Thymalin

Thymosin Research and Lifespan Extension

Studies conducted in Russia at the beginning of the 21st century demonstrated that thymosin has a normalizing effect on many baseline physiological functions in the elderly. The older adults in the study had improved cardiovascular, immune and nervous system function. They also demonstrated improved metabolism and a tendency toward homeostasis characteristic of younger people. Overall, the study showed significant reductions in acute respiratory disease, hypertension, osteoporosis, ischemic heart disease and arthritis symptoms. During the course of the trial, mortality was reduced twofold in those taking thymosin.

Thymosin appears to act synergistically with certain other thymus and pineal isolates, reducing mortality by up to four times when combined with epithelins. This is not surprising given that the thymus and pineal gland are interrelated in the aging process. In fact, the pineal gland, when functioning optimally, protects the thymus from age-related degeneration.

Thymosin Research and Immune System Function

Numerous studies on the effects of thymosin on the immune system have shown that the peptide primarily alters cellular immunity by altering the levels of lymphocyte subpopulations, affecting T-cell differentiation, and altering natural killer (NK) cell activity. This is important because many chronic diseases (e.g., diabetes) lead to an imbalance in cellular immunity that slowly evolves into severe immunosuppression, which increases susceptibility to a wide range of diseases from infections to cancer.

In patients with diabetic retinopathy, administration of thymosin leads to immune correction and proliferation of T lymphocytes, which reduces inflammation and slows disease progression. The same benefits may apply to chronic immunodeficiency/immune dysregulation in HIV. The combination of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and thymosin may even reverse the damage to the immune system and increase the number of CD4+ T-cells in HIV patients.

Thymosin is also being investigated as a potential adjuvant for HIV vaccines, as studies have shown that it enhances T-cell responses to vaccines and provides greater protection. This function of thymosin may make it one of the most important vaccine adjuvants ever developed, allowing vaccines to be administered less frequently and/or at lower doses using less virulent pathogens. This can make vaccines safer and more effective.

Studies on rats with thyroidectomized thyroid glands have shown that they typically experience a decrease in thymic function, followed by weight loss and decreased cell proliferation. Administration of thymosin appears to reverse these changes or prevent them from occurring in the first place. The end result is improved immune function, reduced risk of infection, and improved overall health.

Thymosin Research and Cancer

Studies in mice have shown that thymosin may be an effective adjuvant for pulsed laser radiation used to treat certain types of cancer. Neodymium lasers are frequently used to treat cancerous and precancerous skin lesions (including melanoma) with moderate to high success rates. The technique is particularly useful for the prevention of metastasis. However, the benefits of pulsed laser therapy may be extended by the concomitant administration of thymoquinone, which has been shown to increase the number of antibody-producing cells in the spleen when used in combination with laser therapy. It is thought that this may have a greater inhibitory effect on tumors and help achieve higher rates of remission or cure.

However, thymosin does not need to be combined with laser therapy to have an effect on cancer. Studies in rats have shown that subtherapeutic doses of thymosin have significant antitumor effects, resulting in tumor growth arrest in nearly 80% of cases and tumor regression in more than half of the animals in the experiment.

The combination of thymosin and plasma exchange has also shown benefit in the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. In this case, the peptide/plasma replacement combination was more effective than standard chemotherapeutic agents in producing blood compensation. The treatment also improved the activity of the lymphatic system. In other words, when combined with plasma replacement, thymosin accelerates the return of the blood system to homeostasis and leads to more rapid clinical and blood-based remissions.

Thymosin and psoriasis

Psoriasis is a specific inflammatory disease affecting the skin and joints. Clinical studies have shown that combining standard treatment for psoriasis with thymoquinone improves laboratory measures of the disease. Importantly, these improvements in laboratory measures of psoriasis activity were strongly correlated with improvements in patients’ clinical status. This suggests that thymosin has a measurable and observable effect on disease status.

Thymosin studies and tuberculosis

The study treated patients with severe progressive tuberculosis with either standard antibiotic therapy or antibiotic therapy plus thymosin. The group given thymosin had a significantly higher clinical cure rate compared to the group given antibiotics only. Even more encouraging was the fact that the cure rate was close to 95% with thymosin/antibiotic therapy specifically tailored to the patient’s needs. This is important because TB is increasingly resistant to standard and even experimental antibiotic therapies, which include one to four individual antimicrobial drugs. Thymosin is particularly effective if given early in the course of the infection.

