If you have been reading about lyophilized powder 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.
Last reviewed on 2026-05-23. Where a claim depends on a specific study, the study is described rather than over-claimed.
Thymosin alpha-1 is a synthetic peptide of 28 amino acids, corresponding to the N-terminal fragment of prothymosin alpha. Its sequence begins with acetylation at the N-terminus, a modification that affects stability and receptor interaction. The peptide is acidic, with a calculated isoelectric point near 4.2, and carries no disulfide bonds, so its secondary structure is largely flexible in solution. Molecular mass is approximately 3108 daltons. The native form was first isolated from bovine thymus tissue, while pharmaceutical material is produced by solid-phase peptide synthesis.
Within the immune system, the peptide acts on several cell types rather than a single target. Reported activities include promotion of T-cell maturation, enhancement of natural killer cell activity, and modulation of cytokine production by dendritic cells and macrophages. Some of these effects appear to operate through toll-like receptor signaling, though the precise receptor-level mechanism remains debated. Whether the observed immune changes translate into clinical benefit is a separate question and depends on the indication studied.
The compound has been investigated as an adjunct in chronic viral hepatitis and as a vaccine adjuvant, with results that vary by study design and population. Regulators in some countries have approved a synthetic form for specific indications, while other agencies have not. Whether the peptide produces consistent clinical benefit across diverse patient groups is still an open question, and many trials have been small. Its status is therefore best described as investigational in many contexts and established only narrowly.
The name itself causes confusion, because several unrelated thymic peptides share the thymosin label. Thymosin beta-4, for example, is a different molecule with different functions. Naming conventions in the literature also mix descriptive research terms with assigned nonproprietary names, so a reader should confirm which entity a given paper addresses. Clarifying that point is usually the first step in interpreting any claim about this peptide.
Thymosin alpha-1 is a short peptide of 28 amino acid residues first described in the 1970s as a component of thymic extracts. Its N-terminal residue carries an acetyl group, and the sequence is highly conserved across mammalian species. The peptide is not encoded as a standalone gene product; it is released by proteolytic cleavage from the N-terminus of prothymosin alpha, a larger acidic nuclear protein. That precursor relationship places it within a broader family of thymic and immune-associated peptides that have been studied for decades.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical class | Synthetic peptide, 28 residues | N-terminal fragment of prothymosin alpha |
| Molecular mass | About 3108 Da | Acetylated form |
| Isoelectric point | Near 4.2 | Acidic peptide |
| Appearance | White to off-white lyophilized powder | Common supplied form |
| Typical storage | -20 °C or below, dry | Solution stability is lower |
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。
Identity and purity testing for thymosin alpha 1 relies mainly on reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. Chromatography separates the parent peptide from truncated or modified variants, while mass spectrometry confirms the expected molecular mass. Amino acid analysis and peptide mapping provide additional sequence confirmation. Counterion content, water content, and residual solvents are measured separately as part of specification testing. No single method captures every attribute, so laboratories combine several techniques.
The peptide lacks cysteine, methionine, and tryptophan, so disulfide scrambling and sulfur oxidation are not major degradation routes. Instead, aspartate residues can undergo isomerization or cyclization to succinimide intermediates, generating isoaspartate variants. Hydrolysis of peptide bonds also occurs slowly in solution. These changes may reduce biological activity even when the main peak remains detectable. Stability studies therefore track both potency and the appearance of related substances.
Thymosin alpha 1 is a short peptide first isolated from bovine thymus tissue in the early 1970s during fractionation work aimed at identifying factors that influence T cell development. It belongs to a family of acidic thymic peptides, and the original preparations contained several components that were later separated by chromatography. The compound is now produced synthetically rather than extracted from tissue, which removes batch variability tied to animal sourcing. Researchers describe it as an immunomodulatory peptide because laboratory studies show effects on several cell types of the innate and adaptive immune systems.
The molecule consists of 28 amino acid residues with an acetyl group attached to the N-terminal serine. Its sequence is acidic overall, with several glutamic and aspartic acid residues distributed along the chain and no cysteine, so disulfide bridges do not form. The peptide carries a net negative charge at physiological pH. Because the N-terminus is blocked, the intact molecule resists degradation by many aminopeptidases, which contributes to its stability in biological fluids.
The peptide is generated in cells by cleavage of prothymosin alpha, a larger acidic protein encoded by the PTMA gene. Prothymosin alpha is expressed in many tissues, not only in the thymus, and its functions include nuclear roles in chromatin-related processes. The 28-residue fragment corresponds to the N-terminal portion of that precursor. How the cleavage occurs and how the fragment's concentration is regulated remain open questions; circulating amounts are small and difficult to measure reliably with routine assays.
Thymosin alpha-1 is supplied as a lyophilized powder in most research settings. The solid dissolves readily in water and in common aqueous buffers, and it is typically reconstituted shortly before use. Solutions are clear and colourless at ordinary working concentrations. Because the peptide is hygroscopic, weighing and reconstitution are usually performed with minimal exposure to ambient air. Aliquots are prepared to avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles, and working solutions are kept cold.
Long-term storage is generally at minus twenty degrees Celsius or colder, preferably desiccated and protected from light. Lyophilized material is more stable than reconstituted solution, which degrades faster at room temperature. Stability depends on pH, ionic strength, and the presence of oxidising agents. Published stability data for the peptide are limited, so storage claims in catalogues should be treated as general guidance rather than measured guarantees. Freeze-thaw cycles are kept to a minimum.
