The right immune-modulation at the right time: thymosin α1 for prevention of severe COVID-19 in cancer patients.
Bersanelli. Melissa M; Giannarelli. Diana D; Leonetti. Alessandro A; Buti. Sebastiano S; Tiseo. Marcello M; Nouvenne. Antonio A; Ticinesi. Andrea A; Meschi. Tiziana T; Procopio. Giuseppe G; Danielli. Riccardo R
Key Findings
- Thymosin‑alpha‑1 is being tested as a prophylactic to reduce severe COVID‑19 in actively treated cancer patients.
- The trial (PROTHYMOS) is a multicenter, open‑label, Phase II randomized study, currently in start‑up phase.
- If successful, the approach could be combined with vaccines to improve protection in frail individuals.
Practical Outcomes
- At this stage there’s nothing to implement yet—no dosage or protocol is available. Keep an eye on the PROTHYMOS trial results; if they show benefit, thymosin‑alpha‑1 could become a supplemental option for high‑risk patients or biohackers seeking immune support during pandemics.
Summary
Researchers are planning a Phase II trial to see if the immune‑boosting peptide thymosin‑alpha‑1 can help cancer patients avoid severe COVID‑19, especially when vaccines may work less well in them. The study is still being set up, so there are no results yet, but it points to a possible future preventive strategy for vulnerable people.
Abstract
We presented the rationale for the use of thymosin α1 as prophylaxis of severe COVID-19 in cancer patients undergoing active treatment, constituting the background for the PROTHYMOS study, a prospective, multicenter, open-label, Phase II randomized study, currently in its start-up phase (Eudract no. 2020-006020-13). We aim to offer new hope for this incurable disease, especially to frail patient population, such as patients with cancer. The hypothesis of an effective prophylactic approach to COVID-19 would have immediate clinical relevance, especially given the lack of curative approaches. Moreover, in the 'COVID-19 vaccine race era' both clinical and biological results coming from the PROTHYMOS trials could even support the rationale for future combinatorial approaches, trying to rise vaccine efficacy in frail individuals.
Study Information
pubmed
2021
2021-02-04T00:00:00.000Z
10.2217/fon-2020-0754
11
50