If you have been reading about thymalfasin and want a single page that covers the useful parts, this is it: definitions, context, how it is studied, and the questions that come up repeatedly.
Updated 2025-11-30. Numbers and descriptions here follow the published literature rather than marketing material.
Immune signaling studies link thymosin alpha 1 to Toll-like receptor pathways, particularly TLR2 and TLR9, on dendritic cells and other antigen-presenting cells. Activation of these receptors promotes maturation of T cells and increases natural killer cell activity. The peptide shifts cytokine output toward a T helper 1 profile, raising interferon gamma and interleukin 2 while modulating interleukin 10. Whether these effects translate into clinical benefit for any specific disease remains a subject of debate. Reported outcomes vary across trials and populations.
Thymosin alpha 1 is approved as a medicine in several countries, including Italy and China, for indications such as chronic hepatitis B and as an immune adjuvant. It is not approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration as a therapeutic product. In research settings the peptide appears in studies of sepsis, vaccine response, and oncology support, often with mixed or inconclusive results. The evidence base is uneven, and reviews note that many trials were small. Regulatory status therefore differs widely between jurisdictions.
胸腺素α1（thymosin alpha 1，Tα1）是一种由28个氨基酸组成的酸性肽，N端被乙酰化，分子量约为3108道尔顿。该肽最早从牛胸腺组织提取物中分离，属于胸腺素组分5的一个成分。其序列在不同哺乳动物中高度保守，提示其具有基本的生物学功能。名称中的“α1”指其在电泳中的迁移位置，并非表示亚型编号。它既存在于胸腺，也存在于脾脏和淋巴结等免疫组织。
20世纪70年代，研究者从胸腺提取物中纯化出多种小肽，Tα1是其中被较早表征的一种。最初的制备依赖组织匀浆和层析步骤，产量低且成分复杂。随着固相肽合成技术成熟，实验室和工业界能够生产与天然序列一致的合成版本。合成肽的纯度可达95%以上，并可通过反相高效液相色谱和质谱进行鉴定。这一转变使研究不再依赖动物胸腺来源。
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Molecular mass | ≈3,108 Da | Synthetic 28-residue peptide |
| Amino acid count | 28 | N-terminal serine carries an acetyl group |
| Appearance | White to off-white powder | Lyophilized solid |
| Water solubility | Freely soluble | Dissolves in aqueous buffer |
| Common synonyms | Thymalfasin; Tα1 | Thymalfasin is the international nonproprietary name |
Lyophilized material is typically treated as a hygroscopic solid that should be brought to room temperature before the container is opened, which limits condensation on the powder. Reconstitution is commonly done with sterile water or a buffered diluent, and gentle mixing is preferred over vigorous agitation to reduce foaming and surface adsorption. Because peptides can bind to plastic and glass, diluents containing a small amount of carrier protein are sometimes used in laboratory work. Working solutions are generally aliquoted and prepared fresh rather than subjected to repeated freezing and thawing.
Stability depends on temperature, pH, and the number of freeze-thaw events the sample has experienced. Freeze-dried material is commonly held at -20 °C or colder, while reconstituted liquid is kept cold and used within a short window. Extreme pH and prolonged light exposure can promote deamidation, oxidation, or aggregation, particularly at asparagine and methionine positions. Adsorption to container walls can lower the measured concentration of a dilute solution even when the peptide molecules themselves remain intact.
Identity and purity are usually assessed by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, which separates the target peptide from truncated or chemically modified byproducts. Mass spectrometry confirms the expected molecular mass and can indicate acetylation state or sequence errors. Amino acid analysis and peptide mapping supply complementary sequence-level information, while endotoxin testing is relevant for preparations intended for cell or animal work. Purity figures reported by suppliers refer to the method used and are not directly comparable across laboratories unless conditions are stated.
Thymosin alpha-1 is a synthetic peptide of 28 amino acids whose sequence matches the amino-terminal region of prothymosin alpha. The chain is acetylated at its first residue and contains one disulfide bridge between two cysteine residues, which folds the molecule into a compact loop. Its molecular formula, C129H215N33O55, corresponds to a monoisotopic mass of roughly 3,106 daltons. Material used in laboratories is made by solid-phase synthesis rather than isolated from animal tissue.
Early work on thymic extracts in the 1960s described a heat-stable acidic fraction containing many polypeptides. Separation of that mixture yielded individual components, and thymosin alpha-1 was named as one of them on the basis of assays for T-cell activity. The first preparations came from calf thymus, while subsequent research and clinical material has been chemically synthesized. Nomenclature in older papers is inconsistent, and the same peptide sometimes appears under different designations, which complicates literature searches.
