The short version of melanotan-2 fits in a sentence. The long version — which is the one that helps — is below.
This page was last updated on 2026-08-01 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.
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.
| 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 |
The dosage of succinylcholine is patient-specific and determined based on total body weight and physical condition, thus extensive patient assessment and evaluation are required for accurate calculation. The current recommended dose of succinylcholine indicated for tracheal intubation by the FDA for adults is 1.0-1.5 mg/kg. Whereas, studies have shown that low-dose succinylcholine (0.45 mg/kg) is suitable for optimal intubation conditions in ASA 3 and 4 emergency non-prepared-patients (A patient with severe systemic disease that is a constant threat to life). This dosage can generate profound blockage within 60 seconds (short onset), quicker than other neuromuscular drugs currently available. Where neuromuscular blockage begins to recover within 3 minutes and is completely recovered within 15 minutes. Estimating the dose higher for intubation is preferred over underdosing, as reasonably higher dose produces similar paralysis with little to no known dose associated risks. Whereas under-dosing has shown inadequate paralysis, creating difficulties whilst performing intubation or other operative procedures.
February 4 The United States House of Representatives votes 230–199 to remove Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) from her assignments on the Education and Labor and Budget committees and following controversial comments made about the mass shootings in Parkland and Sandy Hook, as well as calling for violence towards Democrats, and the support of numerous conspiracy theories such as QAnon. Smartmatic files a $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit against the Fox Corporation and its cable news hosts Lou Dobbs, Jeanine Pirro, and Maria Bartiromo as well as frequent guests and ex-President Donald Trump's former lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, who spread false conspiracy theories about them after the 2020 United States presidential election. February 5 U.S. Reps Andrew Clyde (R-GA) and Louie Gohmert (R-TX) are fined $5,000 for refusing to go through the metal detectors outside the House chamber. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves Breyanzi to treat large B-cell lymphoma. February 7 The Tampa Bay Buccaneers win Super Bowl LV, defeating the Kansas City Chiefs 31–9, making them the first wildcard team to win the Super Bowl since the 2010 Green Bay Packers and the first to win it in their home stadium. U.S. Rep Ron Wright (R–TX) passes away at the age of 67 after contracting COVID-19, making him the first sitting member of Congress to die of the disease. February 8 – South Dakota Constitutional Amendment A, which would have legalized recreational cannabis in South Dakota on July 1, is struck down as unconstitutional by judge Christina Klinger.
==== Food ==== In the 1980s, W. R. Grace had owned the following restaurants: American Cafe, Del Taco, Coco's Bakery, El Torito, Hungry Tiger and various restaurants it had purchased from General Mills. In 1986, the company sold its restaurants and retained a 49 percent interest in the restaurant operations. The restaurant chains included Coco's, Houlihan's Old Place, Charley Brown's and Bristol Bar and Grill. The transaction also included El Torito Restaurants Inc., of which Grace had owned 73 percent. Charles H. Erhart Jr., vice chairman of Grace, said:While it is still too early to make a definitive estimate, we expect total proceeds to Grace to exceed $500 million from this transaction. In the process of leaving the restaurant business, the company later sold Del Taco to PepsiCo's Taco Bell in 1992.
Night-time in-laboratory Level 1 polysomnography (PSG) is the gold standard test for diagnosis. Patients are monitored with EEG leads, pulse oximetry, temperature and pressure sensors to detect nasal and oral airflow, respiratory impedance plethysmography or similar resistance belts around the chest and abdomen to detect motion, an ECG lead, and EMG sensors to detect muscle contraction in the chin, chest, and legs. A hypopnea can be based on one of two criteria. It can either be a reduction in airflow of at least 30% for more than 10 seconds associated with at least 4% oxygen desaturation or a reduction in airflow of at least 30% for more than 10 seconds associated with at least 3% oxygen desaturation or an arousal from sleep on EEG. An "event" can be either an apnea, characterized by complete cessation of airflow for at least 10 seconds, or a hypopnea in which airflow decreases by 50 percent for 10 seconds or decreases by 30 percent if there is an associated decrease in the oxygen saturation or an arousal from sleep. To grade the severity of sleep apnea, the number of events per hour is reported as the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). An AHI of less than 5 is considered normal. An AHI of 5–15 is mild; 15–30 is moderate, and more than 30 events per hour characterizes severe sleep apnea.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
=== Laboratory findings === Hormonal syndromes should be confirmed with laboratory testing. Laboratory findings in Cushing syndrome include increased serum glucose (blood sugar) and increased urine cortisol. Adrenal virilism is confirmed by the finding of an excess of serum androstenedione and dehydroepiandrosterone. Findings in Conn syndrome include low serum potassium, low plasma renin activity, and high serum aldosterone. Feminization is confirmed with the finding of excess serum estrogen.
