Thymosin Alpha-1 in Immunology Research
A 28-amino-acid thymic peptide, first isolated in the 1970s, and its place in immune-signalling studies.
Thymosin alpha-1 (Tα1) is a 28-amino-acid, N-terminally acetylated peptide of about 3.1 kDa. It was first isolated from a crude thymic extract known as thymosin fraction 5 in the laboratory of Allan Goldstein in the 1970s. The synthetic form is also known by the generic name thymalfasin.
It is a different molecule from thymosin beta-4 and from TB-500, which is a fragment of thymosin beta-4; despite the similar names they are unrelated sequences with different biology.
Mechanism overview
Tα1 is reported to act on innate immune cells through Toll-like receptor signalling (notably TLR2 and TLR9) on dendritic cells, promoting maturation and cytokine production, and to support T-cell differentiation and function downstream of that.
Published research applications
Research uses include immune-modulation studies, vaccine-response and adjuvant models, infection models, and work on immune function in ageing and oncology settings. The synthetic peptide has also been used clinically in several countries, which makes its pharmacology unusually well documented for a research peptide.
Reconstitution and handling
QSC supplies thymosin alpha-1 as lyophilized powder in 10-vial packs of 5 mg and 10 mg vials. Reconstitute in sterile or bacteriostatic water per your protocol and refrigerate; keep long-term stock as lyophilized powder at -20°C and avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles.
