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Thymalfasin, Zadaxin, Thymosin α1
A synthetic 28-amino acid peptide that enhances immune function by modulating T-cell activity, used for viral infections and immunodeficiencies.
Saruc. Murat M; Yuceyar. Hakan H; Kucukmetin. Nurten N; Demir. Mehmet Akif MA; Kandiloglu. Ali Riza...
A small Turkish study gave 21 chronic hepatitis B patients a combo of thymosin‑alpha‑1 and interferon‑alpha for about a year and saw most of them clear the virus and normalize liver enzymes, with few extra side effects beyond what interferon alone causes.
Kullavanuaya. P P; Treeprasertsuk. S S; Thong-Ngam. D D; Chaermthai. K K; Gonlachanvit. S S; Suwanag...
A small study gave hepatitis C patients a mix of interferon‑alpha2a and the immune‑boosting peptide thymosin‑alpha‑1 for a year. About half cleared the virus and liver enzymes improved, especially in patients who hadn't been treated before. Side effects were mild, like muscle aches and slight hair loss. The results suggest the combo can work, but it needs medical supervision and isn’t a simple DIY fix.
Bodey. Bela B; Siegel. Stuart E SE; Kaiser. Hans E HE
The paper shows that after high‑dose chemotherapy or bone‑marrow transplant, the thymus can partially rebuild its structure and start making new T‑cells again, especially in younger animals, and that hormones like thymosin‑alpha‑1 decline early in life and may help this regeneration.
Bodey. B B; Bodey. B B; Siegel. S E SE; Kaiser. H E HE
The paper maps out the different cell types in the thymus and shows they naturally make thymosin‑alpha‑1 along with many other hormones, acting as a neuro‑endocrine hub that guides T‑cell development. It’s basic science, not a clinical trial, so it doesn’t give dosing or protocol advice for taking the peptide.
Bodey. B B; Bodey. B B; Siegel. S E SE; Kaiser. H E HE
The study shows that special cells in the thymus (the organ that trains T‑cells) naturally make thymosin‑alpha‑1 along with many other hormones, and these cells help guide T‑cell development through a complex hormonal network.
Bodey. B B; Bodey. B B; Siegel. S E SE; Kaiser. H E HE
The paper explains that the thymus, a key organ for making immune cells, gradually shrinks starting soon after birth and keeps losing tissue at about 3‑5% per year until middle age, then slows down. Important thymic hormones like thymosin‑alpha‑1 start dropping as early as age 10, which may contribute to weaker immune function as we get older. Hormones such as testosterone, estrogen, and steroids speed up this shrinkage, while low doses of thyroid hormone can actually make the thymus grow a bit. The authors note that transplanting thymic tissue or giving thymic hormones can partially reverse the loss, suggesting the organ’s health is linked to overall aging.
Oates. K K KK; Coss. M C MC
Scientists discovered that breast cancer cells (MCF-7) make the peptide thymosin‑alpha‑1 themselves, and it may help those cells grow. This suggests that taking thymosin‑alpha‑1 could unintentionally support estrogen‑sensitive cancer growth, so caution is advised for anyone at risk.
Shmelev. V A VA; Grigor'ev. B V BV; Mozharova. T I TI; Popov. S G SG
In mice and guinea‑pig experiments, giving thymosin‑alpha‑1 or hybrid proteins that combine it with tumor‑necrosis‑factor boosted the immune response to a plague vaccine and helped recover immune function after radiation exposure.
Salvati. F F; Rasi. G G; Portalone. L L; Antilli. A A; Garaci. E E
A small study in advanced lung cancer patients found that adding thymosin‑alpha1 and low‑dose interferon‑alpha after chemotherapy didn’t dramatically boost tumor shrinkage, but it did slow disease progression, kept immune cells from dropping, and cut serious blood‑related side effects compared to chemo alone.
Wada. S S; Kinoshita. Y Y; Kamizuru. M M; Asai. Y Y; Iwata. H H; Ikemoto. S S; Hato. F F; Kishimoto....
In rats that got a bladder‑cancer‑causing chemical, injecting a mix called thymosin fraction 5 (TF5) twice a week lowered tumor size and the number of cancers, and it boosted natural‑killer cell activity. The pure peptide thymosin‑alpha‑1 (Tα1) didn’t show these benefits, and neither TF5 nor Tα1 helped mice in the same experiment.
