The potential of the peptide drug Semax and Its derivative for correcting pathological impairments in the animal model of Alzheimer’s disease

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Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease, first described over a century ago, is currently among the most common neurodegenerative diseases whose significance is increasingly growing with the aging of populations. Throughout the entire period of its study, no remedies have been found that would be effective in treating – or at least significantly slowing – the pathological process, while being sufficiently safe. In this regard, significant attention is paid to the development and application of natural peptide drugs lacking side effects. The present study assessed the effect of the known neuroprotective peptide Semax and its derivative on the behavioral characteristics and development of amyloidosis in transgenic APPswe/PS1dE9/Blg mice acting as a model of Alzheimer’s disease. The open field, novel object recognition, and Barnes maze tests demonstrated that both Semax and its derivative improved cognitive functions in mice. Histological examination showed that these peptides reduced the number of amyloid inclusions in the cortex and hippocampus of the animals’ brains. These findings demonstrate the high potential of Semax and its derivatives when used to develop therapeutic and corrective strategies for Alzheimer’s disease.

About the authors

Alexandra I. Radchenko

Belgorod State National Research University

Email: sandrinkaradchenko@gmail.com
Russian Federation, Belgorod, 308015

Elena V. Kuzubova

Belgorod State National Research University

Email: 1015artek1015@mail.com
Russian Federation, Belgorod, 308015

Alina A. Apostol

Belgorod State National Research University

Email: alinakum835@gmail.com
Russian Federation, Belgorod, 308015

Vladimir A. Mitkevich

Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: mitkevich@gmail.com
Russian Federation, Moscow, 119991

Liudmila A. Andreeva

National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”

Email: andr-la.img@yandex.ru
Russian Federation, Moscow, 123182

Svetlana A. Limborskaya

National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”

Email: limbor.img@yandex.ru
Russian Federation, Moscow, 123182

Yu. V. Stepenko

Belgorod State National Research University

Email: stepenko@bsu.edu.ru
Russian Federation, Belgorod, 308015

Veronika S. Shmigerova

Belgorod State National Research University

Email: belyaeva_v@bsuedu.ru
Russian Federation, Belgorod, 308015

Alexei V. Solin

Belgorod State National Research University

Email: solin@bsuedu.ru
Russian Federation, Belgorod, 308015

Mikhail V. Korokin

Belgorod State National Research University

Email: mkorokin@mail.ru
Russian Federation, Belgorod, 308015

Mikhail V. Pokrovskii

Belgorod State National Research University

Email: pokrovskii@bsuedu.ru
Russian Federation, Belgorod, 308015

Nikolai F. Myasoedov

National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”

Email: Myasoedov-NF.img@yandex.ru
Russian Federation, Moscow, 123182

Alexander A. Makarov

Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences

Author for correspondence.
Email: aamakarov@eimb.ru
Russian Federation, Moscow, 119991

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Copyright (c) 2025 Radchenko A.I., Kuzubova E.V., Apostol A.A., Mitkevich V.A., Andreeva L.A., Limborskaya S.A., Stepenko Y.V., Shmigerova V.S., Solin A.V., Korokin M.V., Pokrovskii M.V., Myasoedov N.F., Makarov A.A.

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