopamine
Days, according to user reports
Anxiety: Selank's effect comparable to medazepam, without sedation, in a 62-patient trial
Days to two weeks, according to user reports
Working memory: BDNF supports the formation of connections in the hippocampus
Weeks
What you may feel
- Reaction at the injection site.
- Mild jitteriness or difficulty falling asleep if taken late in the day (Semax).
- Mild fatigue or drowsiness in the first few days for some users (Selank), although the Russian trials showed no sedative effect.
Stop and consult if
- Marked anxiety or unusual agitation.
- A depressive mood that sets in.
When to abstain
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding.
- A diagnosed psychiatric disorder without medical follow-up, or anxiolytic or antidepressant treatment without your prescriber's advice.
- Uncontrolled epilepsy.
- Minors.
The effects to watch for, and how to reduce them
This sheet is educational. It replaces neither a diagnosis nor follow-up: for any medical condition, pregnancy, breastfeeding or current medication, talk to a health professional.
To avoid
- Alcohol, benzodiazepines, or strong stimulants on the same day: the effects add up.
Each component has small Russian trials, all by the nasal route: recovery after stroke and attention for Semax, generalized anxiety for Selank. Their mechanisms (BDNF, the GABA system) are described mostly in the laboratory.
No trial has tested the blend, or either one under the skin, and none has compared the blend with either one taken alone: the combination rests on the complementarity of their mechanisms and on user reports.
2006 · Dolotov et al., Brain Research
Gene expression in the hippocampus (experimental model)
Semax rapidly increases the expression of BDNF and its receptor TrkB: the basis of its effect on brain plasticity.
2008 · Zozulya et al., Zhurnal Nevrologii i Psikhiatrii
62 patients with generalized anxiety disorder or neurasthenia, nasal Selank compared with medazepam
An effect on anxiety comparable to that of medazepam, a reference anxiolytic, without a sedative effect, plus a stimulating and anti-fatigue effect. The trial studied Selank alone, by the nasal route.
2016 · Volkova et al., Frontiers in Pharmacology
Expression of GABA-system genes (experimental model)
Selank alters the expression of GABA-A receptor subunits and shares a profile of action with benzodiazepines, without being one.
Brain Blend, Semax alone, or Selank alone?
Semax alone is studied for focus, Selank alone for anxiety. The Brain Blend combines both in equal parts, 15 mg of each in a 30 mg pen, in one injection.
Does it replace coffee?
It's not the same lever: coffee acts on adenosine, Semax and Selank on BDNF and the GABA system. Since Semax is described as stimulating, it's best to limit coffee and other stimulants on the same day.
When should you take it?
In the morning, as the protocol provided specifies: Semax can interfere with falling asleep if taken late.
Glossary (5)
- BDNF
- Brain-derived neurotrophic factor: the protein that maintains neurons and their connections.
- GABA
- The main inhibitory neurotransmitter, the brain's “brake.”
- Allosteric modulation
- Action on a receptor through a secondary site, which adjusts its sensitivity without activating it directly.
- Enkephalins
- Small peptides produced by the brain, involved in calm and stress resilience.
- Complete protocol
- A formula that brings several complementary peptides together in a single pen.