thymosin alpha 1 comes up often in conversation and rarely with the context attached. Here we lay out the basics in order, then work through the practical considerations.
Updated 2026-02-07. Numbers and descriptions here follow the published literature rather than marketing material.
Thymosin alpha-1 is a synthetic peptide of 28 amino acids whose sequence matches the amino-terminal region of prothymosin alpha. The chain is acetylated at its first residue and contains one disulfide bridge between two cysteine residues, which folds the molecule into a compact loop. Its molecular formula, C129H215N33O55, corresponds to a monoisotopic mass of roughly 3,106 daltons. Material used in laboratories is made by solid-phase synthesis rather than isolated from animal tissue.
Early work on thymic extracts in the 1960s described a heat-stable acidic fraction containing many polypeptides. Separation of that mixture yielded individual components, and thymosin alpha-1 was named as one of them on the basis of assays for T-cell activity. The first preparations came from calf thymus, while subsequent research and clinical material has been chemically synthesized. Nomenclature in older papers is inconsistent, and the same peptide sometimes appears under different designations, which complicates literature searches.
Most published studies on thymosin alpha-1 report changes in immune measurements rather than clinical outcomes, and findings differ across designs and populations. Whether the peptide signals through one defined receptor or through several less specific interactions remains an open question. Its reported circulation half-life of a few hours complicates comparison of dosing schedules across trials. Mechanistic claims are frequently drawn from isolated cell cultures, and how far those results extend to whole organisms is unresolved.
Thymosin alpha 1 is a short peptide of 28 amino acid residues that derives from the amino terminal region of a larger precursor protein known as prothymosin alpha. The peptide carries an acetyl group on its first residue and contains no disulfide bonds or carbohydrate chains. Its sequence is highly conserved across mammalian species, which is one reason laboratories treat it as a molecule with a defined and reproducible structure rather than a variable tissue extract. The name follows an early naming convention for thymus-derived fractions and does not imply that the peptide acts as a hormone in the classical endocrine sense.
Biologically, the peptide is studied mainly in the context of immune cell development and regulation. It is produced in the thymus and in several other tissues, and it appears to influence the maturation and activity of T cells and other immune populations. Laboratory work describes effects on cytokine production, on the balance between T cell subsets, and on the function of dendritic cells. Much of this evidence comes from cell culture and animal models, so the extent to which the same pathways operate in humans remains an open question.
Clinical interest has centered on chronic viral hepatitis, on immune restoration in various conditions, and on use as an adjuvant intended to improve responses to vaccines. Trials have reported mixed results, and regulatory status differs sharply between countries; in some places it is a prescription product, while elsewhere it is sold without an approved therapeutic indication. Because published studies vary widely in design, population, and endpoints, comparisons across them are difficult and no single conclusion covers the whole literature.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Synthetic peptide | 28 residues; not a small-molecule compound |
| Molecular mass | About 3,106 Da | Monoisotopic mass of the unmodified chain |
| N-terminal group | Acetylated serine | Present in both native and synthetic forms |
| Secondary structure | Disulfide-constrained loop | One bridge between two cysteine residues |
| Typical source | Solid-phase synthesis | Early isolates came from bovine thymus extracts |
Lyophilized material is typically treated as a hygroscopic solid that should be brought to room temperature before the container is opened, which limits condensation on the powder. Reconstitution is commonly done with sterile water or a buffered diluent, and gentle mixing is preferred over vigorous agitation to reduce foaming and surface adsorption. Because peptides can bind to plastic and glass, diluents containing a small amount of carrier protein are sometimes used in laboratory work. Working solutions are generally aliquoted and prepared fresh rather than subjected to repeated freezing and thawing.
Stability depends on temperature, pH, and the number of freeze-thaw events the sample has experienced. Freeze-dried material is commonly held at -20 °C or colder, while reconstituted liquid is kept cold and used within a short window. Extreme pH and prolonged light exposure can promote deamidation, oxidation, or aggregation, particularly at asparagine and methionine positions. Adsorption to container walls can lower the measured concentration of a dilute solution even when the peptide molecules themselves remain intact.