These findings are not surprising in view of the fact that patients with severe tuberculosis show a higher degree of suppression of cellular immune function, as measured by T cell counts. Not only are T cells in this population fewer in number, but they are also less capable of matricellular transformation. When combined with an immunosuppressive disease such as diabetes, the decline in cellular immunity is even more dramatic. Thymosin seems to be able to rescue the immune system in such cases, allowing the body to fight infections more effectively.

Thymosin Fights Kidney Disease

Research suggests that patients suffering from the inflammatory kidney disease chronic glomerulonephritis may benefit from thymosin administration. In a clinical study of Russian patients, those treated with thymosin showed improvements in kidney function and blood markers of inflammation. They also showed improvements in immunologic measures of disease, which may lead to an overall reduction in kidney damage and thus remission, or at least a delay in dialysis/transplantation.

Thymosin and circadian rhythm disruption

Evidence from rats links changes in thymic factor to changes in circadian rhythms, which in turn are associated with changes in cellular and humoral immunity. Studies have shown that seasonal changes in the circadian cycle alter peak levels of thymic function, leading to suppression of the immune system. This finding (including changes in antibody levels) may indicate why colds and flu are more common in the winter months when the days are shorter. It could also explain why older people are more susceptible to infections, as our circadian rhythms often change as we age. Taking thymosin does not reset the circadian cycle, but it does correct immune deficiencies associated with changes in the sleep-wake cycle. This may make thymosin an effective method of preventing infections, perhaps even more effective than some vaccines (e.g., the flu vaccine).

Thymosin Research and Heart Disease and Atherosclerosis

Heart disease is easier to prevent than to treat. Once heart disease occurs, it can only be reversed by extreme dieting, and even then, the process takes a lot of time and dedication. Studies on rabbits have shown that thymosin can prevent and reverse heart disease by lowering lipid levels and directly affecting the lymphocytes responsible for removing plaque from artery walls. Studies have shown that thymosin normalizes T-cell suppressive activity and sensitivity to substances that cause atherosclerosis, reducing or eliminating the immune dysfunction that leads to plaque formation. In short, thymosin appears to reduce the dysfunction that normally contributes to the immune system’s inability to fight heart disease.

Thymosin studies and postoperative risks and complications

Russian research suggests that thymosin may be an effective way to prevent infections and inflammatory complications after surgery. Besides blood clots, infection is the biggest complication of surgery. Infection, especially after orthopedic surgery, is the leading cause of death in postoperative patients. Any measure to reduce the risk of postoperative infections could be a major boon to healthcare, making it possible to operate on patients who may be considered too risky and reducing the incidence of adverse events associated with major surgical procedures.

Thymosin Research and Gum Disease

Periodontitis is inflammation of the gums and the structures that support the teeth. It can be painful, but more importantly, it is a common cause of tooth loss. Periodontitis is an easily preventable disease with regular visits to the dentist and proper oral hygiene, but once it develops it can be difficult to treat. Studies have shown that thymosin can reduce inflammation in this condition and enhance the proper cellular immune components needed to fight the bacteria at the root of periodontitis.

Thyroxin Research and Anorexia Nervosa

Changes in circulating levels of thyroid hormones are common in anorexia nervosa. This is thought to lead to changes in peripheral lymphocyte levels and to the decreased immune function common in this population. Taking thymosin appears to counteract the immune changes of anorexia nervosa and may even help reverse the thymic atrophy that occurs in these patients. It is important to note that since thymosin requires zinc to function, patients with anorexia nervosa require zinc supplementation in addition to thymosin to ensure maximum function. Clinical studies are ongoing.

Thymosin and Immunomodulation

Research to date suggests that the primary benefits of thymosin are primarily the result of the peptide’s effects on cellular immune function. By boosting cellular immunity, particularly the function of T-cells, thymosin helps to restore the body’s normal balance, thereby fighting infections, reducing the progression of cancer, preventing heart disease, and lowering levels of inflammation and dysfunction. Although research is still ongoing, some of the clinical uses of thymosin have become standard therapy over the years. It is even hoped that thymosin may help improve the effectiveness of vaccines and antibiotics, but in a world plagued by an increasing number of drug-resistant superbugs, this is unlikely to materialize anytime soon.