Everything below concerns alpha-MSH analogue. We keep the language plain, cite what the science says, and separate well-supported claims from open questions.
Last reviewed on 2025-12-23. Where a claim depends on a specific study, the study is described rather than over-claimed.
Melanocortin receptors comprise five subtypes with distinct tissue distributions and functions. Melanotan-2 is described in the literature as a non-selective agonist that engages several of these subtypes, including MC1R, MC3R, MC4R, and MC5R. MC1R is the subtype most directly linked to melanin production in skin cells. Because the compound is not subtype-selective, its observed effects in experimental settings are generally attributed to activity across multiple receptor pathways rather than to a single target.
Melanotan-2 is a synthetic linear peptide built from seven amino acids arranged in a short chain. Its sequence is commonly written as Ac-Nle-Asp-His-D-Phe-Arg-Trp-Lys-NH2, which includes a modified N-terminus and an amidated C-terminus. The molecule belongs to the melanocortin family and acts as a receptor agonist. Structural features such as the D-phenylalanine residue and the Nle substitution are associated with increased stability against enzymatic degradation relative to the natural parent peptide.
The compound emerged from research programs in the 1980s that examined analogues of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone for pigmentation and photoprotection. Investigators modified the native sequence to extend activity duration and potency. A related analogue, afamelanotide, was developed within the same broad line of inquiry and eventually gained approval in certain jurisdictions for a rare light-sensitivity condition. Melanotan-2 itself did not progress through the same regulatory route and has no approved therapeutic indication.
The peptide acts as a non-selective agonist at melanocortin receptors, showing affinity for MC1R, MC3R, MC4R and MC5R. Activation of MC1R on melanocytes drives the conversion of tyrosine into melanin and shifts production toward the darker eumelanin form. MC4R signalling in the central nervous system is linked to appetite and energy balance, which helps explain why reduced food intake appeared in early human studies. Effects on MC4R and on vascular tone also account for the erectile responses recorded as unexpected findings in those same trials.
Melanotan-2 is frequently confused with afamelanotide, a linear analogue authorised in the European Union for erythropoietic protoporphyria. The two compounds differ in chain length, ring structure and receptor selectivity, so findings for one cannot be transferred directly to the other. Published controlled human data on melanotan-2 remain sparse, and much of what circulates online derives from small studies or unpublished reports. Questions about effect size, dose-response behaviour and long-term safety therefore remain unresolved.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Molecular formula | C50H69N15O9 | Free base; salt forms differ |
| Molecular weight | Approximately 1024 g/mol | Calculated for the free base |
| Appearance | White to off-white powder | Typically supplied as a lyophilised solid |
| Solubility | Soluble in water and polar solvents | Poorly soluble in non-polar solvents |
| Typical storage | -20 degrees Celsius, dry, protected from light | Refers to the solid form |
Early published reports described melanotan-2 as a tanning agent without sun protection, which means darkening is not the same as protection against ultraviolet radiation. Later studies explored the peptide in erectile dysfunction, hemorrhagic shock, and some skin conditions. No regulator in the United States or Europe has approved it for clinical use. Many products labelled melanotan-2 are sold without approval and their identity and purity are unverified. Its long-term safety in humans remains an open question.
Melanotan-2, also written Melanotan II, is a synthetic cyclic heptapeptide designed as an analogue of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone. Its sequence is Ac-Nle-cyclo[Asp-His-D-Phe-Arg-Trp-Lys]-NH2, and the lactam bridge between the aspartate and lysine side chains constrains the peptide into a ring. This structural change increases receptor affinity and metabolic stability relative to the native hormone. The compound was created in the 1980s as a research tool for studying pigmentation biology.
Two structural changes distinguish the synthetic peptide from the natural hormone. A norleucine residue replaces methionine at one position, and a D-configured phenylalanine replaces the natural L-form at another. Both substitutions slow enzymatic breakdown, which extends the molecule's persistence relative to the parent hormone. The lactam bridge further constrains the backbone into a stable conformation. These features are standard design strategies in peptide chemistry and are not unique to this compound; they appear across many research peptides built for improved stability.