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 peptide was described in the 1970s as a component of thymic extracts, and early research focused on restoring immune function in immunodeficiency states. A synthetic version entered clinical development in the 1980s and is approved as a drug in several countries for conditions such as chronic hepatitis B and certain immunodeficiencies. Approval status varies widely by jurisdiction, and in the United States it is not an approved therapeutic. Regulatory and clinical positions differ, so statements about efficacy should be tied to specific indications and studies.
Ants have a cosmopolitan distribution. They are found on all continents except Antarctica, and only a few large islands, such as Greenland, Iceland, parts of Polynesia and the Hawaiian Islands lack native ant species. Ants occupy a wide range of ecological niches and exploit many different food resources as direct or indirect herbivores, predators and scavengers. Most ant species are omnivorous generalists, but a few are specialist feeders. There is considerable variation in ant abundance across habitats, peaking in the moist tropics to nearly six times that found in less suitable habitats. Their ecological dominance has been examined primarily using estimates of their biomass: myrmecologist E. O. Wilson had estimated in 2009 that at any one time the total number of ants was between one and ten quadrillion (short scale) (i.e., between 1015 and 1016) and using this estimate he had suggested that the total biomass of all the ants in the world was approximately equal to the total biomass of the entire human race. More careful estimates made in 2022 which take into account regional variations puts the global ant contribution at 12 megatons of dry carbon, which is about 20% of the total human contribution, but greater than that of the wild birds and mammals combined. This study also puts a conservative estimate of the ants at about 20 × 1015 (20 quadrillion). Ants range in size from 0.75 to 52 millimetres (0.030–2.0 in), the largest species being the fossil Titanomyrma giganteum, the queen of which was 6 cm (2+1⁄2 in) long with a wingspan of 15 cm (6 in).
== Abstracting and indexing == The journal is abstracted and indexed by Chemical Abstracts Service, MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, and the Science Citation Index Expanded. According to the Journal Citation Reports, the journal has a 2025 impact factor of 2.6.
18q deletion syndrome Acrodermatitis enteropathica Acrogeria (Gottron syndrome) Acrokeratosis verruciformis (acrokeratosis verruciformis of Hopf) Adams–Oliver syndrome Adducted thumbs syndrome Albright's hereditary osteodystrophy Angelman syndrome Apert syndrome (acrocephalosyndactyly) Arthrogryposis–renal dysfunction–cholestasis syndrome Ataxia telangiectasia (Louis–Bar syndrome) Atrichia with papular lesions (papular atrichia) Atrophodermia vermiculata (acne vermoulante, acne vermoulanti, atrophoderma reticulata symmetrica faciei, atrophoderma reticulatum, atrophoderma vermiculata, atrophoderma vermiculatum, atrophodermia reticulata symmetrica faciei, atrophodermia ulerythematosa, atrophodermie vermiculée des joues avec kératoses folliculaires, folliculitis ulerythema reticulata, folliculitis ulerythematous reticulata, folliculitis ulerythemosa, honeycomb atrophy, ulerythema acneforme, ulerythema acneiforme) Autoimmune polyendocrinopathy–candidiasis–ectodermal dystrophy syndrome Bart syndrome Bazex–Dupré–Christol syndrome (Bazex syndrome, follicular atrophoderma and basal cell carcinomas) Beare–Stevenson cutis gyrata syndrome Bloom syndrome (Bloom–Torre–Machacek syndrome) Blue rubber bleb nevus syndrome Brittle hair–intellectual impairment–decreased fertility–short stature syndrome