Identity and purity are normally confirmed by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. The expected mass for the acetylated 28-residue peptide is close to 3108 daltons, and a mass shift indicates a modification or truncation. Peptide mapping after enzymatic digestion can resolve sequence-level questions. Counter-ion content, water content, and residual solvents are separate quality attributes that a certificate of analysis may or may not report. Aggregation is monitored by size-exclusion chromatography when relevant.
DBS research targets include, but are not limited to, the following areas: Cg25 for depression, the anterior limb of the internal capsule for depression as well as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), centromedian/parafasicularis, centromedian thalamic nuclei and the subthalamic nucleus for OCD, anorexia and Tourette syndrome; the nucleus accumbens and ventral striatum have also been assayed for depression and pain.
Jamal al-Husayni Tewfiq al-Husayni Yusif Sahyun Kamil al-Dajani Emile al-Ghury Rafiq al-Tamimi and Anwar al-Khatib (all members of or affiliated with the Palestine Arab Party) Izzat Tannous (an independent Christian medical doctor) Antone Attallah (a member of the Greek Orthodox community) Ahmad al-Shukayri (a lawyer from Acre and an Arab nationalist) Sami Taha – head of Palestine Arab Workers Society Yousef Haikal (the mayor of Jaffa, who was politically independent) The Istiqlal Party and other nationalist groups objected to these moves, and formed a rival Arab Higher Front. In May 1946, the Arab League ordered the dissolution of the AHC and Arab Higher Front and formed a five-member Arab Higher Executive, under Amin al-Husayni's chairmanship, and based in Cairo. The new AHE consisted of:
== Research == Meta-analysis found an association between periodontal disease and RA, but the mechanism of this association remains unclear. Two bacterial species associated with periodontitis are implicated as mediators of protein citrullination in the gums of people with RA. Vitamin D deficiency is more common in people with rheumatoid arthritis than in the general population. However, whether vitamin D deficiency is a cause or a consequence of the disease remains unclear. One meta-analysis found that vitamin D levels are low in people with rheumatoid arthritis and that vitamin D status correlates inversely with prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis, suggesting that vitamin D deficiency is associated with susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis. The fibroblast-like synoviocytes have a prominent role in the pathogenic processes of the rheumatic joints, and therapies that target these cells are emerging as promising therapeutic tools, raising hope for future applications in rheumatoid arthritis. Possible links with intestinal barrier dysfunction are investigated.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Four drugs from the class of direct Xa inhibitors are marketed worldwide. Rivaroxaban (Xarelto) was the first approved FXa inhibitor to become commercially available in Europe and Canada in 2008. The second one was apixaban (Eliquis), approved in Europe in 2011 and in the United States in 2012. The third one edoxaban (Lixiana, Savaysa) was approved in Japan in 2011 and in Europe and the US in 2015. Betrixaban (Bevyxxa) was approved in the US in 2017.
The right to take collective action, including the "right to strike" within "the laws of the particular country" is a universal right in international law. However, Australian law is one of the most restrictive on unions' freedom to take action to protect members' interests, and progressive restrictions on voice at work have matched a stagnation of wages. Before 1993, the law formally did not allow strike action at all, although in practice many strikes took place. Disputes were meant to be solved by compulsory arbitration, leading to notable instances of union officers being sued in tort for millions in damages where they took action. This is because under old common law, a strike that breaks a contract may lead to the imposition of industrial torts. Under the Fair Work Act 2009 section 19, industrial action is performing work "in a manner different from that in which it is customarily performed" or "a restriction or limitation on, or a delay in, the performance of work". It is not clear whether picketing is always industrial action, given a Federal Court case before the FWA 2009 doubting that it was, leading to the result that picketing would not be protected action, but also that the FWC could not issue stop orders against pickets.
== Chemistry == Chemical investigations of petroleum ether and chloroform extracts led to the isolation of β-sitosterol, ursolic acid, oleanolic acid, 3-epiursolic acid, 3-epioleanolic acid and minor triterpenoids of derivatives of ursolic acid and oleanolic acids. Chromatographic purification of the methanol extract yield two iridoid glucosides (verbenalin and hastatoside), a phenylpropanoid glycoside, verbascoside and β-sitosterol-D-glucoside. Hastatoside and verbenalin have sleep-promoting (soporific) properties. It also contains a monoterpene alcohol called verbenol. In another study, four compounds were isolated and identified as apigenin, 4'-hydroxywogonin, verbenalin, and hastatoside. Aucubin has also been found as one of the active constituents.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
It corresponds to a fragment of the larger protein prothymosin alpha, which is present in many tissues. The isolated 28-amino-acid peptide was originally obtained from thymus preparations, and the pharmaceutical product is synthesized rather than extracted. The term therefore describes both a natural fragment and a manufactured drug substance.
Thymosin alpha-1 is a single defined 28-residue peptide, while the broader family includes unrelated peptides such as thymosin beta-4. The shared name reflects historical isolation from thymus tissue rather than a common structure. Confusion between the two is common in older literature.
No single pathway fully accounts for its reported effects. Several studies describe interaction with innate immune receptors and downstream cytokine changes, but the complete picture is not settled. Open questions remain about which effects occur at physiological concentrations.
It is usually classified as an immunomodulatory peptide rather than a classical hormone. It derives from the larger protein prothymosin alpha and acts mainly on immune cells. The thymosin label covers a group of distinct peptides, so the naming can be misleading.