Also known as: Thymalfasin
Thymosin alpha-1 (thymalfasin) is a small peptide first isolated from thymus tissue and now made synthetically. It has been studied in many human randomized trials, mostly in China and Europe, plus mouse and cell work on immune signaling.
Established in lab work: thymosin alpha-1 activates dendritic cells through Toll-like receptor signaling and pushes T-helper responses toward a Th1 profile [1]. Reviews describe it as promoting T-cell maturation and differentiation and raising IL-2, interferon and natural killer cell activity [2][3]. Proposed: a two-way 'immune-balancing' effect, raising T-cell function while dampening excess cytokine release, is suggested by clinical and lab data but not fully mapped [4].
| Study | Model | Reported result | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dendritic cell activation via TLRs [1] | Cell Dendritic cells, antifungal-response lab model | Researchers reported Tα1 activated dendritic cells through Toll-like receptor signaling, favoring Th1-type antifungal responses. | Peer-reviewed Blood 2004 |
| Meta-analysis in intensive-care adults [4] | Human Systematic review and meta-analysis; 11 randomized controlled trials, 1,927 adults | Endpoints pooled: clinical and immune markers (see publication). Published. | Peer-reviewed Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2025 |
| Meta-analysis of immune markers [2] | Human Systematic review and meta-analysis; 5 randomized controlled trials, 706 adults | Endpoints pooled: CD4+/CD8+ T-cell percentages, CRP, and other clinical outcome measures. Published. | Peer-reviewed Front Immunol 2025 |
| Combination-therapy cohort [3] | Human Single-center retrospective cohort, 92 adults on kinase-inhibitor plus checkpoint-inhibitor therapy, with or without Tα1 | Endpoints: survival and safety. Retrospective, not randomized. Published. | Peer-reviewed Sci Rep 2025 |
| Circulating Tα1 and heart function [5] | Human Single-center retrospective cohort, 307 adults (274 after a cardiac event, 33 controls); no Tα1 given | Researchers measured blood Tα1 levels against left-ventricular ejection fraction. Observational. Published. | Peer-reviewed Front Cardiovasc Med 2025 |
Human trials are listed for research context only; outcomes are reported in the linked publications. Animal and lab results do not establish effects in humans.
PureLab does not carry Thymosin alpha-1 yet. Research demand decides what we add next; leave your email and we’ll tell you when it’s available.
