Intranasal research peptides
Intranasal administration is the dominant route for small research peptides in cognitive and neurological research. It bypasses first-pass metabolism, avoids gastrointestinal proteolysis, and reaches the CNS along the olfactory and trigeminal nerve pathways at concentrations that are impractical from an oral or standard-parenteral dose. This page collects the peptides on this site with the intranasal tag, explains why the route matters, and points to the deeper mechanistic material.
The route
Why intranasal delivery matters for cognitive peptides
Small peptides face two obstacles when they need to act in the brain: they are rapidly degraded by proteases in plasma and the gut, and they don't cross the blood-brain barrier at concentrations useful for CNS activity. The intranasal route addresses both problems by exploiting anatomical peculiarities of the nasal cavity.
The olfactory epithelium at the roof of the nasal cavity has a unique property: it is the only site in the body where the CNS reaches an external surface. Olfactory sensory neurons project directly into the olfactory bulb, and peptides deposited on or near the olfactory epithelium can reach the CNS along the olfactory nerve and via perineural transport around the trigeminal nerve fibres. The transport avoids systemic circulation and bypasses the blood-brain barrier entirely.
This is why intranasal Semax, Selank, DSIP, and the Khavinson bioregulators produce measurable central effects at doses that would be pharmacologically inactive if given intravenously. The nose-to-brain pathway is a delivery mechanism that specifically favours the pharmacology of small research peptides.
The catalogue
Peptides on this site administered intranasally
Semax
A synthetic heptapeptide analogue of ACTH(4-10) developed in Russia for cognitive enhancement, neuroprotection, and stroke recovery research.
Selank
A synthetic heptapeptide analogue of tuftsin developed for anxiolytic and immunomodulatory research, with measurable effects on attention and mood.
Pinealon
A short tripeptide bioregulator studied in Russian gerontology research for neuroprotective and anti-ageing effects on the central nervous system.
N-Acetyl Semax Amidate
A chemically protected analogue of Semax with N-terminal acetylation and C-terminal amidation, conferring substantially extended half-life and improved potency in research.
N-Acetyl Selank Amidate
Chemically protected analogue of Selank with extended half-life through N-terminal acetylation and C-terminal amidation; same anxiolytic profile as the parent compound with longer duration.
Davunetide
An 8-amino-acid ADNP-derived peptide (NAPVSIPQ) evaluated in multiple neurodegenerative disease trials — the flagship clinical-trial peptide in the synaptogenic / neuroprotective family.
Oxytocin (intranasal)
The endogenous nonapeptide 'social bonding' hormone, studied via intranasal delivery for social cognition, anxiety, and trust-related research endpoints — one of the most-researched peptides in cognitive neuroscience.
DDAVP (Desmopressin)
A licensed synthetic vasopressin analogue with documented memory-modulation effects — one of the classical vasopressin-family cognitive research peptides with the deepest historical literature.
Cortagen
A synthetic tetrapeptide from the Khavinson bioregulator programme (Ala-Glu-Asp-Pro), positioned as a brain-cortex-targeted bioregulator complementing Pinealon and Cortexin.
Vesugen
A Khavinson vascular short peptide (Lys-Glu-Asp) targeting vascular-endothelial gene expression, with cerebrovascular research relevance in cognitive-ageing and stroke-recovery contexts.
N-Acetyl Epitalon Amidate
A chemically protected analogue of Epitalon with N-terminal acetylation and C-terminal amidation — same pineal-directed pharmacology as parent Epitalon with extended half-life, mirroring the NA-Semax and NA-Selank pattern.
DGAVP
A classical De Wied-laboratory vasopressin analogue engineered to preserve memory-relevant central effects while eliminating the pressor effect of parent vasopressin — the reference vasopressin-family cognitive research peptide of the 1970s-80s.
MIF-1
A tripeptide originally identified as an inhibitor of melanocyte-stimulating hormone release, with a distinctive research history spanning memory modulation, dopamine-receptor allosteric effects, and Parkinson's-disease-adjacent research applications.
TRH (Thyrotropin-releasing hormone)
The endogenous hypothalamic tripeptide that stimulates thyroid-stimulating hormone release, with distinctive research history in cognitive effects, arousal, mood modulation, and neuroprotective applications separated from the primary thyroid-axis pharmacology.
Vasopressin
The endogenous nonapeptide antidiuretic hormone with distinctive central memory-modulation effects — the parent compound of the classical vasopressin-family cognitive research programme and the direct hormone from which DDAVP and DGAVP were engineered.
Practical considerations