The compound was developed in the late 1980s and early 1990s by academic researchers investigating melanocortin signaling and pigmentation. Early work explored whether synthetic analogs could reproduce effects of the natural hormone under controlled conditions. The molecule never advanced through the full regulatory pathway required for approval as a medicine. From the mid-2000s onward it appeared in unregulated consumer markets, often distributed through informal channels. That gap between research origins and commercial availability shapes how the compound is discussed today.
=== Therapy === Weight loss and problems in eating due to dysphagia and other muscle discoordination are common, making nutrition management increasingly important as the disease advances. Thickening agents can be added to liquids, as thicker fluids are easier and safer to swallow. Reminding the affected person to eat slowly and to take smaller pieces of food into the mouth may also be of use to prevent choking. If eating becomes too hazardous or uncomfortable, the option of using a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy is available. This feeding tube, permanently attached through the abdomen into the stomach, reduces the risk of aspirating food and provides better nutritional management. Assessment and management by speech-language pathologists with experience in Huntington's disease is recommended. People with Huntington's disease may see a physical therapist for noninvasive and nonmedication-based ways of managing the physical symptoms. Physical therapists may implement fall risk assessment and prevention, as well as strengthening, stretching, and cardiovascular exercises. Walking aids may be prescribed as appropriate. Physical therapists also prescribe breathing exercises and airway clearance techniques with the development of respiratory problems. Consensus guidelines on physiotherapy in Huntington's disease have been produced by the European HD Network. Goals of early rehabilitation interventions are prevention of loss of function.
=== Cranial leak === Cranial leaks occur in the head, and in some of these cases, CSF can leak from one side of the nose, or from the ear. Intracranial hypertension is often associated with a spontaneous cranial CSF leak, rarely reported with a spinal leak.
==== Membrane filtration ==== Membrane filtration can remove suspended solids and organic components, and inorganic pollutants such heavy metals. For heavy metal removal, several forms of membrane filtration, such as ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, and reverse osmosis, can be used depending on the particle size that can be maintained. Antiscalants can help maintain membrane filtration. Some small molecules can permeate to some extent through membranes.
=== Nonsense mutations === Nearly 11% of all inherited genetic disorders are caused by premature stop codon (nonsense mutations). Notable examples of nonsense mutations that have received extensive research are the CFTR, which causes cystic fibrosis, and dystrophin mutations, which causes Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Recent therapeutic research has focused on forcing readthrough of premature stop codons. This would allow the previously mutated mRNA strand to potentially code for a correctly folded protein. A common method of forcing readthrough is to limit the activity of eRF1 and eRF3. One mechanism proposed limiting the concentrations of eRF1 and eRF3 in the cells, which would theoretically reduce stop codon recognition. However, this mechanism has not been used in therapeutic remedies. Instead the most promising mechanism involves chemical degradation of eRF1 to achieve readthrough. These chemicals are under the branch of drugs called readthrough promoters. The mechanism of readthrough promoters vary, however a common mechanism is to prevent eRF1 from releasing out of the ribosome. This results in a stalled ribosome then finally a collision with another ribosome.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Reincarnation is a paramount tenet in the Druze faith. There is an eternal duality of the body and the soul and it is impossible for the soul to exist without the body. Therefore, reincarnations occur instantly at one's death. While in the Hindu and Buddhist belief system a soul can be transmitted to any living creature, in the Druze belief system this is not possible and a human soul will only transfer to a human body. Furthermore, souls cannot be divided into different or separate parts and the number of souls existing is finite. A male Druze can be reincarnated only as another male Druze and a female Druze only as another female Druze. A Druze cannot be reincarnated in the body of a non-Druze. The cycle of rebirth is continuous and the only way to escape is through a complete soul purification. When this occurs, the soul is united with the Cosmic Mind and achieves the ultimate goal. In the major Christian denominations, the concept of reincarnation is not present and it is nowhere explicitly referred to in the Bible. However, the impossibility of a second earthly death is stated by 1 Peter 3:18–20, where it affirms that the messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, died once forever for the sins of all the human kind. Matthew 14:1–2 mentions that king Herod Antipas took Jesus to be a risen John the Baptist, when introducing the story of John's execution at Herod's orders. Some Christian theologians interpret certain Biblical passages as referring to reincarnation.
