Study summary · research use only
Thymosin alpha 1 restores the immune homeostasis in lymphocytes during Post-Acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection
Plain-language summary
Paraphrased from the published abstract below — not a verdict on whether anything works.
This study examined thymosin alpha 1 (Tα1) in an ex vivo analysis of lymphocytes from human patients with post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC). The authors describe reports from China that Tα1 use in COVID-19 patients was associated with decreased hospitalization rates and reduced mortality by restoring lymphocytopenia and depleted T cells, particularly in patients with more severe disease. In their PASC cohort, characterized by depleted naive B and T cell subpopulations and expanded memory T cells, the authors report that Tα1 was associated with improved restoration of immune responses ex vivo, most notably in individuals with more severe illness, prior need for respiratory support, or specific systemic and psychiatric PASC symptoms.
Abstract
The complex alterations of the immune system and the immune-mediated multiorgan injury plays a key role in host response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and in the pathogenesis of COVID-19, being also associated with adverse outcomes. Thymosin alpha 1 (Tα1) is one of the molecules used in the treatment of COVID-19, as it is known to restore the homeostasis of the immune system during infections and cancer. The use of Tα1 in COVID-19 patients had been widely used in China and in COVID-19 patients, it has been shown to decrease hospitalization rate, especially in those with greater disease severity, and reduce mortality by restoring lymphocytopenia and more specifically, depleted T cells. Persistent dysregulation with depletion of naive B and T cell subpopulations and expansion of memory T cells suggest a chronic stimulation of the immune response in individuals with post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC). Our data obtained from an ex vivo study, showed that in PASC individuals with a chronically altered immune response, Tα1 improve the restoration of an appropriate response, most evident in those with more severe illness and who need respiratory support during acute phase, and in those with specific systemic and psychiatric symptoms of PASC, confirming Tα1 treatment being more effective in compromised patients. The results obtained, along with promising reports on recent trials on Tα1 administration in patients with COVID-19, offer new insights into intervention also for those patients with long-lasting inflammation with post-infectious symptoms, some of which have a delayed onset.
pepmg summarizes the peer-reviewed literature and links to every source — it sells nothing, ships nothing, and gives no medical, dosing, or human-use guidance. Don't just trust this summary: follow the citation to its source and read it yourself. Research use only.