Buy MT-2 (Melanotan 2 Acetate) UK For Lab Research

Melanotan 2 Acetate (MT-2) | Buy Melanotan 2 UK | Cyclic MSH Analogue | Research Use Only

Melanotan 2 (MT-2) — supplied as Melanotan 2 Acetate — is a synthetic cyclic heptapeptide analogue of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) that acts as a broad-spectrum melanocortin receptor agonist, binding MC1R, MC3R, MC4R, and MC5R to produce a range of pharmacological effects studied in melanogenesis, energy homeostasis, and melanocortin axis biology research. Available to buy in the UK from Peptides Lab UK at >99% HPLC-verified purity, MT-2 is one of the most widely referenced melanocortin peptides in pre-clinical research literature.

Distributed by Peptides Lab UK in lyophilised acetate salt format for laboratory and in vitro research use only. Each batch undergoes rigorous independent quality analysis to ensure >99% purity (HPLC and mass spectrometry verified). Not intended for human or veterinary use.

What Is Melanotan 2 (MT-2)?

Melanotan 2 is a 7-amino acid cyclic lactam analogue of α-MSH, originally synthesised at the University of Arizona by Hruby and colleagues as part of a programme to develop stable, potent melanocortin receptor agonists for photoprotection and pigmentation research. Its cyclic structure — formed via a lactam bridge between lysine and aspartate residues — confers substantially greater metabolic stability than native α-MSH and the linear Melanotan 1 analogue, and produces a distinct, broad-spectrum receptor activity profile.

Where Melanotan 1 (afamelanotide) is a linear analogue with high MC1R selectivity, MT-2’s cyclic conformation enables it to engage MC1R, MC3R, MC4R, and MC5R — making it a multi-pathway melanocortin research tool that has been studied across pigmentation, energy regulation, inflammation, and melanocortin axis pharmacology. This broader receptor profile also distinguishes MT-2 from Bremelanotide (PT-141), a related cyclic analogue developed specifically for MC4R-mediated research.

MT-2 is supplied by Peptides Lab UK as the acetate salt (Melanotan 2 Acetate) — the standard pharmaceutical-grade form used in research settings, offering improved stability and solubility characteristics compared to the free base form.

Important note for the research community: Melanotan 2 is not the same compound as Melanotan 1 (afamelanotide). MT-1 is a linear 13-amino acid peptide approved for erythropoietic protoporphyria; MT-2 is a cyclic 7-amino acid peptide that has not received regulatory approval and is supplied exclusively for pre-clinical and in vitro research.

How Does Melanotan 2 Work?

Cyclic Lactam Structure and Receptor Engagement

MT-2’s cyclic lactam structure — formed by a bridge between Lys⁵ and Asp¹⁰ residues in the parent α-MSH sequence — locks the peptide into a conformation that maintains the critical His-Phe-Arg-Trp pharmacophore in an orientation that enables high-affinity binding across multiple melanocortin receptor subtypes. This conformational constraint is the key structural feature that distinguishes MT-2’s pharmacology from the linear MSH analogues.

Melanocortin Receptor Subtype Activity

MT-2 engages melanocortin receptors across four subtypes with varying affinity: MC1R (melanocytes — eumelanin synthesis), MC3R (hypothalamus and peripheral tissues — energy homeostasis), MC4R (hypothalamus and limbic system — appetite, arousal, autonomic function), and MC5R (exocrine glands — secretory functions). This multi-receptor activity profile makes MT-2 one of the most pharmacologically versatile melanocortin research tools available, and the reference compound in studies examining multiple arms of the melanocortin system simultaneously.

MC1R Pathway — Melanogenesis

Via MC1R engagement, MT-2 activates the Gs/adenylate cyclase/cAMP/PKA pathway in melanocytes, upregulating tyrosinase activity and stimulating eumelanin production — the same primary pigmentation mechanism as MT-1, but with additional receptor activity overlapping the broader melanocortin axis.

MC3R and MC4R Pathways — Energy and Autonomic Research

MC3R and MC4R engagement by MT-2 has been studied in the context of energy homeostasis, food intake regulation, and autonomic nervous system modulation in pre-clinical models. MC4R in particular has been the focus of extensive research into its role in hypothalamic appetite circuits, sympathetic tone, and downstream neuroendocrine signalling — making MT-2 a key pharmacological tool in these research areas.

Enhanced Stability vs Native α-MSH

Native α-MSH has a plasma half-life of under five minutes. MT-2’s cyclic structure confers significantly enhanced resistance to enzymatic degradation, with an effective research half-life of approximately one to two hours, providing a substantially wider in vitro and pre-clinical experimental window than the endogenous compound.

What Does Melanotan 2 Do in Research?

In laboratory and pre-clinical settings, Melanotan 2 Acetate has been studied across a wide range of melanocortin biology research applications, including:

• MC1R, MC3R, MC4R, and MC5R binding affinity, selectivity, and downstream signalling characterisation
• Eumelanin synthesis, tyrosinase activation, and melanocyte pigmentation biology
• Hypothalamic MC4R pathway research — appetite regulation, energy balance, and food intake modelling
• MC3R-mediated energy homeostasis and peripheral metabolic signalling studies
• Melanocortin system anti-inflammatory signalling — NF-κB suppression, cytokine modulation
• Comparative melanocortin analogue receptor pharmacology — MT-2 vs MT-1, Bremelanotide, and NDP-α-MSH
• Autonomic nervous system modulation and sympathetic tone research via MC4R pathway
• Melanocortin axis and neuroendocrine regulation studies
• Cyclic peptide conformational pharmacology and structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies
• MC5R exocrine pathway and sebaceous gland biology investigations
• Skin pigmentation, photoprotection, and UV response modelling
• Melanocortin receptor-mediated pain and nociception pathway research

What Do Studies Say About Melanotan 2?