== External links == Anatomy Atlases – Microscopic Anatomy, plate 09.175 - "Spleen: Red Pulp" Histology image: 07803loa – Histology Learning System at Boston University - "Lymphoid Tissues and Organs: splenic reticulum"
The clipper sailing ship Dunedin, owned by the New Zealand and Australian Land Company (NZALC), was refitted in 1881 with a Bell-Coleman compression refrigeration machine. This freezer unit worked by compressing air, then releasing it into the hold of the ship. The expanding air absorbed heat as it expanded, cooling the cargo in the hold. Burning three tons of coal a day in the steam engine that ran the compressor, it could lower the temperature of the hold by 40 °F (22 °C) compared to the surrounding air temperature, which froze the cargo in the temperate climate of southern New Zealand and then maintained it below freezing (32 °F, 0 °C) through the tropics. Dunedin's most visible sign of being an unusual ship was the funnel for the refrigeration plant placed between her fore and main masts (sometimes leading her to be mistaken for a steamship which had been common since the 1840s). In February 1882, Dunedin sailed from Port Chalmers, New Zealand, with 4,331 mutton, 598 lamb and 22 pig carcasses, 246 kegs of butter, and hare, pheasant, turkey, chicken and 2,226 sheep tongues. It arrived in London after sailing 98 days with its cargo still frozen. After meeting all costs, the NZALC company made a £4,700 profit from the voyage. Soon after Dunedin's successful voyage, an extensive frozen meat trade from New Zealand and Australia to the UK was developed with over 16 different refrigerated and passenger refrigerated ships built or refitted by 1900 in Scotland and Northern England shipyards for this trade.
=== Clinical safety === Early clinical trials with DMSO were stopped because of questions about its safety, especially its ability to harm the eye. The most commonly reported side effects include headaches and burning and itching on contact with the skin. Strong allergic reactions have been reported. On September 9, 1965, The Wall Street Journal reported that a manufacturer of the chemical warned that the death of an Irish woman after undergoing DMSO treatment for a sprained wrist may have been due to the treatment, although no autopsy was done, nor was a causal relationship established. Clinical research using DMSO was halted and did not begin again until the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) published findings in favor of DMSO in 1972. In 1978, the US FDA approved DMSO for treating interstitial cystitis. In 1980, the US Congress held hearings on claims that the FDA was slow in approving DMSO for other medical uses. In 2007, the US FDA granted "fast track" designation on clinical studies of DMSO's use in reducing brain tissue swelling following traumatic brain injury. DMSO exposure to developing mouse brains can produce brain degeneration. This neurotoxicity could be detected at doses as low as 0.3 mL/kg, a level exceeded in children exposed to DMSO during bone marrow transplant.