Cantú syndrome Cardio-facio-cutaneous syndrome (cardiofaciocutaneous syndrome) Cartilage–hair hypoplasia (McKusick type metaphyseal chondrodysplasia) Cerebral dysgenesis–neuropathy–ichthyosis–keratoderma syndrome Childhood tumor syndrome Chondrodysplasia punctata Cicatricial junctional epidermolysis bullosa Craniosynostosis–anal anomalies–porokeratosis syndrome Cockayne syndrome Colobomas of the eye–heart defects–ichthyosiform dermatosis–mental retardation–ear defects syndrome (CHIME syndrome, Zunich neuroectodermal syndrome, Zunich–Kaye syndrome) Congenital hemidysplasia with ichthyosiform erythroderma and limb defects syndrome (CHILD syndrome) Conradi–Hünermann syndrome (Conradi–Hünermann–Happle syndrome, Happle syndrome, X-linked dominant chondrodysplasia punctata) Costello syndrome Cronkhite–Canada syndrome Crouzon syndrome Cutis verticis gyrata Darier's disease (Darier–White disease, dyskeratosis follicularis, keratosis follicularis) DeSanctis–Cacchione syndrome Disseminated superficial actinic porokeratosis Disseminated superficial porokeratosis Dolichol kinase deficiency Dominant dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa Dyskeratosis congenita (Zinsser–Cole–Engman syndrome) Dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa Ectodermal dysplasia Ectodermal dysplasia with corkscrew hairs Ectrodactyly–ectodermal dysplasia–cleft syndrome (EEC syndrome, split hand–split foot–ectodermal dysplasia–cleft syndrome) Epidermolysis bullosa herpetiformis (Dowling–Meara epidermolysis bullosa simplex) Epidermolysis bullosa simplex Epidermolysis bullosa simplex of Ogna Epidermolysis bullosa simplex with mottled pigmentation Epidermolysis bullosa simplex with muscular dystrophy Epidermolytic hyperkeratosis (bullous congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma, bullous ichthyosiform erythroderma) Erythrokeratodermia with ataxia (Giroux–Barbeau syndrome) Familial benign chronic pemphigus (familial benign pemphigus, Hailey–Hailey disease) Fanconi syndrome (familial pancytopenia, familial panmyelophthisis) Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva Focal dermal hypoplasia (Goltz syndrome) Follicular atrophoderma Franceschetti–Klein syndrome (mandibulofacial dysostosis) Gardner's syndrome (familial colorectal polyposis) Gastrocutaneous syndrome Generalized atrophic benign epidermolysis bullosa Generalized epidermolysis bullosa simplex (Koebner variant of generalized epidermolysis bullosa simplex) Generalized trichoepithelioma Giant axonal neuropathy with curly hair Gingival fibromatosis with hypertrichosis Haber syndrome Hallerman–Streiff syndrome Harlequin-type ichthyosis (harlequin baby, harlequin fetus, harlequin ichthyosis, ichthyosis congenita, ichthyosis congenita gravior) Hay–Wells syndrome (AEC syndrome, ankyloblepharon filiforme adnatum–ectodermal dysplasia–cleft palate syndrome, ankyloblepharon–ectodermal defects–cleft lip and palate syndrome, ankyloblepharon–ectodermal dysplasia–clefting syndrome) Hereditary sclerosing poikiloderma Heterochromia iridum Holocarboxylase synthetase deficiency Hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (anhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia, Christ–Siemens–Touraine syndrome) Hypotrichosis–acro-osteolysis–onychogryphosis–palmoplantar keratoderma–periodontitis syndrome Hypotrichosis–lymphedema–telangiectasia syndrome Ichthyosis–brittle hair–impaired intelligence–decreased fertility–short stature syndrome (IBIDS syndrome, sulfur-deficient brittle hair syndrome, Tay's syndrome, trichothiodystrophy, trichothiodystrophy with ichthyosis) Ichthyosis bullosa of Siemens (ichthyosis exfoliativa) Ichthyosis follicularis (ichthyosis follicularis with alopecia and photophobia syndrome) Ichthyosis linearis circumflexa Ichthyosis