Scientific Reference
SNAP-8
Evidence profile: No indexed evidence identified
SNAP-8 (acetyl octapeptide-3) is a cosmetic-chemistry peptide copied from the start of SNAP-25, a protein of nerve terminals. Its eight residues, Glu-Glu-Met-Gln-Arg-Arg-Ala-Asp, lengthen the earlier acetyl hexapeptide-3 by two, and both termini are capped by N-acetylation and C-terminal amidation. Available data are mostly ingredient-supplier testing and small trials of finished topical products rather than independent studies. In vitro biochemistry has probed how it interacts with the SNARE complex. Whether so large a molecule penetrates intact skin and reaches nerve endings in useful quantity is not well established.
Mechanism of Action
Neurotransmitter release depends on the SNARE complex, a helical bundle assembled from SNAP-25, syntaxin and synaptobrevin that pulls vesicle and cell membranes together. By imitating the SNAP-25 N-terminal segment, acetyl octapeptide-3 is proposed to compete with the real protein for a position in the bundle. Developer-sourced reports describe poorer assembly of stable complexes and reduced release from cultured cells. Those results come from simplified systems, and proof of the same interaction in intact tissue is limited.
Molecular Information
- Type: Acetylated octapeptide, C-terminally amidated
- Molecular weight: 1075.2 g/mol
- Molecular formula: C41H70N16O16S
- CAS: 868844-74-0