Lake Forest, California USA Palo Alto, California USA Walnut Creek, California USA Lexington, Massachusetts, USA Cary, North Carolina, USA Mulgrave, Victoria Australia (the largest Varian Inc manufacturing and R&D plant) Middelburg, The Netherlands Grenoble, France Yarnton, United Kingdom Church Stretton, Shropshire, United Kingdom (polymer laboratories) Turin, Italy
=== Disease === The epithelial rests of Malassez can become cystic, usually forming nondiagnostic, radiolucent apical lesions that can be seen on radiographs. This occurs as a result of chronic periapical inflammation after pulpitis occurs and must be surgically removed. The PDL also undergoes drastic changes with chronic periodontal disease that involves the deeper structures of the periodontium with periodontitis. The fibers of the PDL become disorganized, and their attachments to either the alveolar bone proper or cementum through Sharpey fibers are lost because of the resorption of these two hard dental tissue. Pathological damaged or diseased PDL can result in delayed healing of the alveolar socket in cases where the diseased tooth is ultimately extracted.
== Use in health == The primary usage of whey protein supplements is for muscle growth and development. Eating whey protein supplements before exercise will not assist athletic performance, but it will enhance the body's protein recovery and synthesis after exercise because it increases the free amino acids in the body's free amino acid pool. The antioxidant activity of whey protein helps to reduce oxidative stress associated with hypothyroidism. In 2010, a panel of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) panel examined the effects of whey protein on weight loss (via both fat loss and increased satiety) and strength and muscle building. The panel concluded that there's no evidence supporting any weight loss claims and that whey protein is roughly as effective for building strength, muscle and lean body mass as other protein sources. Although whey proteins are responsible for some milk allergies, the major allergens in milk are the caseins.
30 May to 1 July Operation Lavarack was a reconnaissance in force conducted by the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment/Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (ANZAC) north of Nui Dat. The operation resulted in 102 PAVN/VC and 3 ANZACs killed.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Experts said that their findings did not challenge the conclusions by UK government: "We provided that information to the Government who have then used a number of other sources to come to the conclusions that they have." On 12 April 2018 the OPCW announced that their investigations agreed with the conclusions made by the UK about the identity of the chemical used. By September 2018, two Russian "tourists", "Alexander Petrov" and "Ruslan Boshirov", had been identified as suspects. They told Margarita Simonyan, the chief editor of RT television, in an interview that they both worked in the sports nutrition business and that: "Those are our real names.. We're afraid to go out, we fear for ourselves, our lives and lives of our loved ones." The Crown Prosecution Service announced enough evidence was obtained by that date "to convict the two men" of the attack, although it did not apply to Russia "for their extradition because Russia does not extradite its own nationals. [...] However, a European Arrest Warrant has been obtained in case they travel to the EU". In February 2019, the Bellingcat website published precise allegations that identified GRU Major Denis Vyacheslavovich Sergeev as a man who travelled in March 2018 to London under the false identity of Sergei Fedotov. It is claimed with detailed photograph evidence, and phone, travel, passport, and motoring database records that GRU Colonels Alexander Mishkin and Anatoly Chepiga assumed the identities of Petrov and Boshirov, and placed the poison on Skripal's doorknob.
== Further reading == Quammen, David, "The Sobbing Pangolin: How a threatened animal may be linked to the [Covid-19] pandemic's beginnings", The New Yorker, 31 August 2020, pp. 26–31. "More field research is needed [...]. More sampling of wild animals. More scrutiny of genomes. More cognizance of the fact that animal infections can become human infections because humans are animals. We live in a world of viruses, and we have scarcely begun to understand this one [ COVID-19 ]. (p. 31.)
== Causes == The development of vitiligo is linked to aberrant attachments between melanocytes (which produce melanin) and laminins, a kind of glycoprotein. When the basement membrane (the fibrous layer between cells and adjacent connective tissue) becomes enriched in laminin-332, melanocytes attach to that protein instead of the normal laminin-211 (via an integrin receptor instead of dystroglycan). Rather than disappearing, melanocytes appear to dedifferentiate and thus lose the ability to produce pigment, altering the actin cytoskeleton of affected cells. Melanocyte loss may also be caused by the activation of the signaling pathway formed by Janus kinases (JAKs) and signal transducer and activator of transcription proteins (STATs), being triggered by T cells and creating a positive feedback loop with interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) chemokines (a form of cytokine signaling protein) secreted by keratinocytes, the primary cell type of the epidermis. According to one study, segmental vitiligo (SV) is linked to the dysfunction of sympathetic nerves and demonstrates increased adrenoceptor responses in the affected areas as well as three times higher local blood flow. Meanwhile, a blood flow increase of about 1.5 times occurs in the more common nonsegmental vitiligo (NSV). The disorder has occurred in recipients of bone marrow and lymphocytes from donors with vitiligo.
=== Anaesthesia === Labial reduction can be performed under local anaesthesia, conscious sedation, or general anaesthesia, either as a discrete, single surgery, or in conjunction with another, gynecologic or cosmetic, surgery procedure. The resection proper is facilitated with the administration of an anaesthetic solution (lidocaine + epinephrine in saline solution) that is infiltrated to the labia minora to achieve the tumescence (swelling) of the tissues and the constriction of the pertinent labial circulatory system, the hemostasis that limits bleeding.
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.
No. It is a laboratory-made peptide, while the natural hormone is alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, a longer peptide produced by the pituitary gland and by skin cells. Melanotan-2 mimics only a short active region of that hormone and contains non-natural residues such as D-phenylalanine.