prematurity syndrome Ichthyosis vulgaris (autosomal dominant ichthyosis, ichthyosis simplex) Ichthyosis with confetti Neonatal ichthyosis–sclerosing cholangitis syndrome (ichthyosis–sclerosing cholangitis syndrome, NISCH syndrome) Incontinentia pigmenti achromians (hypomelanosis of Ito) Immune dysfunction–polyendocrinopathy–enteropathy–X-linked syndrome Jaffe–Campanacci syndrome Johanson–Blizzard syndrome Johnson–McMillin syndrome Joubert syndrome Junctional epidermolysis bullosa Junctional epidermolysis bullosa gravis (epidermolysis bullosa letalis, Herlitz disease, Herlitz epidermolysis bullosa, Herlitz syndrome, lethal junctional epidermolysis bullosa) Junctional epidermolysis bullosa with pyloric atresia Kabuki syndrome (Kabuki makeup syndrome, Niikawa–Kuroki syndrome) Keratolytic winter erythema (erythrokeratolysis hiemalis, Oudtshoorn disease, Oudtshoorn skin) Keratosis follicularis spinulosa decalvans (Siemens-1 syndrome) Keratosis linearis with ichthyosis congenita and sclerosing keratoderma syndrome Keratosis pilaris atrophicans faciei (folliculitis rubra, keratosis pilaris rubra atrophicans faciei, lichen pilare, lichen pilaire ou xerodermie pilaire symmetrique de la face, ulerythema ophryogenes, xerodermi pilaire symmetrique de la face) Keratosis pilaris Kindler syndrome (acrokeratotic poikiloderma, bullous acrokeratotic poikiloderma of Kindler and Weary, congenital poikiloderma with blisters and keratoses, congenital poikiloderma with bullae and progressive cutaneous atrophy, hereditary acrokeratotic poikiloderma, hyperkeratosis–hyperpigmentation syndrome, Weary–Kindler syndrome) Klinefelter syndrome Klippel–Feil syndrome Lamellar ichthyosis (collodion baby) Legius syndrome (neurofibromatosis type 1-like syndrome) Lelis syndrome Lenz–Majewski syndrome Leschke syndrome Lethal acantholytic epidermolysis bullosa Lhermitte–Duclos disease Linear and whorled nevoid hypermelanosis (linear nevoid hyperpigmentation, progressive cribriform and zosteriform hyperpigmentation, reticulate and zosteriform hyperpigmentation, reticulate hyperpigmentation of Iijima and Naito and Uyeno, zebra-like hyperpigmentation in whorls and streaks, zebra-line hyperpigmentation) Linear Darier disease (acantholytic dyskeratotic epidermal nevus) Linear porokeratosis Localized epidermolysis bullosa simplex (Weber–Cockayne syndrome, Weber–Cockayne variant of generalized epidermolysis bullosa simplex) Mandibuloacral dysplasia Marinesco–Sjögren syndrome McCune–Albright syndrome McCusick syndrome Metageria Microphthalmia–dermal aplasia–sclerocornea syndrome Mitis junctional epidermolysis bullosa (nonlethal junctional epidermolysis bullosa) Mitochondrial myopathy–encephalopathy–lactic acidosis–stroke syndrome Multiple lentigines syndrome (cardiocutaneous syndrome, Gorlin syndrome II, lentiginosis profusa syndrome, LEOPARD syndrome, progressive cardiomyopathic lentiginosis) Multiple pterygium syndrome Multiple sulfatase deficiency (Austin disease, mucosulfatidosis) Naegeli–Franceschetti–Jadassohn syndrome (chromatophore nevus of Naegeli) Netherton syndrome Neurofibromatosis type 1 (von Recklinghausen's disease) Neurofibromatosis type 3 (neurofibromatosis mixed type) Neurofibromatosis type 4 (neurofibromatosis variant type) Neutral lipid storage disease (Dorfman–Chanarin syndrome) Nonbullous congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma (congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma) Noonan syndrome Oculocerebrocutaneous syndrome (Delleman–Oorthuys syndrome) Oculodentodigital dysplasia Odonto-tricho-ungual-digital-palmar syndrome Oliver–McFarlane syndrome Orofaciodigital syndrome Pachydermoperiostosis (idiopathic hypertrophic osteoathorpathy, Touraine–Solente–Gole syndrome) Peeling skin syndrome (acral peeling skin