title: Thymosin alpha 1: biological activities, applications and genetic engineering production.
abstract: Thymosin alpha 1 (Tα1), a 28-amino acid peptide, was first described and characterized from calf thymuses in 1977. This peptide can enhance T-cell, dendritic cell (DC) and antibody responses, modulate cytokines and chemokines production and block steroid-induced apoptosis of thymocytes. Due to its pleiotropic biological activities, Tα1 has gained increasing interest in recent years and has been used for the treatment of various diseases in clinic. Accordingly, there is an increasing need for the production of this peptide. So far, Tα1 used in clinic is synthesized using solid phase peptide synthesis. Here, we summarize the genetic engineering methods to produce Tα1 using prokaryotic or eukaryotic expression systems. The effectiveness of these biological products in increasing the secretion of cytokines and in promoting lymphocyte proliferation were investigated in vitro studies. This opens the possibility for biotechnological production of Tα1 for the research and clinical applications.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemical and Biotechnological Drug, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Chun Hui
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Feng Shan
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002417:Cattle; D005818:Genetic Engineering; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000494:pharmacology; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000077596:Thymalfasin; D013947:Thymosin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013947:Thymosin; D000077596:Thymalfasin