DRPSHP

Scientific Reference

Thymosin Alpha 1

Evidence profile: Controlled human evidence

Thymalfasin, the pharmaceutical name for synthetic thymosin alpha 1, was named after the thymus gland from which calf-derived extracts were first purified. The molecule is 28 amino acids long with an acetyl group on the first residue, and it corresponds to the opening stretch of prothymosin alpha, a bigger protein that is thought to release it through proteolytic processing. A very acidic chain, it has little fixed structure when dissolved in water. Published work is divided between cell studies of immune signalling, animal models of infection and cancer, and human clinical studies, which have looked at chronic viral hepatitis, serious infection and responses to vaccination. Most of those human studies are small, and no cellular receptor has been established.

Mechanism of Action

Because there is no confirmed receptor, explanations rely on pathways that have been linked to the peptide. Dendritic cell experiments have tied it to Toll-like receptors, especially TLR9 and TLR2, followed by activation of NF-kB and p38 MAPK. Cell and animal studies describe effects on how T cells mature, on output of cytokines including interleukin-2 and interferon-gamma, and on the activity of natural killer cells. In membrane-like surroundings the chain is reported to adopt a partly helical shape, an observation proposed to matter for cell contact but not yet resolved.

Molecular Information

  • Type: Acetylated thymic peptide
  • Molecular weight: 3108.3 g/mol
  • Molecular formula: C129H215N33O55
  • CAS: 62304-98-7

Published Research

  • Treatment with thymosin alpha-1 increases fertilizing capacity of sperm of infertile men: a multicenter trial

    Naz RK et al. · Archives of andrology · 1995 · Clinical

    PMID 8579476 — View on PubMed

  • Thymosin alpha 1 alleviates inflammation and prevents infection in patients with severe acute pancreatitis through immune regulation: a systematic review and meta-analysis

    Tian Y et al. · Frontiers in immunology · 2025 · Review

    PMID 40599771 — View on PubMed

  • Thymosin Alpha 1 Plus Routine Treatment for the Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

    Cao A et al. · Journal of the College of Physicians and Surgeons--Pakistan : JCPSP · 2024 · Review

    PMID 39648386 — View on PubMed

  • Comprehensive Review of the Safety and Efficacy of Thymosin Alpha 1 in Human Clinical Trials

    Dinetz E et al. · Alternative therapies in health and medicine · 2024 · Review

    PMID 38308608 — View on PubMed

  • The efficacy of thymosin alpha-1 therapy in moderate to critical COVID-19 patients: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression

    Soeroto AY et al. · Inflammopharmacology · 2023 · Review

    PMID 37845598 — View on PubMed