What Is Semax?

Semax is a synthetic heptapeptide (Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro) derived from an ACTH(4–7) fragment extended by Pro-Gly-Pro. It has been examined in lab settings for effects on neural pathways and enzyme interactions, and its sequence/chemistry are well described in the peptide literature. (Reference: Magrì et al., 2016)

What Is N-Acetyl Semax Amidate?

N-Acetyl Semax Amidate (often written Ac-Semax-NH₂) features the same seven-amino-acid backbone as Semax but with N-terminal acetylation and C-terminal amidation. These terminal caps are common peptide modifications explored to affect stability and handling in experimental systems. (Reference: Magrì et al., 2016)

How Do They Differ Chemically?

• Backbone: Identical sequence (MEHFPGP). (Reference: Magrì et al., 2016)

• Termini: Semax has free N- and C-termini; N-Acetyl Semax Amidate is acetylated (N-cap) and amidated (C-cap), a change often investigated to influence enzymatic susceptibility and physicochemical behavior in assays. (Reference: Magrì et al., 2016)

How Have They Been Studied in Research?

Semax (foundational studies): Early work characterized sequence, enzyme sensitivity, and degradation pathways in blood/serum, indicating prominent roles for aminopeptidases in N-terminal cleavage of Semax and related fragments. (Reference: Potaman et al., 1991; 1993) (link 2)

N-Acetyl Semax Amidate (terminally modified analog): Acetylating Semax’s N-terminus alters metal-ion coordination and downstream properties in vitro; this has been used as a model to study how terminal capping can change peptide behavior in cell and coordination assays. (Reference: Magrì et al., 2016)

Delivery/stability context (literature overview): Reviews of intranasal peptide research and peptide-delivery strategies note terminal modifications (including N-acetylation) and formulation approaches as ways to explore stability during experimental handling; some reports specifically mention acetylated Semax among promising candidates for such work. (Reference: Shevchenko et al., 2019)

Advantages in Laboratory Context

1. Defined Backbone With a Well-Documented Parent Peptide

   Semax’s sequence and degradation pathways are described across multiple studies, providing a clear baseline for comparative experiments. (Reference: Potaman et al., 1991; 1993) (link 2)

2. Terminal Modifications Enable Controlled Comparisons

   Using N-Acetyl Semax Amidate allows researchers to isolate the impact of capping on coordination chemistry or assay stability without changing the primary sequence. (Reference: Magrì et al., 2016)

3. Method Development

   Reviews highlight terminal modification as one of several knobs (alongside carriers and excipients) for exploring peptide handling and recovery in in vitro or model-delivery setups. (Reference: Shevchenko et al., 2019)

Limitations to Keep in Mind

• Enzymatic Susceptibility (Parent Peptide): Semax is susceptible to aminopeptidases and other enzymes; experimental design often accounts for this during incubations or biological-media exposure. (Reference: Potaman et al., 1991; 1993) (link 2)

• Altered Interactions (Modified Analog): N-terminal acetylation can change metal-binding modes and related readouts, so results may diverge from the parent peptide in specific assays. (Reference: Magrì et al., 2016)

• Heterogeneous Literature Footing: Semax has a longer publication history than its acetyl-amidated analog; direct head-to-head datasets are comparatively limited in the public literature. (Reference: overview across sources above)

References

• Magrì, A., et al. (2016). Influence of the N-terminus acetylation of Semax (ACTH(4–10) analog) on copper(II) and zinc(II) coordination and biological properties. Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry.

• Potaman, V.N., et al. (1991). N-terminal degradation of ACTH(4–10) and its synthetic analog Semax by rat blood enzymes. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications.

• Potaman, V.N., et al. (1993). Degradation of ACTH/MSH(4–10) and its synthetic analog Semax by rat serum enzymes: an inhibitor study. Peptides.

• Glazova, N.Y., et al. (2005). Effect of modification of the N-terminal region of Semax on the expression of nootropic effect of Semax analogs. Biology Bulletin.

• Shevchenko, K.V., et al. (2019). Prospects for intranasal delivery of neuropeptides to the brain. Pharmaceutical Chemistry Journal (translated).

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