This is a working overview of alpha-MSH analogue, written for readers who want more than a one-paragraph summary but less than a textbook.
This page was last updated on 2026-02-01 and is reviewed periodically as new material appears.
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.
Receptor binding at MC1R on melanocytes raises intracellular cyclic AMP and increases expression of tyrosinase and related enzymes. The downstream result is greater synthesis of eumelanin, the dark pigment, without ultraviolet exposure acting as the trigger. The compound is not selective, however, and also engages MC3R, MC4R and MC5R, which are expressed in the central nervous system and elsewhere. That lack of selectivity is the explanation usually offered for effects reported outside pigmentation, including appetite suppression and nausea. Selectivity remains a central theme in comparative studies of related peptides.
Human data remain limited and mostly short-term. Reports describe small trials and observational accounts rather than large controlled studies, so questions about dose-response relationships and long-term effects on melanocytes stay open. Whether repeated exposure alters naevus behaviour is not settled in the published record. Researchers also note that self-administered use outside clinical settings makes actual exposure difficult to quantify. Statements about efficacy and safety should therefore be read as preliminary rather than established.
Melanotan II is a synthetic cyclic heptapeptide that acts as an agonist at melanocortin receptors. It was designed as a structural analogue of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, the endogenous peptide involved in pigment production. The analogue carries a lactam bridge that constrains the ring and slows enzymatic breakdown relative to the native hormone. In research literature it appears under several abbreviations, and naming conventions are not fully standardized. Published descriptions usually place it within the broader melanocortin agonist family.
| 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 |
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.
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.
No regulatory authority has approved melanotan-2 for human use, and several countries classify it as a prescription-only or controlled substance, which restricts lawful supply. Material sold online is generally labelled as a research chemical and is not required to meet pharmaceutical standards of identity or purity. Published human data consist mainly of small uncontrolled studies, case reports and adverse-event notifications, so the evidence base is descriptive rather than confirmatory. Whether repeated melanocyte stimulation alters long-term naevus behaviour remains an open question that no completed trial has resolved.
Melanotan-2 is a synthetic cyclic heptapeptide designed as a structural analogue of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, the endogenous tridecapeptide that regulates pigment production. Two modifications distinguish it from the natural hormone: norleucine replaces methionine at the N-terminus, which limits oxidation, and a D-phenylalanine substitution raises receptor affinity. The ring is closed through an aspartate-lysine lactam bridge, giving the molecule a constrained conformation. The free base has a molecular mass near 1024 daltons, and commercial material is usually supplied as an acetate salt. It appears in the literature as a research peptide rather than an approved therapeutic agent.
The peptide was developed during the 1980s by researchers investigating melanocortin signalling and skin pigmentation pathways. Early work focused on analogues of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone that would resist enzymatic breakdown more effectively than the parent molecule. Melanotan-2 emerged from that programme as a shortened, cyclised variant. Reports describing its synthesis and receptor activity later appeared in the scientific literature. Commercial availability grew through unregulated channels rather than through pharmaceutical approval.
Structurally, Melanotan-2 retains the core recognition motif of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone while adding a lactam bridge that links two side chains and constrains the molecule into a ring. This modification lowers susceptibility to enzymatic degradation. The compound acts as an agonist at melanocortin receptors, particularly subtypes associated with melanin production. Because the same receptor family influences several physiological processes, researchers note that its activity is not confined to pigmentation alone. Receptor selectivity continues to be examined in published studies.
Materials characterization (spectroscopy, microscopy, diffraction) Computational materials science Materials informatics and selection There are also relatively broad focuses across materials on specific phenomena and techniques.
On-call work in the early days was full time, with frequent night shifts and weekends on call. One night in two was common, and later one night in three. This meant weekends on call started at 9 am on Friday and ended at 5 pm on Monday (80 hours). Less acute specialties such as dermatology could have juniors permanently on call. The European Union's Working Time Directive conflicted with this: at first the UK negotiated an opt-out for some years, but working hours needed reform. On call time was unpaid until 1975 (the year of the house officers' one-day strike), and for a year or two depended on certification by the consultant in charge – a number of them refused to sign. On call time was at first paid at 30% of the standard rate. Before paid on call was introduced, there would be several house officers "in the house" at any one time and the "second on call" house officer could go out, provided they kept the hospital informed of their telephone number at all times. A "pre-registration house officer" would go on to work as a "senior house officer" for at least one year before seeking a registrar post. SHO posts could last six months to a year, and junior doctors often had to travel around the country to attend interviews and move house every six months while constructing their own training scheme for general practice or hospital specialisation. Locum posts could be much shorter. Organised schemes were a later development, and do-it-yourself training rotations became rare in the 1990s.