Thymosin alpha-1 is a synthetic 28-amino-acid peptide whose sequence was first identified in extracts of bovine thymus tissue during the 1970s. The chain carries an acetyl group on its N-terminal serine. Its acidic residue content is high, which produces strong water solubility and an isoelectric point well below neutrality. Material supplied for laboratory and clinical use is manufactured by solid-phase peptide synthesis rather than purified from animal tissue. Different salt forms, such as the acetate, alter the counter-ion content without changing the peptide backbone.
Whether the free 28-residue peptide circulates in human tissue remains debated. The best-documented human source is prothymosin alpha, a larger acidic protein that carries the sequence at its N-terminus. Reports of measurable peptide levels in serum and lymphoid tissue exist, yet some of that signal may come from cross-reacting fragments or from the parent protein. Most reviews therefore treat prothymosin alpha as the established human molecule and describe independent circulation of the small peptide as an unresolved question.
Decay modes in parentheses are given for observationally stable nuclides (these and these); they are then those allowed to occur by energy (in the next column), but spontaneous fission (and cluster decay, which is never shown in the tables) are neglected as they should never be observed for these nuclides. Those with multiple significant decay modes have the probability of each decay mode in percent given, in small figures, in parentheses; those less than 0.05% are rounded to zero and omitted, and 100 (>99.5% of observed decays) is not used but replaced by bold unless the only other decays are SF or double beta, assumed to be minority decays if not listed first. If more than one of α, β−, β+/ε, IT is given without numbers or bold, one can assume no experimental data is available. Note that, by widely used convention, β+ (technically positron emission) includes ε, and conversely, if positron emission is energetically possible; the two are never separated on this page.
Terrestrial plants make leaf waxes to coat the surfaces of their leaves, to minimize water loss. These waxes are largely straight-chain n-alkyl lipids. They are insoluble, non-volatile, chemically inert, and resistant to degradation, making them easily preserved in the sedimentary record, and therefore good targets as biomarkers. The main water source for land plants is soil water, which largely resembles the HIC of rain water, but varies between environments and with enrichment by precipitation, depletion by evaporation, and exchange with atmospheric water vapor. There can be a significant offset between the δD value of source water and the δD value of leaf water at the site of lipid biosynthesis. No fractionation is associated with water uptake by roots, a process usually driven by capillary tension, with the one exception of xerophytes that burn ATP to pump water in extremely arid environments (with a roughly 10‰ depletion). However, leaf water can be substantially enriched relative to soil water due to transpiration, an evaporative process which is influenced by temperature, humidity, and the composition of surrounding water vapor. The leaf water HIC can be described with a modified Craig-Gordon model, where ΔDe is the steady state enrichment of leaf water, εeq is the temperature-dependent equilibrium fractionation between liquid water and vapor, εk is the KIE from diffusion between leaf internal air space and the atmosphere, ΔDv is the leaf/air disequilibrium, ea is atmospheric vapor pressure, and ei is internal leaf vapor pressure.
== Biological background == The genetic instructions of every replicating cell in a living organism are contained within its DNA. Throughout the cell's lifetime, this information is transcribed and replicated by cellular mechanisms to produce proteins or to provide instructions for daughter cells during cell division, and the possibility exists that the DNA may be altered during these processes. This is known as a mutation. At the molecular level, there are regulatory systems that correct most — but not all — of these changes to the DNA before it is replicated. The functionality of a protein is highly dependent on its structure. Changing a single amino acid in a protein may reduce its ability to carry out this function, or the mutation may even change the function that the protein carries out. Changes like these may severely impact a crucial function in a cell, potentially causing the cell — and in extreme cases, the organism — to die. Conversely, the change may allow the cell to continue functioning albeit differently, and the mutation can be passed on to the organism's offspring. If this change does not result in any significant physical disadvantage to the offspring, the possibility exists that this mutation will persist within the population. The possibility also exists that the change in function becomes advantageous. The 20 amino acids translated by the genetic code vary greatly by the physical and chemical properties of their side chains. However, these amino acids can be categorised into groups with similar physicochemical properties.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
The Aleutians are home to many large colonies of seabirds. Buldir Island has 21 breeding seabird species, including the Bering Sea-endemic red-legged kittiwake. Large seabird colonies are also present at Kiska, Gareloi, Semisopochnoi, Bogoslof, and others. The islands are also frequented by vagrant Asiatic birds, including the common rosefinch, Siberian rubythroat, bluethroat, lanceolated warbler, and the first North American record of the intermediate egret. The habitats of the Aleutians are largely unspoiled, but wildlife is affected by competition from introduced species such as cattle, caribou, and foxes. Nearly all of the Aleutians are protected as part of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge and the Aleutian Islands Wilderness. Observations have identified sea otters as a keystone species along the coasts of many of the Aleutian Islands. Their presence encourages the growth of kelp forests, as the otters control sea urchin populations (as large populations of sea urchins can create urchin barrens by clearing away kelp stands).
