Research background · Updated November 1, 2026
Thymosin Alpha-1 Research: Publications, Study Types and Background
Short answer
Thymosin Alpha-1 is listed as synthetic peptide of 28 amino acids. As of November 1, 2026, PubMed indexes 622 records matching Thymosin Alpha-1, the earliest from 1979; 61 were published in 2021–2025 and 85 are reviews. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 68 registered studies matching the compound.
- PubMed records
- 622
- Earliest record
- 1979
- Published 2021–2025
- 61
- Reviews
- 85
- Animal-only studies
- 185
- Registered studies
- 68
Publications per year, 2006–2025
124 records in 2016–2025 against 95 in 2006–2015; the busiest year was 2020, with 19.
See the numbers
| Year | PubMed records |
|---|---|
| 2006 | 5 |
| 2007 | 14 |
| 2008 | 12 |
| 2009 | 12 |
| 2010 | 13 |
| 2011 | 12 |
| 2012 | 7 |
| 2013 | 7 |
| 2014 | 1 |
| 2015 | 12 |
| 2016 | 4 |
| 2017 | 10 |
| 2018 | 16 |
| 2019 | 13 |
| 2020 | 19 |
| 2021 | 13 |
| 2022 | 8 |
| 2023 | 19 |
| 2024 | 13 |
| 2025 | 9 |
Study types
| All PubMed records | 622 |
|---|---|
| Reviews | 8514% |
| Animal studies (no human subjects indexed) | 18530% |
| Indexed as clinical trials | 569% |
| Registered on ClinicalTrials.gov | 68 |
Categories overlap and follow PubMed’s own indexing; recent records may not be indexed yet.
Primary research directions
What 6 of the most-cited and most recent Thymosin Alpha-1 papers report, in their own authors’ terms. Each line links the paper it came from.
This scoping review of 26 clinical publications on thymosin alpha 1 in cancer care found mostly retrospective observational studies and case reports; several reported favorable clinical or immune-related signals, but heterogeneity limited comparability and safety reporting was inconsistent.
ReviewKim SD 2026Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)PMID 42797537
This review summarizes reports that thymosin alpha 1 promotes T-cell maturation, Th1 polarization and natural killer cell activity, and notes that preclinical and clinical studies suggest it may have antitumor activity, although the available evidence remains limited and heterogeneous.
ReviewChuang SC 2026European journal of pharmacologyPMID 42641753
In a retrospective review of 76 patients with severe COVID-19, thymosin alpha 1 treatment was associated with lower mortality than no treatment, along with restored T-cell counts in patients with severe lymphocytopenia and reduced T-cell exhaustion markers.
HumansLiu Y 2020Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of AmericaPMID 32442287
In a multicenter randomized controlled trial in 361 patients with severe sepsis, 28-day mortality was 26.0% with thymosin alpha 1 versus 35.0% in controls, a difference of marginal statistical significance; greater improvement in monocyte HLA-DR was observed and no serious drug-related adverse events were recorded.
HumansWu J 2013Critical care (London, England)PMID 23327199
In mouse studies, thymosin alpha 1 induced maturation and interleukin-12 production by fungus-exposed dendritic cells through Toll-like receptor and MyD88 signaling, and in vivo activated Th1-dependent antifungal immunity and protected highly susceptible transplanted mice from aspergillosis.
MiceRomani L 2004BloodPMID 14982877
In a small placebo-controlled pilot trial in 12 patients with chronic hepatitis B, those given thymosin fraction 5 or thymosin-alpha 1 more often cleared hepatitis B virus DNA from serum than placebo recipients, and no significant side effects were observed; the authors describe the results as suggestive.
HumansMutchnick MG 1991Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.)PMID 1874487
Most-studied topics
The Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) PubMed indexers most often marked as a main topic, across 400 of the 622 records. They describe what the literature is about, not what Thymosin Alpha-1 does.
- Thymosin287 papers
- Adjuvants, Immunologic40 papers
- Thymus Hormones37 papers
- Thymalfasin36 papers
- Thymus Gland26 papers
- T-Lymphocytes25 papers
- Antiviral Agents23 papers
- Hepatitis B, Chronic20 papers
Key papers
Earliest indexed record
Low TL (1979). Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.
PMID 394636Most-cited paper · 228 citations
Haritos AA (1984). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.
PMID 6583693Most-cited #2 · 175 citations
Romani L (2004). Blood.
PMID 14982877Most-cited #3 · 151 citations
Weindruch R (1988). Journal of gerontology.
PMID 3346517
Citation counts from NIH iCite, among the 400 records sampled. Titles are left out; open each record on PubMed to read it.
Identity
| Synonyms and codes | Thymalfasin, Thymosin alpha 1 |
|---|---|
| Description | Synthetic peptide of 28 amino acids |
| Supplied form | Lyophilized powder |
| CAS number | 62304-98-7 |
| Molecular formula | C129H215N33O55 |
| Molecular weight | 3108.3 g/mol |
As published by Vanta Labs, with its sources, on the Thymosin Alpha-1 page.
How these numbers were counted
- PubMed search, run November 1, 2026:
"thymosin alpha 1"[tiab] OR "thymosin alpha-1"[tiab] OR thymalfasin[tiab]re-run it. Study types add PubMed’s own filters (review, clinical trial, animals not humans). - Topics: MeSH major-topic headings counted across up to 400 of the matching records; headings for study set-up (species, sex, age) are left out.
- Citations: NIH iCite citation counts for the same records.
- ClinicalTrials.gov search:
"thymosin alpha 1" OR thymalfasinre-run it. Any phase, any status.
This page reports what has been published and what papers say they found, with each source linked. It gives no dosing or usage information, and nothing here is a reason to use Thymosin Alpha-1 outside a laboratory.
Wholesale supply
Thymosin Alpha-1 for research, documented lot by lot.
10mg vials. Every wholesale lot comes with its certificate of analysis, and your quote names the lot. Pricing on inquiry.
Thymosin Alpha-1 research questions
How much research has been published on Thymosin Alpha-1?
PubMed indexes 622 records matching Thymosin Alpha-1 (searched November 1, 2026), including 85 reviews and 56 records indexed as clinical trials. 61 were published in the five years 2021–2025.
When was Thymosin Alpha-1 first described in the literature?
The earliest PubMed record matching Thymosin Alpha-1 is from 1979 (Low TL, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, PMID 394636).
What topics does the Thymosin Alpha-1 literature cover?
The subject headings PubMed indexers most often marked as a main topic of Thymosin Alpha-1 papers are Thymosin, Adjuvants, Immunologic, Thymus Hormones, Thymalfasin. These describe what the literature is about. Findings from individual papers, with their sources, are summarized on this page.
What is the regulatory status of Thymosin Alpha-1?
Thymosin alpha-1 (thymalfasin) is not listed as an approved drug in the FDA's Drugs@FDA database (searched 24 September 2026).
Is Thymosin Alpha-1 sold for human use?
No. Vanta Foundry supplies it for laboratory research use only. Not for human or veterinary use, and not a drug, food, cosmetic or dietary supplement.
Where can I buy Thymosin Alpha-1 wholesale for research?
From the Vanta Foundry wholesale catalog: add it to your list, choose sizes and the number of vials, and send it on WhatsApp or by email. Every wholesale lot comes with a certificate of analysis.
Research materials supplied by Vanta Foundry are for laboratory research use only. They are not for human or veterinary use and are not drugs, foods, cosmetics or dietary supplements. Websites and payment processing are business services for research-supply brands.
All compounds: research peptide publication statistics.