An overview of purification, biological activation and therapeutic applications of thymosin alpha

Thymosin alpha 1 (Tα1) is 28 amino acid residues peptide. Thymic epithelial cells produce acetylated N-terminal Tα1 that has powerful immunostimulatory and antitumor activites. Inside the body Tα1 effects endocrine, immune and central nervous system. Tα1 can be purified by using fractionation procedures from thymus. Many recombinant DNA techniques are being used for the production of Tα1. In addition Tα1 is being expressed as fusion proteins with other therapeutically important proteins. For the high-throughput production of Tα1, different expression systems are being used such as E.coli and yeast. Tα1 has unique antitumor and immunoregulatory properties and also have capacity to protect cells from oxidative damage. Tα1 has many therapeutic applications specifically against many infectious diseases (hepatitis B&C, AIDS, SARS etc.) and cancer.