Foundational Synthesis and Characterisation

The original synthesis and characterisation of MT-2 by Hruby et al. at the University of Arizona established it as a superagonist at melanocortin receptors with substantially greater potency than native α-MSH in melanocyte stimulation assays, and confirmed the cyclic lactam structural feature as the key determinant of its enhanced receptor affinity and metabolic stability. This foundational work provided the pharmacological framework for all subsequent MT-2 receptor biology research.

Key Citation

Hruby VJ et al. (1987) — Cyclic lactam analogues of alpha-melanotropin — Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 30(11):2126–2130. DOI: 10.1021/jm00394a033

MC4R Pathway Research

Pre-clinical studies using MT-2 as an MC4R agonist tool compound have examined its effects on hypothalamic appetite circuits, food intake, body weight regulation, and metabolic parameters in rodent models. This body of research has contributed substantially to the understanding of MC4R’s role in energy homeostasis and the melanocortin system’s integration with leptin and insulin signalling pathways.

Key Citation

Fan W et al. (1997) — Role of melanocortinergic neurons in feeding and the agouti obesity syndrome — Nature 385(6612):165–168. DOI: 10.1038/385165a0

Melanocortin Receptor Selectivity Profiling

Comparative receptor binding studies have systematically characterised MT-2’s binding affinities across MC1R–MC5R relative to native α-MSH, NDP-α-MSH, MT-1, and Bremelanotide — establishing it as the reference broad-spectrum melanocortin agonist for multi-receptor pathway studies and the benchmark compound in melanocortin analogue SAR research.

Key Citation

Hadley ME & Dorr RT (2006) — Melanocortin peptide therapeutics: historical milestones, clinical studies and commercialisation — Peptides 27(4):921–930. DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2005.01.029

Anti-Inflammatory Melanocortin Signalling

Research using MT-2 as a pharmacological tool has investigated MC3R and MC4R-mediated anti-inflammatory pathways in macrophage, keratinocyte, and neuronal cell models, including NF-κB pathway suppression, pro-inflammatory cytokine downregulation, and melanocortin-mediated immune modulation — research areas of relevance to neuroinflammation and peripheral inflammatory signalling biology.

Melanotan 2 vs Other Melanocortin Research Peptides

Feature	Melanotan 2 (MT-2)	Melanotan 1 (MT-1)	Bremelanotide (PT-141)
Structure	Cyclic 7-AA lactam	Linear 13-AA	Cyclic 7-AA (MT-2 metabolite)
MC1R Activity	High	High (selective)	Low–Moderate
MC3R Activity	Moderate	Low	Moderate
MC4R Activity	Significant	Minimal	High (primary target)
MC5R Activity	Moderate	Low	Low
Half-Life	~1–2 hours	~1–2 hours	~2–3 hours
Pigmentation Effect	High (MC1R)	High (MC1R)	Low
Clinical Approval	None	Yes (EPP — afamelanotide)	Yes (hypoactive sexual desire disorder)
Best Research Use	Broad melanocortin axis, multi-receptor pharmacology	MC1R / photoprotection studies	MC4R pathway, autonomic research

Buy Melanotan 2 Acetate UK — Product Specifications

Property	Detail
Full Name	Melanotan 2 Acetate / Melanotan II
Also Known As	MT-2, MT-II, cyclo-MSH analogue
Sequence	Ac-Nle-cyclo[Asp-His-D-Phe-Arg-Trp-Lys]-NH₂
Structure	Cyclic lactam heptapeptide
Amino Acids	7 (cyclic)
Molecular Weight	1,025.2 g/mol
Molecular Formula	C₅₀H₆₉N₁₅O₉
Receptor Targets	MC1R, MC3R, MC4R, MC5R
Effective Half-Life	~1–2 hours
Salt Form	Acetate
Purity	>99% (HPLC and MS verified)
Form	Lyophilised powder
Storage	Store dry at -20°C; protect from light and moisture
Solubility	Bacteriostatic water, sterile water, or suitable research solvents

Quality & Purity Assurance

Every batch of Melanotan 2 Acetate from Peptides Lab UK is:

• >99% pure — HPLC and mass spectrometry verified
• Supplied with a full Certificate of Analysis (COA) available on request
• Lyophilised acetate salt format for maximum stability and extended shelf life
• Manufactured under strictly controlled laboratory conditions
• Consistent batch-to-batch quality for reproducible research results

Why Buy Melanotan 2 from Peptides Lab UK?

Peptides Lab UK is a trusted UK peptides supplier, providing research-grade compounds verified by independent HPLC and mass spectrometry testing. When you buy Melanotan 2 in the UK from Peptides Lab UK, you receive:

• >99% purity, HPLC and MS verified, third-party tested
• Full COA documentation per batch
• Fast same-day UK dispatch with tracked delivery
• Competitive pricing with bulk research discounts available
• Trusted by researchers across the UK and Europe

Research Disclaimer

All products supplied by Peptides Lab UK are intended strictly for in vitro laboratory research and scientific study use only. They are not intended for human consumption, veterinary use, or any medical or therapeutic application. Melanotan 2 Acetate (MT-2) is not a licensed medicine or drug and has not been approved by the MHRA, FDA, or any regulatory authority for use in humans or animals. All research citations on this page relate to pre-clinical studies and peer-reviewed pharmacological research and do not constitute a claim of safety or therapeutic efficacy. Peptides Lab UK accepts no liability for any misuse of research compounds. By purchasing, you confirm that you are a qualified researcher and that the product will be used solely within a controlled laboratory environment in compliance with all applicable UK laws, regulations, and institutional guidelines.