syndrome, continual peeling skin syndrome, familial continual skin peeling, idiopathic deciduous skin, keratolysis exfoliativa congenita) Pfeiffer syndrome Photosensitivity–ichthyosis–brittle sulfur-deficient hair–impaired intelligence–decreased fertility–short stature syndrome Pityriasis rotunda (pityriasis circinata, tinea circinata) Plate-like osteoma cutis Plaque-type porokeratosis (classic porokeratosis, porokeratosis of Mibelli) Polyneuropathy–organomegaly–endocrinopathy–monoclonal gammopathy–skin changes syndrome (Crow–Fukase syndrome) Polyostotic fibrous dysplasia (Albright's disease) Popliteal pterygium syndrome Porokeratosis Porokeratosis palmaris et plantaris disseminata Prader–Willi syndrome Progeria (Hutchinson–Gilford progeria syndrome, Hutchinson–Gilford syndrome, progeria syndrome) Progressive osseous heteroplasia Progressive symmetric erythrokeratodermia (erythrokeratodermia progressiva symmetrica) Proteus syndrome Proteus-like syndrome Punctate porokeratosis Rapp–Hodgkin syndrome (Rapp–Hodgkin ectodermal dysplasia syndrome) Recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (Hallopeau–Siemens variant of epidermolysis bullosa, Hallopeau–Siemens disease) Refsum's disease (heredopathia atactica polyneuritiformis, phytanic acid storage disease) Relapsing linear acantholytic dermatosis Restrictive dermopathy Rhizomelic chondrodysplasia punctata (autosomal recessive chondrodysplasia punctata type 1, chondrodystrophia calcificans punctata, peroxisomal biogenesis disorder complementation group 11) Rombo syndrome Rothmund–Thomson syndrome (poikiloderma congenitale) Rud syndrome Say syndrome Scalp–ear–nipple syndrome (Finlay–Marks syndrome) Schindler disease (Kanzaki disease, alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase deficiency) Schinzel–Giedion syndrome Scleroatrophic syndrome of Huriez (Huriez syndrome, palmoplantar keratoderma with scleroatrophy, palmoplantar keratoderma with sclerodactyly, scleroatrophic and keratotic dermatosis of the limbs, sclerotylosis) Segmental neurofibromatosis Senter syndrome (Desmons' syndrome) Shabbir syndrome (laryngo–onycho–cutaneous syndrome) Silver–Russell syndrome Sjögren–Larsson syndrome Skin fragility syndrome (plakophilin 1 deficiency) Smith–Lemli–Opitz syndrome Sturge–Weber syndrome Supernumerary nipples–uropathies–Becker's nevus syndrome Terminal osseous dysplasia with pigmentary defects Tooth and nail syndrome (hypodontia with nail dysgenesis, Witkop syndrome) Townes–Brocks syndrome Transient bullous dermolysis of the newborn Treacher Collins syndrome (Treacher Collins–Franceschetti syndrome) Tricho–dento–osseous syndrome Tricho–rhino–phalangeal syndrome Tuberous sclerosis (Bourneville disease, epiloia) Turner syndrome Ulnar–mammary syndrome Van Der Woude syndrome Von Hippel–Lindau syndrome Watson syndrome Werner syndrome (adult progeria) Westerhof syndrome Whistling syndrome (craniocarpotarsal syndrome, distal arthrogryposis type 2, Freeman–Sheldon syndrome, Windmill–Vane–Hand syndrome) Wilson–Turner syndrome Wolf–Hirschhorn syndrome (4p- syndrome) X-linked ichthyosis (steroid sulfatase deficiency, X-linked recessive ichthyosis) X-linked recessive chondrodysplasia punctata Xeroderma pigmentosum (Cockayne syndrome complex) XXYY genotype Zimmermann–Laband syndrome
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Peak areas are calculated from HPLC traces of dry samples of the substance to be tested in 1 ml of acetonitrile. The standard used to calibrate the calculation is 1 gram of capsaicin. Scoville heat units are found by multiplying the ppmH value by a factor of 15. By this definition of ppmH, spicy compounds other than the two most important capsaicinoids are ignored, despite the ability of HPLC to measure these other compounds at the same time.
