Thymosin Alpha-1

In a clinical study, 11 test subjects with different immune system dysfunctions were evaluated for levels of natural killer and lymphokine activated killer cells in their system. Immunodeficient subjects demonstrated a mean LAK-cell activity of approximately 65% compared to control subjects. Upon presenting Thymosin Alpha-1, researchers observed it did not significantly improve levels of NK or LAK cells overall, though 3 test subjects were reported to exhibit improved LAK-cell activity by up to 30%.

Clinical trials were conducted in test subjects with liver complications, including some exhibiting Hepatitis B and C. For subjects exhibiting Hepatitis B, when presented with Thymosin Alpha-1 twice a week for the duration of the study, the reported virological response rate appeared increased by 40.6%. For Hepatitis C, subjects reportedly exhibited improved results when Tα1 was present in combination with interferon alpha compounds.

In a 2015 study, a meta-analysis was conducted where all relevant clinical trials prior to 2014 were analyzed to understand the possible mechanism of Thymosin Alpha-1 in relation to the sepsis reaction. Twelve controlled trials were evaluated, and based on extracted data, analysts observed a reported significant decline in mortality rate amongst test subjects following introduction to Thymosin Alpha-1. Subsequent systematic reviews supported the hypothesis that Tα1 could alleviate immunosuppression associated with severe sepsis, though all studies were conducted on small test populations.

In a study monitoring reactive oxygen species levels in test models after presentation of Tα1, Thymosin Alpha-1 was presented in mice with liver carcinoma. The ROS level appeared significantly higher in isolated leuko-monocytes, whereas it was apparently lower in HepG2 cells. The peptide appeared to possibly increase levels of leuko-monocytes while delaying the cell cycle for HepG2 cells, thereby potentially reducing their levels in the system.