Korobko. V G VG; Boldyreva. E F EF; Filippov. S A SA; Berkova. N P NP; Dobrynin. V N VN; Shmelev. V...
Scientists built a fake gene to make the immune‑boosting peptide thymosin‑alpha‑1 in bacteria and attached it to another protein (TNF). They made two versions: one that was secreted and stayed active, and another that clumped inside the cells and was less active. They also showed a way to cut out pure thymosin‑alpha‑1 from the fusion protein.
Naruse. H H; Hashimoto. T T; Yamakawa. Y Y; Iizuka. M M; Yamada. T T; Masaoka. A A
This study measured how much thymosin‑alpha‑1 is naturally present in human thymus tissue and in thymoma tumors. It found that normal thymus makes less of the peptide as people get older, while thymoma tumors contain much higher amounts, especially certain tumor types and those with lots of immune cells. The findings give a biological backdrop but don’t test taking the peptide as a supplement.
Abiko. T T; Sekino. H H
Scientists made the full mouse version of prothymosin alpha in the lab and found that, when added to blood cells from kidney‑failure patients, it helped restore a type of immune cell activity better than the shorter peptide thymosin‑alpha‑1. However, the synthesis was inefficient and the work was only done in a test‑tube, not in real people.
Weller. F E FE; Shah. U U; Cummings. G D GD; Chretien. P B PB; Mutchnick. M G MG
The study measured normal blood levels of two peptides, thymosin‑alpha‑1 and thymosin‑beta‑4, in a large group of healthy adults and gave average values and ranges. It found that thymosin‑alpha‑1 levels are about 540 pg/ml and don’t change with race, sex, or age, while thymosin‑beta‑4 averages 12.6 ng/ml, slightly rising with age but otherwise unchanged. These numbers serve as reference points for anyone who might test their own levels.
Iarilin. A A AA; Sharova. N I NI; Kochergina. N I NI; Pershin. S B SB; Konchugova. T V TV; Minenkov....
A study found that shining a specific laser on thymus cells in a dish and on the thymus area of rats raised the level of the immune‑boosting protein alpha‑1‑thymosin, while slightly lowering another hormone called thymulin. The effect showed up a day or two after treatment.
Shu. S S; Naylor. P P; Touraine. J L JL; Hadden. J W JW
This lab study shows that human fetal thymic cells naturally release the immune‑boosting peptide thymosin‑alpha‑1, but its release isn’t increased by common immune signals and is actually reduced when cortisol‑like hydrocortisone is present. In simple terms, stress hormones may lower the body’s own production of this peptide, while other signals boost different immune chemicals.
Abiko. T T; Sekino. H H
Scientists made a long piece of a rat protein (the 29‑111 fragment of prothymosin alpha) in the lab and tested it on blood from kidney‑failure patients. It boosted a type of immune cell more than the shorter thymosin‑alpha‑1 peptide, but the work was done only in test tubes with a rat version and gave a tiny amount of product. So while it hints the bigger fragment might be stronger, it doesn’t provide a clear, safe way for people to use it.
Hu. S K SK; Badamchian. M M; Mitcho. Y L YL; Goldstein. A L AL
The study shows that a thymic extract called TF5 can make immune cells release more of a signaling molecule called IL‑1 alpha, but this effect isn’t caused by the well‑known peptide thymosin‑alpha‑1. It works in a dose‑dependent way in lab‑grown human cells and also triggers a related response in mice.
Naz. R K RK; Naylor. P H PH; Goldstein. A L AL
The study found that the immune peptide thymosin‑alpha‑1 is naturally present in male semen and female follicular fluid, and higher levels are linked to better sperm counts, larger semen volume, and more mature eggs. Men and women with infertility tended to have lower levels. While the research is only observational, it suggests that thymosin‑alpha‑1 could serve as a biomarker for reproductive health, but it doesn’t provide a dosing or treatment protocol yet.
Ohta. Y Y; Tezuka. E E; Tamura. S S; Sugawara. M M; Nihira. S S; Imai. S S; Yagi. Y Y
In mice with weak immune systems, giving thymosin‑alpha‑1 a couple of times a week raised the amount of a signaling protein called IL‑3, which helps blood‑forming cells grow, but it didn’t raise IL‑2, another key immune signal. The effect was seen only in the sick mice, not in normal healthy ones, suggesting the peptide works early in T‑cell development and may aid immune recovery rather than boost a healthy immune system.