Reviews: Melanotan 2

Research review / The literature

Melanotan 2 References & Citations

Every quantitative claim on this site maps to a numbered source below. Peer-reviewed studies, clinical pilots, and published case reports, with PubMed links.

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How to read this list

The sources below are numbered to match the inline markers across the site. Where a study is a controlled human trial, a rodent mechanism study, or a single-patient case report, the title makes the tier clear — and the distinction matters: a case report documents that something happened, not how often. PubMed identifiers (PMID) and DOIs are given where available so any claim can be traced to its source.

The complete reference list

The full numbered citation list is rendered from the references index below, each entry linking to PubMed.

  1. Dorr RT, Lines R, Levine N, Brooks C, Xiang L, Hruby VJ, Hadley ME. Evaluation of melanotan-II, a superpotent cyclic melanotropic peptide in a pilot phase-I clinical study. Life Sci. 1996;58(20):1777-1784. ↗
  2. Wessells H, Fuciarelli K, Hansen J, Hadley ME, Hruby VJ, Dorr R, Levine N. Synthetic melanotropic peptide initiates erections in men with psychogenic erectile dysfunction: double-blind, placebo controlled crossover study. J Urol. 1998;160(2):389-393. ↗
  3. Hadley ME, Dorr RT. Melanocortin peptide therapeutics: historical milestones, clinical studies and commercialization. Peptides. 2006;27(4):921-930. ↗
  4. Peters B, Hadimeri H, Wahlberg R, Afghahi H. Melanotan II: a possible cause of renal infarction: review of the literature and case report. CEN Case Rep. 2020;9(2):159-161. ↗
  5. Eliason NL, Martin L, Low MJ, Sharpe AL. Melanocortin receptor agonist melanotan-II microinjected in the nucleus accumbens decreases appetitive and consumptive responding for food. Neuropeptides. 2022;96:102289. ↗
  6. Bonchev A. Changes in Oral Mucosa Associated with Melanotan II Injections: A Case Report. Life (Basel). 2026;16(2):265. ↗
  7. Walters AE, Myrdal PB, Pinsuwan S, Manka AM, Yalkowsky SH. Determination of melanotan II in rabbit urine using solid-phase extraction sample preparation followed by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. J Chromatogr B Biomed Sci Appl. 1997;690(1-2):99-103. ↗
  8. Preformulation studies with melanotan-II: a potential skin cancer chemopreventive peptide. 1994. ↗
  9. Increased eumelanin expression and tanning is induced by a superpotent melanotropin [Nle4-D-Phe7]-alpha-MSH in humans. J Invest Dermatol. 2000. ↗
  10. Chen AS, Metzger JM, Trumbauer ME, et al. Role of the melanocortin-4 receptor in metabolic rate and food intake in mice. Transgenic Res. 2000;9(2):145-154. ↗
  11. Alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH): biology, clinical relevance and implication in melanoma. 2023. ↗
  12. Oosterom J, Nijenhuis WA, Schaaper WM, et al. Conformation of the core sequence in melanocortin peptides directs selectivity for the melanocortin MC3 and MC4 receptors. J Biol Chem. 1999;274(24):16853-16860. ↗
  13. Lindblom J, Kask A, Hagg E, Harmark L, Bergstrom L, Wikberg J. Chronic infusion of a melanocortin receptor agonist modulates dopamine receptor binding in the rat brain. Pharmacol Res. 2002;45(2):119-124. ↗
  14. alpha-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone-induced eruptive nevi. 2009. ↗
  15. Ryakhovsky VV, Khachiyan GA, Kosovova NF, Isamiddinova EF, Ivanov AS. The first preparative solution phase synthesis of melanotan II. Beilstein J Org Chem. 2008;4:39. ↗
  16. Eruptive dysplastic nevi following melanotan use. 2012. ↗
  17. Melanotan II injection resulting in systemic toxicity and rhabdomyolysis. 2012. ↗
  18. Melanotan II overdose associated with priapism. 2013. ↗
  19. Melanotan Tanning Injection: A Rare Cause of Priapism. 2021. ↗
  20. Eruptive naevi and darkening of pre-existing naevi 24 h after a single mono-dose injection of melanotan II. 2014. ↗
  21. Dermoscopic changes in melanocytic nevi during use of melanotan II. 2012. ↗
  22. Melanotan II User Experience: A Qualitative Study of Online Discussion Forums. 2021. ↗
  23. Melanotan and the posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome. 2013. ↗
  24. Melanotan-induced priapism: a hard-earned tan. 2019. ↗
  25. Melanotan-associated melanoma. 2011. ↗
  26. Melanotan-associated melanoma in situ. 2012. ↗
  27. Update on tanning: More risks, fewer benefits. 2014. ↗
  28. Hemodynamic actions and mechanisms of systemically administered alpha-MSH analogs in mice. 2012. ↗
  29. Systemic but not central nervous system nitric oxide synthase inhibition exacerbates the hypertensive effects of chronic melanocortin-3/4 receptor activation. 2011. ↗
  30. Identification and characterization by LC-UV-MS/MS of melanotan II skin-tanning products sold illegally on the Internet. 2015. ↗
  31. LC-HRMS characterization of the skin pigmentation and sexual enhancers melanotan II and bremelanotide sold on the black market of performance and image enhancing drugs. 2021. ↗
  32. Operation resistance: A snapshot of falsified antibiotics and biopharmaceutical injectables in Europe. 2016. ↗
  33. Risks of unregulated use of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone analogues: a review. 2017. ↗
  34. The unregulated use of melanotan-II is of public health interest to Australian dermatologists. 2017. ↗
  35. Afamelanotide for Erythropoietic Protoporphyria. 2015. ↗
  36. PT-141: a melanocortin agonist for the treatment of sexual dysfunction. 2003. ↗
  37. Melanotropic peptides: more than just 'Barbie drugs' and 'sun-tan jabs'? 2010. ↗