Melanotan II is a synthetic, cyclic peptide derived from Melanotan I, itself an analog of the natural hormone α-MSH. It is used widely as a melanocortin-receptor tool compound in rodent research; controlled human trial data are not available in the sources reviewed.
Established: Melanotan II is a cyclic derivative of Melanotan I in which the ring structure was reported to increase potency and stability over the linear form [1]. It activates MC1R on pigment cells, which drives eumelanin production [2], and it is widely used in rodents as an agonist at the brain's MC4R [3][4]. In mouse MC4R neurons, its stimulation of ERK signaling depended on β-arrestin-2, while its cAMP signaling did not [3].
| Study | Model | Reported result | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| β-arrestin-2 in MC4R neurons [3] | Mouse Mice lacking β-arrestin-2 in MC4R-expressing neurons vs. littermate controls; hypothalamic cell line | MT-II reduced food intake and raised PVN pERK in controls but not knockouts; in cells, barr2 knockdown abolished ERK response, not cAMP. | Peer-reviewed JCI Insight 2026 |
| Maternal immune activation model [4] | Mouse Adult male offspring of IL-6-treated pregnant C57BL/6J mice; 7-day brain infusion | Researchers measured social-behavior and body-weight endpoints; see publication. | Peer-reviewed PLOS ONE 2019 |
| MC1R pharmacology review [1] | Review Narrative review of melanocortin-1 receptor ligands | Summarizes MC1R ligand pharmacology including MT-II, and cell work using MT-II as an MC1R-targeting carrier. | Peer-reviewed Int J Mol Sci 2023 |
| Oral mucosa case report [2] | Human Single published case report (pigmentation finding) | Describes oral mucosal pigmentation observed during use and follow-up after stopping. Published. | Peer-reviewed Life 2026 |
Human trials are listed for research context only; outcomes are reported in the linked publications. Animal and lab results do not establish effects in humans.
PureLab does not supply this compound. This page summarizes published research only.
