If you have been reading about alpha-MSH analog and want a single page that covers the useful parts, this is it: definitions, context, how it is studied, and the questions that come up repeatedly.
Last reviewed on 2026-03-24. Where a claim depends on a specific study, the study is described rather than over-claimed.
Published pharmacokinetic information is limited and comes mainly from small studies rather than registrational trials. Plasma half-life is usually described as short, on the order of tens of minutes, followed by rapid tissue distribution and clearance of the intact peptide. Metabolites and low concentrations of parent compound have been reported in urine, a detail relevant to anti-doping and forensic testing. Whether repeated exposure changes receptor sensitivity or clearance over time remains an open question. Values differ noticeably between analytical assays, so published numbers should be read as approximate rather than definitive.
Melanotan II is a synthetic cyclic heptapeptide with the sequence Ac-Nle-cyclo[Asp-His-D-Phe-Arg-Trp-Lys]-NH2, corresponding to a molecular formula of C50H69N15O9 and a monoisotopic mass near 1024 daltons. It was designed as a structural analogue of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, a peptide hormone produced by cleavage of proopiomelanocortin. A lactam bridge between the aspartate and lysine side chains closes the ring, and the C-terminal amide removes a free carboxyl group. Both modifications increase resistance to enzymatic degradation compared with the linear parent hormone. Four substitutions distinguish it from afamelanotide, the linear analogue studied under the name melanotan I.
Receptor-binding studies classify melanotan II as a non-selective melanocortin agonist. It interacts with MC1R, MC3R, MC4R and MC5R, with reported affinities in the low nanomolar range and no strong subtype preference. Activation of MC1R on dermal melanocytes shifts pigment synthesis toward eumelanin, the dark polymer deposited in melanosomes and transferred to keratinocytes. Because the same peptide engages MC4R in the hypothalamus, it also appears in animal work on food intake and erectile response, which is why it is discussed in both pigment and metabolic research. Which receptor populations dominate after systemic exposure in humans is not fully established.
Outside regulated medicine, melanotan II circulates through online vendors as a research chemical, often marketed for tanning. Products sold this way vary widely in purity, concentration, and labeling accuracy, and independent testing has documented discrepancies. Published reports describe both pigment effects and adverse reactions, including nausea, flushing, and darkening of existing moles. Long-term safety data are sparse, and no large controlled trial has established a risk profile. Questions about cumulative effects on melanocytes remain unresolved in the literature.
Melanotan II is a synthetic peptide analog modeled on alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, a naturally occurring signaling peptide involved in pigmentation. Its structure is a cyclic heptapeptide containing two non-natural substitutions, norleucine at position four and D-phenylalanine at position seven. These modifications resist enzymatic breakdown and extend the molecule's activity relative to the native hormone. The compound binds melanocortin receptors and is studied mainly as a pharmacological tool rather than a therapeutic product. It has never received approval as a medicine in any major jurisdiction.
The compound was developed in the late 1980s and 1990s by academic researchers investigating photoprotection. The rationale held that stimulating melanin production might reduce ultraviolet damage to skin and lower skin cancer risk. Early work examined receptor binding, pigment response, and short-term tolerability in small studies. That program did not produce an approved drug, and formal development stalled after early-phase trials. Whether induced pigmentation confers meaningful photoprotection remains an open question.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Molecular formula | C50H69N15O9 | Cyclic heptapeptide, C-terminally amidated |
| Approximate molecular mass | 1024 Da | Monoisotopic mass of the free peptide |
| Appearance | White to off-white powder | Typically supplied as a lyophilised solid |
| Solubility class | Soluble in water and polar solvents | Also dissolves in neutral aqueous buffer |
| Common synonyms | Melanotan II, MT-II, MT-2 | Described as a melanocortin agonist in early literature |
Melanocytes are the pigment-producing cells of the skin, and they carry melanocortin-1 receptors on their surface. When the receptor is activated, cyclic adenosine monophosphate rises inside the cell and raises the activity of enzymes such as tyrosinase, which increases melanin output. Melanotan-2 binds melanocortin-1 receptors in vitro and in animal models, and this binding is generally described as the basis for the tanning effect. Other receptors account for different effects: melanocortin-4 receptors contribute to appetite and erectile signalling, while melanocortin-3 and melanocortin-5 receptors contribute to energy balance and exocrine function.
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.
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Prokinetic agents (e.g. domperidone) Anti-cholinergic agents (e.g. orphenadrine) Evidence suggests that opioid-inclusive anaesthesia is associated with postoperative nausea and vomiting. Patients with chronic pain using opioids had small improvements in pain and physically functioning and increased risk of vomiting.
