title: Thymosin alpha-1 treatment in chronic hepatitis B.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Stimulating a successful host immune response may be a promising helpful therapy to achieve elimination of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Thymosin α-1 (Tα-1), as an immunomodulatory agent, can enhance T-cell response in CHB patients and has been widely studied either alone or in combination with nucleos(t)ide analogs. This editorial reviews these articles to present the efficacy of Tα-1 in CHB.
  
  
  METHODS
  English and Chinese articles in MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Controlled Trial Registry, Chinese periodical full-text database of science and technology, Chinese periodical full-text database and Wan-fang database by thesis search were collected and reviewed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In CHB, Tα-1monotherapy is effective in suppressing viral replication compared with untreated control or conventional interferon. Most of the combination therapy of Tα-1 plus either lamivudine or IFN-α showed better effects on HBV DNA suppression and HBeAg seroconversion. Presently, clinical studies of Tα-1 combined with entecavir on the treatment of HBV-cirrhosis are ongoing.
authors: Capital Medical University, Liver Research Center, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Beijing Key Laboratory of Translational Medicine in Liver Cirrhosis , 95 Yong-an Road, Xi-Cheng District, Beijing 100050 , China +86 10 6313 9019 ; +86 10 6302 3261 ; jia_jd@ccmu.edu.cn ; youhong30@sina.com.
authors: Xiaoning
authors: X
authors: Wu
authors: Jidong
authors: J
authors: Jia
authors: Hong
authors: H
authors: You
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006147:Guanine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019259:Lamivudine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077596:Thymalfasin; D013947:Thymosin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D019259:Lamivudine; C413685:entecavir; D006147:Guanine; D013947:Thymosin; D000077596:Thymalfasin
keywords: hepatitis B; thymosin α-1; treatment