Regarding this, San Francisco attorney Alex Coolman has commented, "It's remarkable that Chidester's parents, and only Chidester's parents, continue to be cited over and over again by the mainstream media in their coverage of the supposed 'controversy' over the risks of Salvia divinorum." Kathleen Chidester has continued campaigning for "Schedule I"-like legislation beyond their home state of Delaware. For example, three years after Brett's death, in written testimony in support of Senator Richard Colburn's proposed Senate Bill to the Maryland State Legislature, saying, "My hope and goal is to have salvia regulated across the US. It's my son's legacy and I will not end my fight until this happens."
Thirdly, succinylcholine use has been associated with postoperative myalgia, where patients often experience muscle pain similar to that of post-exercise muscle pain mainly in the shoulders, neck, neck and upper abdominal muscle the following day after surgery, especially in young healthy patients with greater muscle mass, whereas reports from children, elderly and pregnant woman are less frequent. This is caused by the fasciculations (muscle twitches) that appear in sites such as intercostal muscles, and the diaphragm. These fasciculations are not relieved through analgesics, and in common practice, a sub-paralyzing dose of non-depolarizing neuromuscular blocker is administered a few minutes before succinylcholine administration to reduce visible fasciculation and postoperative myalgia. The use of succinylcholine is therefore also contraindicated in patient with muscle myopathy within 24 to 72 hours post-administration. Non-depolarizing drug Atracurium: Atracurium is commonly associated with histamine-related symptoms, most notably flushing and erythema. Less commonly seen adverse effects include urticaria, hypotension, wheezing, tachycardia, bronchospasm, dyspnea, bradycardia, and laryngospasm. Moreover, drops of up to 30 mmHg in mean arterial pressure was also observed within two minutes of administration in some patients. H1 and H2 receptor blocking agents can be used to attenuate the drop in mean arterial pressure. A slow injection speed between 30 and 60 seconds reduces adverse effects.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), formerly referred to as high-pressure liquid chromatography, is a chromatography technique in analytical chemistry used to separate, identify, and quantify specific components (analytes) in mixtures. The mixtures can originate from food, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, biological, environmental and agriculture, etc., in which the sample analyzed is either a liquid or has been dissolved into a liquid. HPLC is essentially a pressurized form of column chromatography, which uses pressurized pumps instead of the force of gravity, and thinner and longer columns with smaller adsorbent particles. These increase its analytic resolution. HPLC is widely used for manufacturing (e.g., during the production process of pharmaceutical and biological products), legal (e.g., detecting performance enhancement drugs in urine), research (e.g., separating the components of a complex biological sample, or of similar synthetic chemicals from each other), and medical (e.g., detecting vitamin D levels in blood serum) purposes. High pressure pumps force mixtures of various solvents (the mobile phase, e.g., water, buffers, acetonitrile and/or methanol) to flow through a sample mixture and pick up analytes, delivering it into a cylinder (the chromatography column). The column is filled with solid particles made of adsorbent material (the stationary phase). The particles are usually made of silica, polymers, and 1.5–50 μm in diameter. Elution occurs as the mobile phase passes through the stationary phase.
Biology is the study of life and its processes. Biologists study all aspects of living things, including all of the many life forms on earth and the processes in them that enable life. These basic processes include the harnessing of energy, the synthesis and duplication of the materials that make up the body, the reproduction of the organism and many other functions. Biology, along with chemistry and physics is one of the major disciplines of natural science.
=== Alcohol abuse === Before his marriage, Bush repeatedly abused alcohol. On September 4, 1976, he was pulled over near his family's summer home in Kennebunkport, Maine, for driving under the influence of alcohol. He was arrested for DUI, was fined $150, and received a brief suspension of his Maine driver's license. Bush said that his wife has had a stabilizing effect on his life, and he attributes his decision to give up alcohol in 1986 to her influence. While governor of Texas, Bush said of his wife, "I saw an elegant, beautiful woman who turned out not only to be elegant and beautiful, but very smart and willing to put up with my rough edges, and I must confess has smoothed them off over time." Bush also says that his faith in God was critical in abstaining: "I believe that God helped open my eyes, which were closing because of booze".