==== MeSH D13.444.735 – rna ==== MeSH D13.444.735.130 – rna, algal MeSH D13.444.735.150 – rna, antisense MeSH D13.444.735.150.319 – micrornas MeSH D13.444.735.150.640 – oligoribonucleotides, antisense MeSH D13.444.735.150.700 – rna, small interfering MeSH D13.444.735.300 – rna, archaeal MeSH D13.444.735.473 – rna, bacterial MeSH D13.444.735.476 – rna, chloroplast MeSH D13.444.735.480 – rna, complementary MeSH D13.444.735.490 – rna, double-stranded MeSH D13.444.735.500 – rna, fungal MeSH D13.444.735.520 – rna, helminth MeSH D13.444.735.544 – rna, messenger MeSH D13.444.735.544.355 – codon MeSH D13.444.735.544.355.225 – codon, initiator MeSH D13.444.735.544.355.250 – codon, terminator MeSH D13.444.735.544.355.250.235 – codon, nonsense MeSH D13.444.735.544.500 – rna caps MeSH D13.444.735.544.500.710 – rna cap analogs MeSH D13.444.735.544.527 – rna, messenger, stored MeSH D13.444.735.544.550 – rna splice sites MeSH D13.444.735.544.875 – untranslated regions MeSH D13.444.735.544.875.880 – 3' untranslated regions MeSH D13.444.735.544.875.885 – 5' untranslated regions MeSH D13.444.735.615 – rna, neoplasm MeSH D13.444.735.628 – rna, nuclear MeSH D13.444.735.628.806 – rna, heterogeneous nuclear MeSH D13.444.735.628.818 – rna, small nuclear MeSH D13.444.735.628.818.800 – rna, small nucleolar MeSH D13.444.735.635 – rna, plant MeSH D13.444.735.635.575 – rna, chloroplast MeSH D13.444.735.640 – rna precursors MeSH D13.444.735.650 – rna, protozoan MeSH D13.444.735.686 – rna, ribosomal MeSH D13.444.735.686.650 – rna, ribosomal, 5s MeSH D13.444.735.686.660 – rna, ribosomal, 5.8s MeSH D13.444.735.686.670 – rna, ribosomal, 16s MeSH D13.444.735.686.675 – rna, ribosomal, 18s MeSH D13.444.735.686.680 – rna, ribosomal, 23s MeSH D13.444.735.686.690 – rna, ribosomal, 28s MeSH D13.444.735.686.845 – rna, ribosomal, self-splicing MeSH D13.444.735.721 – rna, satellite MeSH D13.444.735.721.250 – cucumber mosaic virus satellite MeSH D13.444.735.757 – rna, transfer MeSH D13.444.735.757.286 – anticodon MeSH D13.444.735.757.700 – rna, transfer, amino acid-specific MeSH D13.444.735.757.700.050 – rna, transfer, ala MeSH D13.444.735.757.700.075 – rna, transfer, arg MeSH D13.444.735.757.700.085 – rna, transfer, asn MeSH D13.444.735.757.700.090 – rna, transfer, asp MeSH D13.444.735.757.700.200 – rna, transfer, cys MeSH D13.444.735.757.700.400 – rna, transfer, gln MeSH D13.444.735.757.700.410 – rna, transfer, glu MeSH D13.444.735.757.700.420 – rna, transfer, gly MeSH D13.444.735.757.700.450 – rna, transfer, his MeSH D13.444.735.757.700.480 – rna, transfer, ile MeSH D13.444.735.757.700.500 – rna, transfer, leu MeSH D13.444.735.757.700.510 – rna, transfer, lys MeSH D13.444.735.757.700.525 – rna, transfer, met MeSH D13.444.735.757.700.650 – rna, transfer, phe MeSH D13.444.735.757.700.660 – rna, transfer, pro MeSH D13.444.735.757.700.700 – rna, transfer, ser MeSH D13.444.735.757.700.725 – rna, transfer, thr MeSH D13.444.735.757.700.740 – rna, transfer, trp MeSH D13.444.735.757.700.750 – rna, transfer, tyr MeSH D13.444.735.757.700.900 – rna, transfer, val MeSH D13.444.735.757.715 – rna, transfer, amino acyl MeSH D13.444.735.790 – rna, untranslated MeSH D13.444.735.790.099 – micrornas MeSH D13.444.735.790.149 – regulatory sequences, ribonucleic acid MeSH D13.444.735.790.199 – rna, catalytic MeSH D13.444.735.790.400 – rna, guide MeSH D13.444.735.790.530 – rna, small cytoplasmic MeSH D13.444.735.790.537 – rna, small interfering MeSH D13.444.735.790.545 – rna, small nuclear MeSH D13.444.735.790.545.800 – rna, small nucleolar MeSH D13.444.735.790.560 – rna, spliced leader MeSH D13.444.735.790.878 – untranslated regions MeSH D13.444.735.790.878.880 – 3' untranslated regions MeSH D13.444.735.790.878.885 – 5' untranslated regions MeSH D13.444.735.828 – rna, viral
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Pollard MR, Anderson L, Fan C, Hawkins DJ, Davies HM (1991). "A specific acyl-ACP thioesterase implicated in medium-chain fatty acid production in immature cotyledons of Umbellularia californica". Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 284 (2): 306–12. doi:10.1016/0003-9861(91)90300-8. PMID 1989513. Davies HM, Anderson L, Fan C, Hawkins DJ (1991). "Developmental induction, purification, and further characterization of 12:0-ACP thioesterase from immature cotyledons of Umbellularia californica". Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 290 (1): 37–45. doi:10.1016/0003-9861(91)90588-A. PMID 1898097.