== Immobilization == See Immobilized enzyme for more information. There are several reasons for immobilizing an enzyme. In addition to more convenient handling of the enzyme, it provides for its facile separation from the product, thereby minimizing or eliminating protein contamination of the product. Immobilization also facilitates the efficient recovery and re-use of costly enzymes, in many applications a conditio sine qua non for economic viability, and enables their use in continuous, fixed-bed operation. A further benefit is often enhanced stability, under both storage and operational conditions, e.g. towards denaturation by heat or organic solvents or by autolysis. Enzymes are rather delicate molecules that can easily lose their unique three-dimensional structure, essential for their activity, by denaturation (unfolding). Improved enzyme performance via enhanced stability, over a broad pH and temperature range as well as tolerance towards organic solvents, coupled with repeated re-use is reflected in higher catalyst productivities (kg product/kg enzyme) which, in turn, determine the enzyme costs per kg product. Basically, three traditional methods of enzyme immobilization can be distinguished: binding to a support(carrier), entrapment (encapsulation) and cross-linking. Support binding can be physical, ionic, or covalent in nature. However, physical bonding is generally too weak to keep the enzyme fixed to the carrier under industrial conditions of high reactant and product concentrations and high ionic strength.
=== Health experiences === Trans people report multiple negative experiences in health care encounters, contributing to stigmatization of their gender identity. A systematic review conducted by researchers at James Cook University reported that 75.3% of respondents have negative experiences during physician visits when seeking gender identity-based care. Transgender patients also face obstacles to accessing health care that result in adverse effects on their health and quality of life. These include unsafe public spaces, lack of knowledgeable health care professionals, discrimination while accessing care, lack of institutional support, long distances to access treatment, and denial of health care services and health insurance benefits. These often result in trans people avoiding or delaying health care. Trans patients may also avoid treatment as a result of their gender identities being treated as psychological illnesses, or because they fear "discrimination and suboptimal or inappropriate care" as a result of disclosing their gender identities. For instance, after a transgender man seeking medical care in the emergency department was verbally assaulted by the hospital employees, who repeatedly referred to him as a woman, he left the hospital premises before receiving the care he needed. According to a systematic review conducted by Hermaszewska and colleagues, "some transgender people are forced to migrate to countries that offer them better legal protection and wider social acceptance". Others may self-prescribe medication such as gender-affirming hormone therapy.
=== Imaging === Imaging of the brain may be performed during medical evaluation, both to rule out other causes and to obtain supportive evidence for diagnosis. Imaging findings are variable in their appearance and also variable in sensitivity and specificity. While imaging plays a lesser role in diagnosis of CJD, characteristic findings on brain MRI in some cases may precede onset of clinical manifestations. Brain MRI is the most useful imaging modality for changes related to CJD. Of the MRI sequences, diffuse-weighted imaging sequences are most sensitive. Characteristic findings are as follows:
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
=== N05CM Other hypnotics and sedatives === N05CM01 Methaqualone N05CM02 Clomethiazole N05CM03 Bromisoval N05CM04 Carbromal N05CM05 Scopolamine N05CM06 Propiomazine N05CM07 Triclofos N05CM08 Ethchlorvynol N05CM10 Hexapropymate N05CM11 Bromides N05CM12 Apronal N05CM13 Valnoctamide N05CM15 Methylpentynol N05CM16 Niaprazine N05CM18 Dexmedetomidine N05CM20 Diphenhydramine N05CM22 Promethazine N05CM25 Magnesium aspartate hydrobromide N05CM26 Magnesium glutamate hydrobromide N05CM27 Doxylamine
SDMA, also known as 3,4-methylenethiooxy-N-methylamphetamine (3T-MDMA) or as MY100, is a putative entactogen of the phenethylamine and amphetamine families related to 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine (MDMA). It is the analogue of MDMA in which the oxygen atom at the 3 position within the 3,4-methylenedioxy substitution has been replaced with a sulfur atom to give a 1,3-benzoxathiole rather than 1,3-benzodioxole ring system. The drug is also the N-methyl derivative of 3,4-methylenethiooxyamphetamine (SDA; 3T-MDA). SDMA is of interest for potential therapeutic use.
CAIS is usually not suspected until the menses fail to develop at puberty, or an inguinal hernia presents during premenarche. As many as 1–2% of prepubertal girls that present with an inguinal hernia will also have CAIS. A diagnosis of CAIS or Swyer syndrome can be made in utero by comparing a karyotype obtained by amniocentesis with the external genitalia of the fetus during a prenatal ultrasound. Many infants with CAIS do not experience the normal, spontaneous neonatal testosterone surge, a fact which can be diagnostically exploited by obtaining baseline luteinizing hormone and testosterone measurements, followed by a human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) stimulation test. The main differentials for CAIS are complete gonadal dysgenesis (Swyer syndrome) and Müllerian agenesis (Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome or MRKH). Both CAIS and Swyer syndrome are associated with a 46,XY karyotype, whereas MRKH is not; MRKH can thus be ruled out by checking for the presence of a Y chromosome, which can be done either by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis or on full karyotype. Swyer syndrome is distinguished by the presence of a uterus, poor breast development and shorter stature. The diagnosis of CAIS is confirmed when androgen receptor (AR) gene sequencing reveals a mutation, although up to 5% of individuals with CAIS do not have an AR mutation. Up until the 1990s, a CAIS diagnosis was often hidden from the affected individual, the individual's family, or both.
