SNAP-8

Also known as: Acetyl Octapeptide-3, Acetyl Octapeptide-1, Acetyl Glutamyl Heptapeptide-3, SNAP8

Evidence: Preclinical

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Overview

Acetylated octapeptide (Ac-EEMQRRAD-NH2, acetyl octapeptide-3) that extends the Argireline sequence by two residues; human data come only from multi-ingredient products such as microneedle patches.

SNAP-8 is Lipotec's (now Lubrizol's) acetyl octapeptide-3, the Argireline hexapeptide with Ala-Asp added at the C-terminus. The efficacy figures in circulation are manufacturer data: a review quotes 43% inhibition of glutamate release at 1.5 mM and wrinkle reduction of up to 62% (Errante et al., 2020), while another company figure is up to 38%, mean 7.1%, from a 28-day split-face test (Moy et al., 2023). Published human studies tested the peptide only inside combination products: a placebo-patch-controlled microneedle study in 24 people (Shin et al., 2024), an uncontrolled 12-week patch study (Avcil et al., 2020) and a multi-ingredient serum (Moy et al., 2023). No study isolates the peptide's own effect. The old '63% in 28 days' figure has no published source.

Benefits

Expression-line reduction (manufacturer data, not peer reviewed), eye-wrinkle improvement from a combination microneedle patch (human, multi-ingredient), no cytotoxicity of nanoparticle-loaded peptide (in vitro)

Dosing reference

Research dose: Topical. Published products used 0.03% peptide in a microneedle patch, or a cream with 3% of a 0.05% peptide solution in a company test; the old 3 to 10% figure has no source.

Topical only. In the one controlled study the peptide was delivered by an overnight dissolving microneedle patch at 0.03%, not a cream. A company split-face test used a cream with 3% of a 0.05% peptide solution twice daily for 28 days. Percentages for trade solutions and pure peptide differ by orders of magnitude.

Mechanism

Proposed, and inferred from the parent hexapeptide. Acetyl hexapeptide-3 (Argireline) mimics the N-terminus of SNAP-25 and competes for a place in the SNARE complex, lowering catecholamine release from chromaffin cells in vitro (Blanes-Mira et al., 2002). SNAP-8 adds two SNAP-25 residues, and the manufacturer reports stronger inhibition of glutamate release in vitro (Errante et al., 2020); that comparison is not peer reviewed. No study has measured SNARE assembly, acetylcholine release or muscle activity after topical SNAP-8. The parent peptide barely crosses human skin in vitro (Kraeling et al., 2015), so whether a cream reaches the neuromuscular junction is unknown.

Evidence

Preclinical: animal or in vitro data only

Microneedle patch with 0.03% acetyl octapeptide-3, ascorbyl glucoside and cyclic lysophosphatidic acid improved eye wrinkles, TEWL and elasticity over 28 days versus a hyaluronic-acid-only patch in 24 people (Shin et al., 2024)
Microneedle patch combining acetyl octapeptide-3, palmitoyl tripeptide-5 and other actives: 25.8% decrease in fine lines at 12 weeks, uncontrolled (Avcil et al., 2020)
Manufacturer data quoted in reviews: 43% glutamate-release inhibition at 1.5 mM in vitro and up to 62% wrinkle reduction (Errante et al., 2020); a company split-face test is cited at up to 38%, mean 7.1% (Moy et al., 2023)
Peptide-loaded polymer nanoparticles reached 220.69 mg/g loading and were not cytotoxic in vitro (Baglamis et al., 2023)
Human-trial status: no published trial of SNAP-8 alone; human data come from combination products, mostly run by their manufacturers

References

Side effects

No adverse effects reported in a 28-day study of a combination microneedle patch (n=24) (Shin et al., 2024) or a 12-week combination patch study (Avcil et al., 2020). Nanoparticle-loaded peptide was not cytotoxic in vitro (Baglamis et al., 2023). No single-ingredient safety study has been published. Commonly reported (anecdotal): mild irritation.

Storage

Storage: Room temperature, away from light
Lyophilized: 2 years at room temp
Reconstituted: N/A (ready to use)

Pharmacology

Half-life: No published pharmacokinetic data in any species
Bioavailability: Not measured. The parent hexapeptide reached 0.01% of an applied dose in the epidermis of human skin in vitro and none in the dermis (Kraeling et al., 2015); penetration to muscle is unproven
Molecular weight: 1075.16 Da
Sequence: [Ac]-Glu-Glu-Met-Gln-Arg-Arg-Ala-Asp-[NH2]