What is Thymosin?
What is Thymosin?
Thymosins are proteins that can be found in almost all animals and their cellular tissues. First discovered in the 1960’s, Thymosins have been around for almost sixty years. Medicine and technology has come a long way over the past half century, leading to scientists developing medications that leverage the benefits of two major Thymosins, Thymosin Alpha-1 and Thymosin Beta-4.
Thymosin Alpha-1 is a polypeptide consisting of 28 amino acids. Its’ molecular formula is C129H215N33O55, and it has a molecular weight of 3108.315. It has been referred to as Tα1, as well as TA1.
Thymosin Beta-4 is a polypeptide consisting of 43 amino acids. Its’ molecular formula is C12H35N56O78S, and it has a molecular weight of 4963.4408. It has also been referred to as Tβ4, as well TB500. And now, it’s available on gurupeptides.com!
Thymosin Beta-4
Focusing on Thymosin Beta-4 today, it comes from us in a lyophilized white powder form so that you can use it in your laboratory research. It comes from you in a water-soluble regenerative peptide. Thymosin Beta-4 is something that’s naturally occurring in your body, found in almost all tissues and cell types with the exception of red blood cells. Every other muscle, bone, or organ cell has a level of Thymosin Beta-4 within their composition. Subsequently, every bodily fluid including tears, saliva, spinal fluid, and semen also contain Thymosin Beta-4 within their composition.
Considered to be a natural building block for tissue repair initially, we now know that Thymosin Beta-4 isn’t just leveraged by an animal’s system to help repair damaged tissues in the self-regenerative process; It is used as a fundamental building block for most cells as well! The importance of Thymosin Beta-4 isn’t lost on the scientific, medicinal, and pharmaceutical communities. Much research has been completed to help remedy disease.
Research and Case Studies for Thymosin
Despite the fact that the two major types of Thymosin were discovered back in the ‘60s, the technology didn’t exist for real research projects until the 1990’s. By the time the new millennium rolled around, we had seen some real progress. Here’s a comprehensive timeline on research and development focused on Thymosin Beta-4:
- September 1999 – Representatives in the Craniofacial Developmental Biology and Regeneration Branch of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, located in Bethesda, MD were able to prove that Thymosin Beta-4 was an effective agent to accelerate wound healing.
- December 1999 – Across the pond, our UK brethren from the Division of Infection and Immunity, representing the Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences of the University of Glasgow, were able to prove that Thymosin Beta-4 wasn’t just an accelerant of wound healing, but it could be used as an anti-inflammatory agent as well!
- 2003 – Building on the research finished 4 years beforehand, M. R. Bubb of the Department of Medicine from the University of Florida started to experiment with the interactions and relationships that Thymosin Beta-4 would build with different cells and substances. His findings showed “thymosin beta 4 has a unique integrative function that links the actin cytoskeleton to important immune and cell growth-signaling cascades.”
- February 2004 – A year later, it was proven that Thymosin Beta-4 could be used as an angiogenesis agent, not just a proponent for wound healing. Perhaps we’re tapping in to our very own fountain of youth…
- April 2010 – By the time the most recent decade rolled around, the research had extended to more immediate and practical uses. The Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery of the University of Texas showed how effective Thymosin Beta-4 could be when directed to healing cardiac injury, laying the groundwork for more potential targeted healing methods.
Present Day Application of Thymosin
A variety of oils, creams, medications, and supplements leverage thymosin beta-4 these days. Many healing ointments as well as medications prescribed after surgery are known to read it off in the list of active ingredients. More research is being conducted, most typically in the realm of ailment curing rather than just treatment. Some institutions are exploring the uses of Thymosin Beta-4 as a potential performance enhancing drug. Thymosin Beta-4 is definitely here to stay.
References:
1 Malinda, K M, et al. “Thymosin beta4 Accelerates Wound Healing.” Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports., U.S. National Library of Medicine, Sept. 1999, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10469335.
2 Young, J D, et al. “Thymosin Beta 4 Sulfoxide Is an Anti-Inflammatory Agent Generated by Monocytes in the Presence of Glucocorticoids.” Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports., U.S. National Library of Medicine, Dec. 1999, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10581087.
3 Bubb, M R. “Thymosin Beta 4 Interactions.” Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports., U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2003, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12852258.
4 Philp, D, et al. “Thymosin beta4 Promotes Angiogenesis, Wound Healing, and Hair Follicle Development.” Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports., U.S. National Library of Medicine, Feb. 2004, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15037013.
5 Shrivastava, S, et al. “Thymosin beta4 and Cardiac Repair.” Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports., U.S. National Library of Medicine, Apr. 2010, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20536454.