Thymosin alpha-1 (Ta1) is a peptide originally isolated from thymus gland as the compound responsible for restoring immune function. Ta1 helps regulate the immune response.
The Natural killer (NK) cell system is your body’s immune system that shows strong function against stressed cells such as tumor cells and virus-infected cells. NK cells are made for killing. They are constantly on patrol, looking for harmful cells that would like to take up residence in your body and destroy your health, like cancer cells and virus-infected cells.
Thymosin alpha-1 (Ta1) enhances the Natural Killer (NK) system and stimulates the immune response by stimulating stem cells and augmenting the production of new immune cells. The immune system, now activated, then acts in concert to kill bacterial, fungal, or viral infections and tumor cells. It also improves the response to vaccines by stimulating antibody production.
When NK-cells find these “body invaders”, they activate your immune system. Unfortunately, NK-cell function, power, and activity fluctuate throughout your life. As your NK-cell function wears down, your response declines, your “immune system” doesn’t attack and kill the “bad guys” as vigorously as it should, leaving you more vulnerable to illness.
In 2009, a novel influenza A/California/07/09 (A/H1N1v) virus, was first identified in the United States. It caused outbreaks of disease in several countries, triggering the first pandemic of the 21st century.
Thymosin Alpha-1 peptide was tested during that time as an immune enhancing peptide that potentiated the efficacy of viral vaccines especially in patients who had a weakened immune system. It has since been used in the treatment of several cancer and viral infections because of its direct influence of killing virally infected cells and cancerous cells.
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Ta1 has proven to be useful in a wide range of clinical indications. Over 4400 subjects have been enrolled in US, European and Chinese clinical trials investigating the use of Ta1, including primary treatment for subjects with acute infections, such as seen in severe sepsis, and for chronic infections including chronic hepatitis B (CHB), chronic hepatitis C (CHC), and HIV; as an adjunct treatment for cancers, including melanoma, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and NSCLC; and as an enhancement to both hepatitis B and influenza vaccines in immune-depressed individuals.