Popular sports in Malaysia include association football, badminton, field hockey, bowls, tennis, squash, martial arts, horse riding, sailing, and skate boarding. Football is the most popular sport in Malaysia. Badminton matches also attract thousands of spectators, and since 1948 Malaysia has been one of four countries to hold the Thomas Cup, the world team championship trophy of men's badminton. The Malaysian Lawn Bowls Federation was registered in 1997. Squash was brought to the country by members of the British army, with the first competition being held in 1939. The Squash Racquets Association of Malaysia was created on 25 June 1972. The men's national field hockey team ranked 10th in the world as of June 2022. The 3rd Hockey World Cup was hosted at Merdeka Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, as well as the 10th cup. The country also has its own Formula One track—the Sepang International Circuit, with the first Malaysian Grand Prix held in 1999. Traditional sports include Silat Melayu, the most common style of martial arts practised by ethnic Malays. The Federation of Malaya Olympic Council was formed in 1953 and received recognition by the IOC in 1954. It first participated in the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games. The council was renamed the Olympic Council of Malaysia in 1964, and has participated in all but one Olympic games since its inception. The largest number of athletes ever sent to the Olympics was 57 to the 1972 Munich Olympic Games. Besides the Olympic Games, Malaysia also participates in the Paralympic Games.
Abacavir (ABC), sold under the brand name Ziagen among others, is a medication used to treat HIV/AIDS. Similar to other nucleoside analog reverse-transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), abacavir is used together with other HIV medications, and is not recommended by itself. It is taken by mouth as a tablet or solution and may be used in children over the age of three months. Abacavir is generally well tolerated. Common side effects include vomiting, insomnia (trouble sleeping), fever, and feeling tired. Other common side effects include loss of appetite, headache, nausea (feeling sick), diarrhea, rash, and lethargy (lack of energy). More severe side effects include hypersensitivity, liver damage, and lactic acidosis. Genetic testing can indicate whether a person is at higher risk of developing hypersensitivity. Symptoms of hypersensitivity include rash, vomiting, and shortness of breath. Abacavir is in the NRTI class of medications, which work by blocking reverse transcriptase, an enzyme needed for HIV virus replication. Within the NRTI class, abacavir is a carbocyclic nucleoside. Abacavir was patented in 1988, and approved for use in the United States in 1998. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. It is available as a generic medication. Abacavir is used together with other HIV medications, such as abacavir/lamivudine/zidovudine, abacavir/dolutegravir/lamivudine, and abacavir/lamivudine. The combination abacavir/lamivudine is an essential medicine.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Milanese resumed football activity only at a regional level, only to officially end it at the end of the 1945-1946 season. In 2021, after 75 years, a new project is initiated: from the union of three clubs from the south of Milan (Accademia Sandonatese and ACD Metanopoli Calcio) Football Club Milanese 1902 is born, whose first team plays in the fifth division of the Italian championship, with a regional youth sector. F.C. Milanese 1902 was recreated with the intention of giving continuity in the football field to its ancestor U.S. Milanese, taking up its history, logo, traditions and club colours. Right now, F.C. Milanese 1902 is playing at the non-professional level with a youth sector of regional level.
Anethole trithione, anetholtrithione, or anetholtrithion (JAN) is a drug used in the treatment of dry mouth. It is listed in the U.S. National Cancer Institute's Dictionary of Cancer Terms as being studied in the treatment of cancer. Anethole trithione is an organosulfur compound, specifically, a dithiole-thione derivative.
=== Competing reactions === The most common side reactivity associated with the Stille reaction is homocoupling of the stannane reagents to form an R2-R2 dimer. It is believed to proceed through two possible mechanisms. First, reaction of two equivalents of organostannane with the Pd(II) precatalyst will yield the homocoupled product after reductive elimination. Second, the Pd(0) catalyst can undergo a radical process to yield the dimer. The organostannane reagent used is traditionally tetravalent at tin, normally consisting of the sp2-hybridized group to be transferred and three "non-transferable" alkyl groups. As seen above, alkyl groups are normally the slowest at migrating onto the palladium catalyst.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
It is a chain of 28 amino acids, with an acetyl group attached to the first serine residue. The synthetic version replicates this sequence. Its molecular mass is about 3,108 daltons.
It is usually described as an immunomodulatory peptide rather than a classic hormone. It acts on immune cells through receptor pathways. No single endocrine organ target defines its function.
Several countries, including Italy and China, allow it for specific indications. The FDA has not approved it as a drug in the United States. Availability depends on local regulation.
它不是经典的内分泌激素，而是一种免疫调节肽。其作用主要通过局部免疫细胞间的信号传递实现，而非经血液循环作用于远隔器官。