Thymus Peptides: Innovative Allies in Immune System Enhancement and Cancer Therapy

February 15, 2024

Briefly About Peptides

Have you ever wondered: what are peptides? – Peptides are a vast class of protein-based substances. These include proteins, hormones, enzymes, antibodies, and Khavinson peptide bioregulators. 

Peptide bioregulators are very short chains of amino acids. For example, if you want to see the difference between cytomaxes and cytogenes peptide bioregulators, there are 5-7 amino acids in cytomaxes, and 2-3 in cytogenes. Peptide bioregulators including thymus peptides are mostly obtained by extraction from animal organs and tissues. Healing peptides give a signal to synthesize new proteins if cell renewal is required in a particular organ or tissue. It means that they have the ability to slow down aging and initiate the body’s recovery processes.

What Do Peptides Do in the Body? 

Peptides have a bunch of important jobs to do. They work as signals, regulating important stuff like growth, metabolism, immune function, and how messages zip around the body.

Some act like hormones, passing info between organs to keep things in balance. Others work as neurotransmitters in the brain, helping neurons chat and affecting mood, thinking, and actions. Plus, some peptides have antimicrobial properties, helping the body fight off pathogens. Basically, peptides are super important for keeping the body running smoothly.

The important thing about peptide drugs is that they usually have low toxicity and a wide range of possible molecular targets and benefits for the body.

Thymus Peptides – Definition and Function

Thymus peptides are short chains of amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins, derived from the thymus gland. The thymus gland is the central organ of the cellular immunity. Thymus medical term has been known since the time of the ancient Greeks, but its importance for the immune system was discovered only in 1961 by Jacques Miller who studied thymus gland removal side effects [7][8].

What is the Purpose of the Thymus Gland?

Thymus gland is the place where the maturation of T-lymphocytes occurs. T-lymphocytes are the main functional elements that provide immune surveillance in the body. Thymus increases in size until puberty. In the subsequent years it gets smaller in a process known as involution.

According to professor Khavinson who put years into research on how to use pineal gland peptides for anti-age purposes, peptide bioregulators can act as a means of substitution therapy when there’s a steady deterioration in the function of both pineal gland and thymus.

Thymus function is closely related to the activity of the adrenal, reproductive and thyroid glands, pineal and pituitary glands. There is a functional antagonism between the glucocorticoid function of the adrenal cortex and the secretory activity of the thymus gland: an increase in glucocorticoid secretion suppresses the secretory activity of the thymus, an increase of the thymic hormone in the blood reduces the glucocorticoid function of the adrenal glands [6].

Abnormalities of the thymus can result in a decreased number of T-cells and autoimmune diseases.

The Role of Thymus Peptides in Immune System Regulation

The immune system has T and B cells that remember infections and fight them off. Thymic peptides help T cells develop and prevent the body from attacking itself. The thymus creates cells that help T cells grow, and thymic peptides help this process. As we age, the thymus weakens, making it harder for the immune system to work well.

Consider the effect of Thymalin on adaptive immunity in patients with Covid-19. Researchers are studying thymic peptides to see if they can help keep the immune system strong against infections.

Thymus Peptides in Cancer Treatment

Thymalin and similar synthetic peptides like Thymosin α1 may help with cancer treatment, especially after chemo and radiation. Studies with over 2700 patients have shown that using these peptides might reduce the risk of severe infections and improve how long patients stay disease-free, though not all results were strong enough to be sure. [15]

Additional research is needed to investigate the efficacy of purified thymus extracts in reducing severe complications during chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Future studies should also consider the impact of thymic peptide therapy on cancer patients’ quality of life when used alongside standard treatments.

Sourcing and Safety of Thymus Peptide Therapies

Thymus peptides are obtained from thymus extracts produced from the thymus glands of cattle and are used for various medical purposes. You can purchase thymus peptides such as Thymalin or Thymogen at CosmicNootropic – a reliable source for peptides and nootropics in the US.

Thymus extract is normally safe for most people. However, concerns exist about potential disease transmission, particularly from animal sources, but no cases of infections in humans have been reported so far. Precautionary measures are advised, such as avoiding products from countries with known occurrences of ‘mad cow disease’.

Individuals with compromised immune systems or those on immunosuppressive medications should be particularly cautious with thymus extracts, as these products could interact with their medications and increase susceptibility to infections.

Feel free to join in a heated discussion about Khavinson and other reddit peptides!

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Bibliography

1. Morozov V.G., Khavinson V.Kh. (1981) Isolation, purification and identification of immunomodulating polypeptide contained in the thymus of calves and humans. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7295826/
2. Kozhemyakin A.L., Morozov V.G., Khavinson V.Kh. (1984) Participation of the cyclase system in the molecular mechanisms of regulation of differentiation of immunocompetent cells. https://biochemistrymoscow.com/ru/archive/1984/49-04-0658/
3. Bakhidze E.V., Bokhman Ia.V. et al (1985). Use of thymalin in the complex treatment of patients with cancer of the uterus. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3839953/ 
4. Ryzhenkov V.E., Ogurtsov R.P. et al (1988). Effect of thymalin on the development of experimental hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2967015/
5. Anisimov V.N., Loktionov A.S., Khavinson V.Kh., Morozov V.G. (1989) Effect of low-molecular-weight factors of thymus and pineal gland on life span and spontaneous tumour development in female mice of different age. https://khavinson.info/downloads/1989-Anisimov.pdf
6. Khavinson V.Kh., Korkushko O.V. et al (2002). Peptide preparations of thymus and pineal gland in prevention of accelerated aging. https://khavinson.info/publications
7. Miller J.F. (2002). The discovery of thymus function and of thymus-derived lymphocytes. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12190917/
8. Miller J.F. (2004). Events that led to the discovery of T-cell development and function–a personal recollection. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15140026/
9. Smirnov V.S., Morozov V.G. et al (2004). Clinical pharmacology of tymogen. https://www.biomedservice.ru/preparat/libr_Thymogenum.pdf
10. Tsybenova B.Ts. (2005). The use of the immunomodulator thymalin in the treatment of chronic lung diseases in children. https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/primenenie-immunomodulyatora-timalina-pri-lechenii-hronicheskih-zabolevaniy-legkih-u-detey-1/viewer
11. Khavinson V. Kh., Kuznik B. I., Ryzhak G. A. (2012) Peptide bioregulators: the new class of geroprotectors Message 1. Experimental studies results. https://khavinson.info/assets/files/russ/2012-khavinson_kuz_ruz_1.pdf
12. Khavinson V. Kh., Kuznik B. I., Sturov V.G., Gladkii P.A. (2020) Thymalin use for respiratory diseases. Application potential in COVID-19 https://khavinson.info/assets/files/russ/2020-khavinson_kuznik-0.pdf
13. Khavinson V. Kh., Kuznik B. I. (2020). The effect of Thymalin on the immune systems, hemostasis and the level of cytokines in patients with various diseases. Prospects for use in COVID-19. https://samsonmed.ru/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/2021/03/2020_-THE-EFFECT-OF-THYMALIN-ON-THE-IMMUNE-SYSTEM.pdf
14. Khavinson V. Kh., Volchkov V.A. et al (2020). Effect of Thymalin on adaptive immunity in complex therapy for patients with Covid-19. https://khavinson.info/assets/files/russ/2020-khavinson_kuznik_volshkov.pdf
15. Wolf E et al (2011). Thymic peptides for treatment of cancer patients in addition to chemotherapy or radiotherapy, or both. https://www.cochrane.org/CD003993/GYNAECA_thymic-peptides-treatment-cancer-patients-addition-chemotherapy-or-radiotherapy-or-both