He followed this result with a semifinals showing in Beijing, losing to Danill Medvedev in their 5th meeting of the year. Unable to maintain his form, he lost in the second round of the Shanghai Masters against Roman Safiullin, where he was the defending finalist from 2019, and lost to Jordan Thompson in Tokyo. During the European indoor hardcourt season, Zverev made the quarterfinals in Vienna before losing to Andrey Rublev in three sets and reached the third round in Paris, losing to Stefanos Tsitsipas. Despite this, he qualified for the ATP Finals for the first time since 2021. At the event, he was drawn in the red group and defeated Carlos Alcaraz in three sets and Andrey Rublev in straight sets whilst losing to Medvedev. He failed to qualify for the semifinals after Alcaraz and Medvedev were more successful in terms of win-loss percentage in sets, ending his 2023 season.
All over the land of Rus', i.e., among the Cossacks, we have noticed a remarkable feature which made us marvel; all of them, with the exception of only a few among them, even the majority of their wives and daughters, can read and know the order of the church-services as well as the church melodies. Besides that, their priests take care and educate the orphans, not allowing them to wander in the streets ignorant and unattended.
This phenomenon was used in the design of light meters and similar devices. Selenium's semiconductor properties found numerous other applications in electronics. The development of selenium rectifiers began during the early 1930s, and these replaced copper oxide rectifiers because they were more efficient. These lasted in commercial applications until the 1970s, following which they were replaced with less expensive and even more efficient silicon rectifiers. Selenium came to medical notice later because of its toxicity to industrial workers. Selenium was also recognized as an important veterinary toxin, which is seen in animals that have eaten high-selenium plants. In 1954, the first hints of specific biological functions of selenium were discovered in microorganisms by biochemist, Jane Pinsent. It was discovered to be essential for mammalian life in 1957. In the 1970s, it was shown to be present in two independent sets of enzymes. This was followed by the discovery of selenocysteine in proteins. During the 1980s, selenocysteine was shown to be encoded by the codon UGA. The recoding mechanism was worked out first in bacteria and then in mammals (see SECIS element).
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
No. Melanotan-2 is manufactured synthetically. The naturally occurring peptide in the same family is alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, which the body produces as part of normal endocrine and neural signalling.
Both are synthetic analogues derived from the same parent hormone. Reference descriptions usually characterise afamelanotide as more selective for the MC1R subtype, whereas melanotan-2 is reported to interact with a wider range of melanocortin receptors.
Early studies explored melanocortin signalling and pigmentation, which later led to informal use of the label tanning peptide. That label is not a regulatory category and does not imply approved status for any purpose.
It is a synthetic cyclic heptapeptide modelled on alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone. A lactam bridge links two side chains, forming a ring that stabilises the molecule against proteolysis. It belongs to the broader melanocortin peptide family.