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Pick up to three peptides to see how their mechanisms, studied uses and evidence levels differ. Rows where the entries disagree are marked with a blue edge.
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Comparison
Galanin
Cognitive & neuro
Evidence level
Anecdotal evidence
Approval status
Not approved
Mechanism of action
- 1.Acts on GalR1, GalR2 and GalR3 receptors.
- 2.Inhibits adenylyl cyclase and reduces neurotransmitter release presynaptically.
- 3.Dampens cholinergic and noradrenergic transmission in memory circuits.
- 4.Modulates pain signalling in the spinal cord.
- 5.Receptor antagonists improved memory performance in animal models.
Studied for
- Alzheimer's disease pathology
- Depression and stress-related behaviour
- Pain and seizure models
- Feeding and energy balance
Reported effects
- Preclinical only: receptor blockade improves memory in rodents
- No established human cognitive effect from galanin itself
- Overexpression linked to cholinergic dysfunction in post-mortem Alzheimer's tissue
Side effects
- Unknown in humans
- Theoretical effects on pain perception, gut motility and hormone release
Research protocol
Research context only - no human protocol exists. Published experiments use rodent central injections in the picomole to nanomole range or transgenic models; no galanin preparation has been given to humans as a therapy.
Research context only
Evidence justification
Animal and post-mortem human tissue studies only; no trial has given galanin to people for any cognitive purpose.