# Melanotan 2 References: The Cited Literature

> Melanotan 2 references: the full list of peer-reviewed studies, case reports, and reviews cited across this digest, with PubMed links.

Every study cited across this site, with PubMed links.

## About this list

These are the peer-reviewed studies, case reports, and reviews cited throughout this Melanotan 2 digest. Each entry links to its PubMed record. Inline markers like [1] on the other pages map to the numbers here. Where a study reported a dose, that figure is presented as a fact about the study's design, not as guidance.

## References

[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. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8637402/
[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. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9679884/
[3] Hadley ME, Dorr RT. Melanocortin peptide therapeutics: historical milestones, clinical studies and commercialization. Peptides. 2006;27(4):921-930. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16412534/
[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. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31953620/
[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. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36155088/
[6] Bonchev A. Changes in Oral Mucosa Associated with Melanotan II Injections: A Case Report. Life (Basel). 2026;16(2):265. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41752902/
[7] Lan EL, Ugwu SO, Blanchard J, Fang X, Hruby VJ, Sharma S. Preformulation studies with melanotan-II: a potential skin cancer chemopreventive peptide. J Pharm Sci. 1994;83(8):1081-1084. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7983590/
[8] Van der Ploeg LH, et al. Melanocortin receptors, melanotropic peptides and penile erection. Curr Top Med Chem. 2007;7(11):1098-1106. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17584130/
[9] Paiva L, Sabatier N, Leng G, Ludwig M. Effect of Melanotan-II on Brain Fos Immunoreactivity and Oxytocin Neuronal Activity and Secretion in Rats. J Neuroendocrinol. 2017;29(2):e12454. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28009464/
[10] Raposinho PD, White RB, Aubert ML. The melanocortin agonist Melanotan-II reduces the orexigenic and adipogenic effects of neuropeptide Y (NPY) but does not affect the NPY-driven suppressive effects on the gonadotropic and somatotropic axes in the male rat. J Neuroendocrinol. 2003;15(2):173-181. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12535159/
[11] Strom MA, et al. Alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH): biology, clinical relevance and implication in melanoma. J Transl Med. 2023;21(1):562. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37608347/
[12] The 'Barbie Drug'-marketing and perceptions of melanotan on social media. 2025. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38808957/
[13] Eruptive dysplastic nevi following melanotan use. 2012. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22425244/
[14] alpha-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone-induced eruptive nevi. 2009. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19380666/
[15] Eruptive melanocytic naevi following melanotan injection. 2009. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19575725/
[16] Eruptive naevi and darkening of pre-existing naevi 24 h after a single mono-dose injection of melanotan II. 2014. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24334249/
[17] Dermoscopic changes in melanocytic nevi during use of melanotan II. 2012. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23052015/
[18] Melanoma associated with the use of melanotan-II. 2014. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24355990/
[19] Melanotan-associated melanoma. 2011. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21564053/
[20] Melanotan-associated melanoma in situ. 2012. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22724573/
[21] Changes of melanocytic lesions induced by Melanotan injections and sun bed use in a teenage patient with FAMMM syndrome. 2012. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23785612/
[22] Melanotan II User Experience: A Qualitative Study of Online Discussion Forums. 2021. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34464955/
[23] Change in moles linked to use of unlicensed "sun tan jab". 2009. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19174439/
[24] Melanotan II injection resulting in systemic toxicity and rhabdomyolysis. 2012. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23121206/
[25] Melanotan II overdose associated with priapism. 2013. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23537392/
[26] Melanotan Tanning Injection: A Rare Cause of Priapism. 2021. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33460908/
[27] Melanotan-induced priapism: a hard-earned tan. 2019. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30796078/
[28] Melanotan and the posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome. 2013. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23648958/
[29] Hemodynamic actions and mechanisms of systemically administered alpha-MSH analogs in mice. 2012. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22982611/
[30] Systemic but not central nervous system nitric oxide synthase inhibition exacerbates the hypertensive effects of chronic melanocortin-3/4 receptor activation. 2011. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21263126/
[31] Wessells H, et al. Melanocortin receptor agonists, penile erection, and sexual motivation: human studies with Melanotan II. Int J Impot Res. 2000. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11035391/
[32] Identification and characterization by LC-UV-MS/MS of melanotan II skin-tanning products sold illegally on the Internet. 2015. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24771717/
[33] 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. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33245851/
[34] Operation resistance: A snapshot of falsified antibiotics and biopharmaceutical injectables in Europe. 2016. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26456392/
[35] Falsification of biotechnology drugs: current dangers and/or future disasters? 2018. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30165334/
[36] Habbema L, Halk AB, Neumann M, Bergman W. Risks of unregulated use of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone analogues: a review. Int J Dermatol. 2017;56:975-980. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28266027/
[37] The unregulated use of melanotan-II is of public health interest to Australian dermatologists. 2017. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28905366/
[38] Melanotropic peptides: more than just 'Barbie drugs' and 'sun-tan jabs'? 2010. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20545686/
[39] PT-141: a melanocortin agonist for the treatment of sexual dysfunction. 2003. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12851303/
[40] Discovery and development of novel melanogenic drugs. Melanotan-I and -II. 1998. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9760697/
[41] A comparison of HPLC and bioassay methods for plasma melanotan-II (MT-II) determination: application to a pharmacokinetic study in rats. 1994. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7981427/
[42] Afamelanotide for Erythropoietic Protoporphyria. 2015. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26132941/
[43] Long-term observational study of afamelanotide in 115 patients with erythropoietic protoporphyria. 2015. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25494545/
[44] van den Heuvel JK, et al. Inhibitory Effect of the Melanocortin Receptor Agonist Melanotan-II (MTII) on Feeding Depends on Dietary Fat Content and not Obesity in Rats on Free-Choice Diets. Front Behav Neurosci. 2015;9:358. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26733840/

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An independent, mechanism-first reading of the Melanotan 2 record: the melanocortin pharmacology stated plainly, the small human evidence and the documented harms each cited to source, and no clinic, prescriber, or product behind any of it.