== Etymology and names == The names "scallion" and "shallot" are derived from the Old French eschalotte, by way of eschaloigne, from the Latin Ascalōnia caepa or Ascalonian onion, a namesake of the ancient city of Ascalon. The term "shallot" is usually applied to the French red shallot (Allium cepa var. aggregatum, or the A. cepa aggregatum group). It is also used for the Persian shallot or musir (A. stipitatum) from the Zagros Mountains in Iran and Iraq, and the French gray shallot (Allium oschaninii), which is also known as griselle or "true shallot"; it grows wild from Central to Southwest Asia. The name shallot is also used for a scallion in New South Wales, Australia and among English-speaking people in Quebec, while the term "French shallot" refers to the plant referred to on this page. In most English-speaking nations, the name is pronounced with the emphasis on the last syllable in common with the French pronunciation, sha-LOT, while the emphasis is commonly made on the first syllable, SHAL-ət, in the United States. The term "eschalot", derived from the French word échalote, can also be used to refer to the shallot.
The isotopes of nickel range in mass number from 48 (48Ni) to 82 (82Ni). Natural nickel is composed of five stable isotopes, 58Ni, 60Ni, 61Ni, 62Ni and 64Ni, of which 58Ni is the most abundant (68.077% natural abundance). Nickel-62 has the highest binding energy per nucleon of any nuclide: 8.7946 MeV/nucleon. Its binding energy is greater than both 56Fe and 58Fe, more abundant nuclides often incorrectly cited as having the highest binding energy. Though this would seem to predict nickel as the most abundant heavy element in the universe, the high rate of photodisintegration of nickel in stellar interiors causes iron to be by far the most abundant. Nickel-60 is the daughter product of the extinct radionuclide 60Fe (half-life 2.6 million years). Due to the long half-life of 60Fe, its persistence in materials in the Solar System may generate observable variations in the isotopic composition of 60Ni. Therefore, the abundance of 60Ni in extraterrestrial material may give insight into the origin of the Solar System and its early history. At least 26 nickel radioisotopes have been characterized; the most stable are 59Ni with half-life 76,000 years, 63Ni (100 years), and 56Ni (6 days). All other radioisotopes have half-lives less than 60 hours and most these have half-lives less than 30 seconds. This element also has one meta state. Radioactive nickel-56 is produced by the silicon burning process and later set free in large amounts in Type Ia supernovae.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Its sequence corresponds to the amino-terminal portion of prothymosin alpha, a larger protein present in many cell types. The isolated 28-residue peptide is a fragment of that protein rather than a separately encoded molecule, and laboratory material is produced by synthesis.
The single bridge between two cysteine residues holds the chain in a folded loop that influences its shape and its behavior in solution. Loss of the bridge through reduction or oxidation shifts chromatographic retention and is tracked during stability work.
It is a defined 28-residue sequence derived from a larger precursor, whereas many other thymic preparations are mixtures of several polypeptides. Its acetylated amino terminus and single disulfide bridge distinguish it chemically from unrelated thymic extracts.
The name reflects an early convention for naming thymus-derived fractions. The peptide is characterized and measured as a defined molecule, and it does not operate through a single classical endocrine axis.