=== Hydrophilic interaction chromatography === Hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) is a type of liquid chromatography that uses a hydrophilic stationary phase and a high-organic mobile phase for the separation of analytes by polarity. HILIC is similar to reverse phase chromatography in its mobile phase composition, and also to normal phase chromatography, with its polar stationary phase but has distinct mechanisms. More hydrophobic analytes elute first, in an order that is generally opposite of reverse phase chromatography. In HILIC, analytes partition between the organic-rich mobile phase and a water enriched layer that forms on the surface of the polar stationary phase, with more polar analytes having stronger interactions and being retained on the column for longer. Hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions with the stationary phase also contribute to the separation mechanism. HILIC can be used with an isocractic buffer system, but is more commonly used with a gradient, increasing the hydrophilicity of the buffer by increasing its aqueous content so more and more hydrophilic analytes are eluted. HILIC can be used for separation of many types of analytes, but is commonly used for metabolomics studies, where it is well suited to separate polar metabolites. HILIC is orthogonal to reverse-phase chromatography, and can be combined as an orthogonal approach for more comprehensive coverage.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
== Annual Conference == Every year the Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities annual conference is held during the spring in a varying North American city. This international conference is used to expose members to new and emerging biotechnology through lectures, roundtables, Research Group presentations, poster sessions, workshops and technical exhibits.
=== Schizophrenia === Persistent KOR signaling has been implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, in the generation of both positive and negative symptoms, and as an explanation for treatment-resistant psychosis. Mechanistically, chronic KOR activation produces long-term sensitization of dopamine D2 receptors in the striatum, which manifests as supersensitized D2 receptor states that amplify phasic dopamine signaling and hyperresponsivity to dopaminergic stimuli. This mechanism could interact with the underlying excessive striatal dopamine transmission in schizophrenia, potentiating positive symptoms including delusions and hallucinations, and explaining why dopamine D2 receptor antagonists (antipsychotics) remain effective. Apart from striatal mechanisms, KOR signaling modulates cortical glutamate and GABA homeostasis through KOR activation on GABAergic terminals of dynorphin-expressing neurons in prefrontal cortex which suppresses GABA release and disrupting the balance of cortical inhibition-excitation that might drive cognitive dysfunction and negative symptoms. Thus, KOR antagonism may provide a complementary strategy to D2 antagonism by simultaneously reducing D2 receptor sensitization to normalize striatal dopamine responsivity and restoring cortical inhibition-excitation balance to ameliorate cognitive dysfunction. The receptor availability also predicts severity of anhedonia in schizophrenia.
== Structure == Both endomorphins-1 and 2 are tetrapeptides, consisting of four amino acids. Endomorphin-1 has the amino acid sequence of Tyr-Pro-Trp-Phe, while endomorphin-2 has a sequence of Tyr-Pro-Phe-Phe. The specific amino acids in these sequences dictate the folding and resultant behavior, namely the ability to bind μ-opioid receptors, of these molecules.
The unlikely geminal diol species CH3C(OH)+2 is stable in these environments. For aqueous solutions the pH scale is the most convenient acidity function. Other acidity functions have been proposed for non-aqueous media, the most notable being the Hammett acidity function, H0, for superacid media and its modified version H− for superbasic media. In aprotic solvents, oligomers, such as the well-known acetic acid dimer, may be formed by hydrogen bonding. An acid may also form hydrogen bonds to its conjugate base. This process, known as homoconjugation, has the effect of enhancing the acidity of acids, lowering their effective pKa values, by stabilizing the conjugate base. Homoconjugation enhances the proton-donating power of toluenesulfonic acid in acetonitrile solution by a factor of nearly 800. In aqueous solutions, homoconjugation does not occur, because water forms stronger hydrogen bonds to the conjugate base than does the acid.
As of August 13, 2020, the menu underwent another update as part of their efforts to streamline processes in their restaurants in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, discontinuing the following items: Grilled Steak Soft Taco; 7-Layer Burrito; Nachos Supreme; Beefy Fritos Burrito; Spicy Tostada; Triple Layer Nachos; Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes; Loaded Grillers, both Cheesy Potato and Beefy Nacho; Chips & Dips; and Mini Skillet Bowl.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
No. It is a synthetic analogue carrying four amino acid changes, a lactam ring and an amidated C-terminus. The natural hormone is a linear thirteen-amino-acid peptide processed from proopiomelanocortin.
Afamelanotide is the linear analogue [Nle4-D-Phe7]-alpha-MSH, sometimes called melanotan I, while melanotan II is cyclic and carries three further substitutions. The two are distinct molecules and are not interchangeable in analytical testing.
Binding to the four melanocortin receptor subtypes is well documented in vitro. The relative contribution of each subtype to whole-body effects in humans is far less certain.
It is a synthetic cyclic peptide designed as an analog of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone. It acts on melanocortin receptors and is best known from research into pigmentation. It is not an approved pharmaceutical product.