I started Selank primarily for anxiety, and while the anxiolytic effect was modest but real for me, the most surprising outcome was immunological.
Some background: I typically catch 3-4 upper respiratory infections per winter. I work in an open-plan office with colleagues who are generous with their germs. I am generally healthy but have never been someone with a robust immune system.
During the three months I used Selank daily (November through January), I caught one mild cold that lasted three days. My colleagues suffered through the usual waves of office plague. My partner, who I share a bed with, had two significant colds during this period -- the second one lasting over a week. I did not catch either from her, which is unusual.
I want to be very clear: this is an anecdote from one person during one winter. I cannot control for the dozens of confounding variables -- maybe I washed my hands more, maybe the viral strains were ones I had prior immunity to, maybe it was coincidence. But Selank is a tuftsin analogue, and tuftsin is a well-characterized immunostimulatory peptide. The Russian literature specifically documents cytokine modulation and enhanced immune cell function. It is at least biologically plausible that daily Selank use during cold season provided some degree of immune support.
The anxiety reduction was a bonus. Not dramatic -- I would rate my background anxiety as mild to begin with -- but a noticeable reduction in stress reactivity and improved sleep quality. The immune effect, if real, was the more valuable outcome for me.
I plan to repeat this protocol next winter and track illness incidence more systematically.