An immunomodulatory peptide derived from the thymus gland, approved in several countries for hepatitis B/C and studied for immune enhancement in cancer and infectious diseases.
Four polypeptide fractions were isolated by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) from culture supernatant of rat thymic epithelial cell line (IT-45R1). Biological activity of these fractions was examined according to the capacity inducing roset…
There is evidence from animal studies that 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) impairs immune responses, with the thymus being a principal target organ. The purpose of this study was to evaluate thymic function, through measurement of thymic h…
1. Thymosin alpha-1, like reactivity, was found in several different species (insects, crab, protozoan, fungus and bacteria) by radioimmunoassay and immune fluorescence and as an extracellular product from the bacterial genus Mycobacterium. 2. Bioche…
Interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) have recently been added to the arsenal of synthetic biological response modifiers with important immunomodulatory activities. In this paper we have assessed the effects of acetylsalicylic acid (a…
We have studied the effects of combination therapy with thymosin alpha 1 and IFN or IL-2 on natural killer cell activity in both normal and immunosuppressed animals after cyclophosphamide treatment and during B-16 melanoma and 3LL tumor growth. Our r…
The authors studied thymus specimens taken at autopsy from eight acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients and compared these with those taken from four patients with congenital immunodeficiency (unrelated to an intrinsic thymus defect) and…
According to gel-filtration experiments, alpha- and beta-thymosins appear to form oligomers, which are 4-5-fold larger than the corresponding polypeptides. However, on analysis by sedimentation equilibrium ultracentrifugation, prothymosin alpha and t…
The potential clinical applications of GnRH agonists are growing. We studied the effects of two GnRH agonists on the adult female rat thymus in 4 experiments. GnRH agonists administered sc and continuously significantly increased wet and dry thymic w…
Cellular immune response to localized upper respiratory viral infection was studied in two groups of healthy volunteers infected with an unnumbered rhinovirus serotype (Hanks). In the first group of 18 volunteers, serum levels of thymosin alpha 1 ros…
We employed an immunocytochemical method to examine human brain for the presence of immunoreactive thymosin alpha 1 (T alpha 1), a peptide derivative of thymic tissue, using a well-characterized antiserum. For cell identification, serial sections wer…
The objective of the present study was to characterize secretion of thymosin alpha 1 (A1) and thymosin beta 4 (B4) during different stages of ovarian function and pregnancy in bovine females. One hundred and thirty-five prepubertal heifers averaging…
A survey is given about the so far known mode of action and the therapeutic application of the following agents with immunostimulatory effects: Interleukin-2, Interferon-gamma, Tumor necrosis factor, Thymosin alpha 1, Thymopentin, Splenopentin, Thymu…
1. Thymic peptide thymosin alpha 1 (10(-10)-10(-7) M) is shown to inhibit the specific binding of 125I-labelled VIP. 2. Thymosin alpha 1 was 1500 times less potent than VIP at inhibiting 125I-labelled VIP binding. 3. Thymosin alpha 1 (10(-10)-10(-7)…
Thymosin alpha 1 (T alpha 1) and thymosin fraction 5 (TF5) have been shown to induce lymphocyte maturation and differentiation as well as to modulate mature immune responses to antigens and mitogens. The present study focused on the characterization…
Initial stages of insulin-receptor interaction in two types of blood cells (erythrocytes and monocytes) as well as of thymosin-receptor interaction in thymic lymphocytes of rat were studied by electron microscope. Hormone-receptor complexes were mark…
Incubation of human peripheral blood monocytes (PBM) with a partially purified thymic preparation, thymosin fraction (TF5), results in a dose dependent production of an interleukin-1 (IL-1)-like factor. The biological activity of this factor can be b…
Prothymosin alpha and thymosin alpha 1 are believed to be thymus-derived, hormone-like materials with immunomodulatory functions performed outside the cell. These functions are inconsistent with the existence of a full length cDNA clone that does not…
Prothymosin alpha (ProT alpha), a polypeptide containing the sequence of thymosin alpha 1 (T alpha 1) at its NH2-terminus, has been isolated from calf thymocytes in a concentration in the order of that found in the whole thymic gland. As deduced from…
Numerous Plasmodium falciparum antigens contain repetitive amino acid sequences. Two blood stage antigens, Pf11-1 and Pf332, were characterized in our laboratories and present high cross-reactivities, defining a family of cross-reacting antigens. In…