== Interactions == Concomitant use of methenamine and sulfonamides can result in insoluble methenamine salts precipitating in urine and hence is not recommended. Urinary alkalinizing agents, such as antacids, carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, and certain foods, may diminish the effectiveness of methenamine by making the urine more alkaline and thereby preventing the hydrolysis of methenamine into formaldehyde. Conversely, urinary acidifying agents, like ascorbic acid (vitamin C), sodium acid phosphate, and ammonium chloride, may enhance the effectiveness of methenamine by making the urine more acidic and thereby facilitating its hydrolysis into formaldehyde. Formaldehyde has been found in vitro to react with hydrochloric acid to form the highly carcinogenic compound bis(chloromethyl) ether and it may be conceivable that this might likewise occur in the stomach.
The NK domain of Cns3 converts adenosine into 3′-adenosine monophosphate (3′-AMP, different from the more common 5′-AMP). Cns2 removes a phosphate group from 3′-AMP and generates 2′-carbonyl-3′-deoxyadenosine (2′-C-3′-dA). Cns1 reduces the carbonyl group on 2′-C-3′-dA into a hydroxyl group, yielding cordycepin. To produce pentostatin:
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
=== Downregulation of genes === Endogenously expressed miRNAs, including both intronic and intergenic miRNAs, are most important in translational repression and in the regulation of development, especially on the timing of morphogenesis and the maintenance of undifferentiated or incompletely differentiated cell types such as stem cells. The role of endogenously expressed miRNA in downregulating gene expression was first described in C. elegans in 1993. In plants this function was discovered when the "JAW microRNA" of Arabidopsis was shown to be involved in the regulation of several genes that control plant shape. In plants, the majority of genes regulated by miRNAs are transcription factors; thus miRNA activity is particularly wide-ranging and regulates entire gene networks during development by modulating the expression of key regulatory genes, including transcription factors as well as F-box proteins. In many organisms, including humans, miRNAs are linked to the formation of tumors and dysregulation of the cell cycle. Here, miRNAs can function as both oncogenes and tumor suppressors.
=== Peptide === Ghrelin (Lenomorelin, GHRL) GHRP-1 GHRP-2 (Pralmorelin; GHRP Kaken 100; GHRP-2; KP-102, GPA-748, WAY-GPA-748) GHRP-3 GHRP-4 GHRP-5 GHRP-6 (SKF-110679) Alexamorelin Examorelin (hexarelin; EP-23905, MF-6003) Ipamorelin (NNC 26-0161) Relamorelin (RM-131, BIM-28131, BIM-28163) Tabimorelin (NN-703)
At 11:07, radar detected another, larger attack. This second wave consisted of 107 aircraft. They were met while still 60 miles (97 km) out, and at least 70 of these aircraft were shot down before reaching the ships. Six attacked Rear Admiral Alfred E. Montgomery's group, nearly hitting two of the carriers and causing casualties on each. Four of the six were shot down. A small group of torpedo aircraft attacked Enterprise, with one torpedo exploding in the wake of the ship. Three other torpedo aircraft attacked the light carrier Princeton and were shot down. In all, 97 of the 107 attacking aircraft were destroyed. A third raid, consisting of 47 aircraft, came in from the north. It was intercepted by 40 fighters at 13:00, while 50 miles (80 km) out from the task force. Seven Japanese aircraft were shot down. A few broke through and made an ineffective attack on Task Group 58.4. Many others did not press home their attacks. This raid therefore suffered less than the others, and 40 of its aircraft managed to return to their carriers. A fourth Japanese raid was launched between 11:00 and 11:30, but pilots had been given an incorrect position for the U.S. fleet and could not locate it. They broke into two loose groups and turned for Guam and Rota to refuel. One group flying toward Rota stumbled upon Montgomery's task group. Eighteen aircraft joined battle with American fighters and lost half their number. A smaller group of nine Japanese dive bombers of this force evaded U.S. aircraft and attacked Wasp and Bunker Hill but scored no hits; eight were shot down.
Alagille syndrome is an autosomal dominant disorder that impacts five systems, including the liver, heart, skeleton, face, and eyes. In the early part of life (within the first three months), patients with Alagille syndrome exhibit conjugated hyperbilirubinemia, severe pruritus, and jaundice. Bile duct obliteration usually worsens over time, causing cirrhosis of the liver and eventual failure. Diagnosis usually occurs using the classic criteria by looking at changes associated with the five systems discussed earlier. Like FIH, the definitive treatment is a liver transplant. Almost all patients with Alagille syndrome have mutations of the genes involved in the Notch signaling pathway. Most have a mutation of the JAG1 gene, while a small minority have a mutation of the NOTCH2 gene.
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 and a non-selective melanocortin receptor agonist. Structurally it is modelled on alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, a peptide that occurs naturally in the body.