Melanotan 2
A cyclic lactam analogue of alpha-MSH that acts across melanocortin receptor subtypes; its literature is dominated by adverse-event reports.
- Purity
- 99.2%
- Lot
- PU-08A9
- Format
- Lyophilized powder
- Third-party tested
- Discreet packaging
- Same-day shipping
- Encrypted checkout
For research use only. Not for human consumption.
Mechanism of Action
Melanotan II is a cyclic lactam analogue of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone. Unlike agents developed for a single receptor subtype, it engages melanocortin receptors broadly, and that lack of selectivity is the recurring theme of its published pharmacology.
Reported activity across the receptor family includes MC1R-mediated pigmentary effects and central MC4R-mediated effects; a 2003 European Journal of Pharmacology study also reported peripheral nerve regeneration endpoints in a rodent model.
Research Findings
A substantial part of the indexed literature consists of case reports and dermatological reviews describing adverse outcomes in people using unregulated preparations - melanoma associated with use reported in the British Journal of Dermatology, renal infarction in CEN Case Reports, and a 2017 International Journal of Dermatology review of the risks of unregulated alpha-MSH analogues.
Preclinical work has examined thermogenic capacity in a rodent model and interactions with alcohol in a behavioural paradigm. The adverse-event literature is the most clinically informative part of this record and is cited here deliberately.
Storage & Reconstitution
Sealed lyophilized vials are stored in the dark. The peptide-formulation literature regards the dry solid as the stable state and the solution as the fragile one: refrigeration at 2-8 degrees C is standard for short holding periods, and minus 20 degrees C or colder for long-term storage. Vials are brought to room temperature before opening so that atmospheric moisture does not condense onto the cold solid.
For reconstitution, the diluent is added slowly down the inner wall of the vial rather than directly onto the cake, and the vial is swirled rather than shaken - agitation at an air-liquid interface is a well-documented driver of peptide aggregation. The solid should dissolve to a clear, particle-free solution; persistent cloudiness or visible particulate indicates the material should not be used.
Reconstituted solution is held at 2-8 degrees C and protected from light. Freeze-thaw cycling is the single most avoidable cause of loss, so where a solution must be frozen it is aliquoted first into single-use volumes. Working aliquots are labelled with the lot number so that any result can be traced back to the certificate of analysis for that lot.
- Physical form
- Lyophilized powder, sealed vial
- Sealed storage
- 2-8 C short term / -20 C long term
- Reconstituted
- 2-8 C, protected from light
- Diluent
- Bacteriostatic water, added down the vial wall
- Avoid
- Shaking, freeze-thaw cycling, direct light
Handling summary
References
Every entry below links to its PubMed record. Publication is not endorsement: several of these papers report limitations, negative findings or adverse events, and they are listed for that reason.
- [1]
- [2]Melanotan-associated melanoma(opens PubMed in a new tab)
Br J Dermatol · 2011 · PMID 21564053
- [3]Melanotan II: a possible cause of renal infarction: review of the literature and case report(opens PubMed in a new tab)
CEN Case Rep · 2020 · PMID 31953620
- [4]
- [5]
- [6]